Trade Me heater death trap

Toddler Shelby Tyler - pictured with parents Emma and Steve - was only seconds from death when her mother snatched her to safety. Photo / Alan Gibson

A Bay of Plenty toddler almost died when a wall heater her mother bought on Trade Me caught fire - prompting warnings about other dangerous electrical items being sold online.

The Fire Service and electrical authorities fear other families are putting themselves at risk, and Trade Me says it removes up to 350 illegal electrical products a month from its website.

Te Puke mother Emma Tyler bought the wall heater on Trade Me - but it was being sold illegally because it had a foreign plug.

Last week, Mrs Tyler left her 22-month-old daughter Shelby sleeping in her cot while she dropped her other little girl off down the road.

The heater - a butterfly-decorated, paper-thin device that appeared to work like an electric blanket - was attached to the wall next to Shelby's cot and turned on.

Mrs Tyler's 17-year-old son was in the house, and she was gone for about five minutes.

"Before I left, everything was fine," said Mrs Tyler. "I came back and I could smell smoke. I went into my room first, checking my hair straighteners weren't left on. Then I went into baby's room and it was fully ablaze, right next to her cot."

The room was full of thick black smoke and Mrs Tyler could not see Shelby.

"I just froze, then I thought 'baby, baby'. I put my arm through the door and I could feel the flames. They were coming straight to the door, it was pitch black ... she was screaming."

Mrs Tyler grabbed Shelby and rushed her to the lounge "coughing and spluttering".

After checking the toddler was okay, Mrs Tyler ran back into the room with water to put out the fire.

She then called 111.

"It was really scary. The fire chief said we were so lucky, we were seconds off losing our baby."

Mrs Tyler and Shelby were treated for smoke inhalation.

Mrs Tyler bought the wall heater on Trade Me two years ago and was assured by the man who sold it to her that it was 100 per cent safe.

Trade Me's head of safety and trust, Jon Duffy, said the heater was illegal, as it had a foreign plug. It was supplied to Mrs Tyler with an adaptor.

"We were really disappointed to hear what happened. But we're stoked that mum and baby are okay," he said.

The seller was given a warning and has not listed any electrical items since.

Two other people had bought the same heater, and efforts were being made to contact them.

"If you list a product with a foreign plug and we become aware of it we will pull it," Mr Duffy said.

"Through our community watch function and through our own surveillance of the site, we're pulling about 300 to 350 products with foreign plugs a month."

The head of the Fire Service's research and investigation unit, Peter Wilding, said he had never seen a heater like it - and he was concerned more may be in use.

He said there wasn't enough of the wall film heater left to determine how it was made or what went wrong.

He urged anyone else who owned similar heaters to stop using them.

"People need to exercise particular caution when buying items that could expose themselves or their families to serious harm if they are faulty.

"Always be prepared to ask the seller if the product meets known and trusted safety standards."

Mr Duffy recommended buyers ask sellers to post photographs of the items, including the cords and plugs to ensure they were legitimate.

Energy Safety compliance officer, Richard Lamb, said the problem had been getting worse for years as more people bought and sold online.

He said anyone buying such products needed to ask whether the seller could prove the item was safe.

Energy Safety's website says an audit of 50 professional Trade Me traders found 90 per cent had not taken any steps to establish the safety of chargers and power supplies they were selling, and 70 per cent could not produce any evidence that their products were safe.

Energy Safety had fined 23 traders a total of $33,000 and warned a further 15.

Mr Lamb said buyers could ask whether the seller or importer had made a declaration the item was safe and could ask for a test report from a recognised lab to prove it.

"The law says they must produce that within 10 days of asking. It's quite a powerful tool for consumers; they can just ask to see the Supply Declaration. If the seller says 'what's that?' or can't produce it - don't buy it."

SAFETY TEST

The Fire Service says people buying electrical items online should make sure they have New Zealand or international standard labels. Labels include:

* NZS (New Zealand Standards)

* AS (Australian Standards)

* ISO (International Organization of Standardization)

* UL (underwriters laboratories)

* BSI or BS (British Standards)

* EN (European Norms)

* IEC (International Electrotechnical Commission)

More information on safety regulations can be found at www.energysafety.govt.nz.