Beware when buying second-hand electrical items, warns Halifax Home Insurance

Posted : 12-09-2007

New research from Halifax Home Insurance has warned consumers to beware when making purchases from car boot sales.

The study indicates that some 5.6 million Britons have bought items from car boot sales and they now estimate to have made a combined profit of £890 million from their purchases.

However, some 30 per cent of consumers bought electronic items such as televisions, vacuum cleaners and computers that turned out to be faulty.

A recent report by the insurer found that a quarter of second-hand electronics failed a safety check and were labelled as unfit for use.

Senior manager of underwriting at Halifax Home Insurance Vicky Emmott commented that it is worth notifying your insurer following any bargain purchases to cover the item.

"Car booters should be particularly wary of second-hand electrical items, especially since electrical fires are the root cause of 18 per cent of all house fires each year," she added.

A recent study by Halifax indicated that Brits are particular about their parking, with some 13 per cent trying to stop other people taking their space.


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