Barbies, puzzles, Lego, dolls, trucks, Internet auction sites are filled with toys sold by individuals. These offers are often very attractive because the toys are sold at very competitive, if not totally ridiculous prices.
The PriceMinister site is the European leader of safe selling and buying on the Internet and just published its second European report on the fight against counterfeiting. It has identified numerous attempts to sell counterfeit toys on English, French and Spanish websites.
While many toys that are supposed to meet safety standards have a strong lead presence, counterfeit toys could have an even higher rate of lead or contain other toxic products.
It is better for consumers to think twice before succumbing to an offer that seems too good to be true.