Over 90% of Halloween costumes sold online don’t comply with UK laws

Posted 15/10/26

Trading Standards body test purchase reveals that basic product safety rules are not being met and poses questions about the safety of products sold by third-party sellers via online marketplaces.

An investigation by the Chartered Trading Standards Institute (CTSI) has uncovered alarming levels of non-compliance among children’s Halloween costumes sold by overseas third-party sellers through online marketplaces. Of the products assessed, 91% failed to meet UK legal requirements, with issues ranging from missing safety warnings and traceability information to wider labelling and compliance failures. The findings highlight the significant risks posed by products entering the UK market through online platforms and reinforce calls for stronger measures to prevent unsafe goods from reaching consumers.

One of the Halloween costume items purchased from OnBuy featured a disturbing description for a product aimed at children of the age range of 3-8 years. The web cloak is described by the seller as ‘Sexy spider cloak will make you much more charming. Put it on and play with your partners’. This cloak also failed on labelling requirements as it simply did not have one. CTSI is concerned about the selling of products intended for young children with sexualised descriptions and it raises serious questions about the checks marketplaces carry out on the listings they host.

Of the 11 children’s Halloween costumes randomly purchased from third-party sellers operating through major online marketplaces, including OnBuy, Amazon, eBay, AliExpress, Shein and TikTok Shop, 10 were found to be non-compliant with UK product safety requirements. While the failures identified related primarily to labelling and product information requirements, these findings likely indicate wider compliance concerns that are not immediately visible to consumers.

In the absence of safety information, parents and carers don’t know about any hidden risks with a product so they can’t take precautions when giving it to their children. In the absence of traceability information, consumers can’t report safety concerns to the importer or manufacturer and will find it difficult to make a claim in the event the product causes harm. It also makes it difficult for regulators such as Trading Standards to identify the business responsible for compliance.

The high level of non-compliance in this investigation raises serious questions about the robustness of checks being undertaken by the individual sellers themselves and the online marketplaces before products are made available to UK consumers.

To highlight the potential dangers of unsafe Halloween costumes, CTSI partnered with the London Fire Brigade to carry out real-world fire demonstrations at Woodford Fire Station. Replicating common Halloween scenarios involving flames that could be found in candles used to light pumpkins, the tests showed how quickly a child’s costume can ignite when exposed to a naked flame.

Children's fancy dress costumes are classed as toys and therefore should meet flammability standards to protect from a fire risk. Compliant costumes should carry a UKCA or CE marking on the packaging, along with the name and address of a UK manufacturer or importer so that the seller can be traced if something goes wrong. Some must also include the warning ‘Keep away from fire’.

CTSI advises consumers to:

• Always buy from reputable retailers. If you do buy from an online marketplace then buy from a UK based seller
• Check the packaging for a UKCA or CE mark, and for the name and address of a UK-based manufacturer or importer. Safety warnings should be present where required
• Read all of the safety information, both on the label and in the online listing
• Research the seller by checking reviews and ratings, and be wary of ‘too good to be true’ deals
• Check the costume has not been recalled by visiting the Government website
• Remember that homemade is not always safer, as cotton, netting, felt and synthetic fabrics can all be highly flammable
• Report anything suspicious to the online marketplace, request a refund, and report it to Trading Standards via the relevant consumer services (see below)

Safety tips from the London Fire Brigade:

Once you’ve bought or made a fancy-dress costume, remember:

• Do not use naked flames
• Use battery-operated candles or glow sticks instead
• Pop some regular clothes under the costume for a layer of protection
• Teach kids to 'stop, drop and roll' if their costume catches fire. Have a few practise attempts and remind them to cover their face with their hands
• If you're out after dark consider adding reflective tape or glow sticks to the costume to stay visible

Station Commander, Rob Hill, one of the Brigade’s Fire Investigation officers, said: “Fancy dress is a key part of Halloween and we want to ensure children are as safe as possible when they are out having fun. Fancy dress costumes are a real area of concern, if people don’t follow basic safety advice. 

“If your children have dressed up, keep them away from open flames and heat sources. If a costume catches fire, it can cause significant burns that might put your children’s heath at serious risk. It is important to ensure that the costume meets British or European safety standards.”  

Kerry Nicol, External Affairs Manager at CTSI, said: “These results highlight a fundamental weakness in the UK's product safety framework. Unsafe products continue to be found on major online marketplaces, exposing consumers and particularly children to risks that could and should be prevented.

“CTSI has long called for stronger protections and greater accountability across the online retail environment. Despite repeated warnings, there remains a gap in responsibility that allows unsafe products to reach UK consumers with too little oversight and too few consequences.

“As Government considers the future of product safety regulation, it is vital that online marketplaces are given clear legal duties for the safety of products sold through their platforms. Consumers have a right to expect that every product available for purchase online meets the same safety standards required elsewhere in the market. Until that principle is embedded in law, unsafe products will continue to pose a risk to the public.”

Lewis Collantine, CTSI Lead Officer for Product Safety, added: “These findings are disappointing, but unfortunately not surprising. For several years, major online marketplaces have continued to be a source of unsafe toys and Halloween costumes entering the UK market. Beyond the absence of essential safety markings such as a CE and UKCA mark, and a lack of traceability information, there are also concerns that some of the costumes may not comply with British safety standards. Features including long ribbons, cords and flowing fabric could become caught during play, increasing the risk of injury to children.

“Parents and carers can help protect their families by purchasing Halloween costumes from recognisable brands and reputable retailers, particularly those that have signed up to the British Retail Consortium’s voluntary flammability Code of Practice.”

For several years, CTSI has been raising concerns about the growing number of unsafe and non-compliant products being sold to UK consumers through online marketplaces. Through repeated investigations and product safety campaigns, CTSI has uncovered a wide range of potentially hazardous goods offered by third-party sellers, highlighting significant weaknesses in the current regulatory framework.

The Product Regulation and Metrology Act presents a once-in-a-generation opportunity to modernise the UK’s product safety framework and ensure it reflects the realities of 21^st century shopping. With millions of consumers now purchasing goods through online marketplaces, the law must evolve to address the risks posed by products sold by third-party sellers from across the globe.

CTSI believes that online marketplaces should be held accountable for the safety of products sold through their platforms, with clear legal responsibilities to prevent unsafe and non-compliant goods from reaching consumers. Without stronger accountability, unsafe products will continue to enter UK homes, placing the public at unnecessary risk and undermining responsible businesses that comply with the law.

CTSI is urging the Government to:

• Introduce a clear duty on online marketplaces to take responsibility for the safety of products sold through their platforms, including proactive measures to prevent unsafe products from being listed and sold in the first place.
• Give regulators strong and effective enforcement powers, including significant financial penalties and the ability to take further action where online marketplaces fail to meet their obligations.

Consumers who need help or advice or to report a product safety issue are urged to contact one of the following: in England and Wales, contact the Citizens Advice Consumer Helpline on 0808 223 1133. In Scotland, contact Consumer Advice Scotland on 0808 164 6000. In Northern Ireland, contact Consumerline on 0300 123 6262. 

 

ENDS

Notes to editors:

Overview of costumes purchased:

 

Online Marketplace	Costume purchased	Non-compliance concerns
OnBuy	Children Halloween Cosplay Witch Costume Teens Baby Girl Dress Infant Gown	1. Missing CE/UKCA Mark. 2. Missing relevant safety warnings. 3. Missing textile labelling. 4. Missing traceability labelling. 5. Potential safety issue - ribbon around the waist should be permanently secured and not exceed a certain length - risk of getting trapped or causing injury to the child.
OnBuy	Halloween Cobweb Cloak Children Cosplay Costume	1. Missing CE/UKCA Mark. 2. Missing relevant safety warnings. 3. Missing textile labelling. 4. Missing traceability labelling. 5. Inappropriate listing description for a small child’s costume.
TikTok Shop	Pumpkin Witch Halloween dress	1. Missing CE/UKCA Mark. 2. Missing relevant safety warnings. 3. Potential safety issue - ribbons around the waist are too long - risk of getting trapped and causing injury to the child.
TikTok Shop	Girls Princess Dress Up Costume Latin Dance Set Halloween Party Costume with Hair Bands Halloween costumes girls	1. Missing CE/UKCA Mark. 2. Missing relevant safety warnings. 3. Missing textile labelling. 4. Missing traceability labelling. 5. Potential safety issue - if the brooch pin/clasp opens too easily the sharp point could cause an injury to the child.
AliExpress	Halloween Girls Ghost Bride Costume Witch Vampire Tutu Dress with Wig Veil Gloves Jewellery Kids Party Cosplay Outfits	1. Missing CE/UKCA Mark. 2. Missing relevant safety warnings. 3. Missing textile labelling. 4. Missing traceability labelling. 5. Potential safety issue - choker necklace would likely fail a full risk assessment as it doesn't have a breakaway feature for safety - strangulation/choking risk.
AliExpress	Halloween Costumes Kids Zombie Cheerleader Costume Set Scary Deadleader Halloween Dress Up Bloody Outfit with Pom Poms Socks.	1. Missing CE/UKCA Mark.
Shein	Children's Vampire Cloak for Role Play, Halloween Costume	1. If for under 7s this could be a strangulation risk from the tie cords around the neck. Possibly would fail for over 7s too following a full risk assessment.
Amazon	Egyptian Cleopatra Costume Kids 7PCS Ancient Egypt Princess Costume Goddess Queen Fancy Dress Up Set	Very strong chemical smell present on the costume. Would need a full risk assessment to determine, but dangling bits from arms are long and could get caught - would also be a fire risk if near a naked flame.
Amazon	Kids Girls Scary Halloween Clown Costume Tulle Dress Knife Socks Gloves Hairpin Sets Pennywise Costume	1. Missing CE/UKCA Mark. 2. Potential safety issue - strangulation/entrapment hazard from long flowing fabrics around/near neck and waist.
eBay	Unicorn Costume Kids Girls Princess Fancy Dress Outfit & Dressing Up Accessories	1. Missing traceability labelling. 2. Missing textile labelling. 3. Potential safety issue - tie up ribbons could be too long and could cause child getting trapped and causing injury.
eBay	Boys Fancy Dress Costume Hungry Howler Werewolf Halloween For Age 8-10 Years	No concerns found from visual inspection.

• The Chartered Trading Standards Institute (CTSI) is a national not for profit established in 1881 which supports the UK’s trading standards profession and works to protect consumers and safeguard honest businesses. CTSI's members are engaged in delivering frontline trading standards services at local authorities and in businesses. tradingstandards.uk
• Please contact CTSI Press Office: [email protected] for any queries.

• The video demonstrating the concerns with naked flames around children’s Halloween costumes is available on CTSI’s YouTube Channel. Individual clips are available on request.

• Business can find out more information about the labelling and safety requirements for new toys on Business Companion.

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