Can I sell second-hand electricals?

Can I sell second-hand electricals?

Often yes, and sometimes no. It depends on the item and the site. Depop’s electronics policy blocks most things that use power. Vinted lists electronics as a category and tells you they must be safe to use. eBay’s product safety policy does not allow items that fail the electrical safety laws it names. It does not say every used appliance is banned.

SilentSale®’s Terms do not ban every used electrical item. Vintage electronics without modern certification, and batteries or small electronics that are properly packaged, are restricted items that may be listed only under the conditions in section 13. Unsafe and recalled goods are prohibited in any case.

The pages below were checked on 17 October 2026.

What does RoSPA say about used electricals?

RoSPA says unsafe electrical equipment can kill. The risks it names are shock, burns and fire. Frayed cords on irons, hair dryers and straighteners are the examples.

It says the law is as strict when you sell second-hand goods as when you sell new ones, and it points to the Plugs and Sockets etc. (Safety) Regulations 1994 and the Electrical Equipment (Safety) Regulations 2016. That “as strict” sentence is RoSPA’s.

It suggests asking whether a PAT test has been carried out. It says a PAT test can find internal defects and gives some security if you cannot buy new, and that you should check with the shop or the seller. It does not say a private seller must commission a PAT test before a one-off sale. Do not add that duty.

RoSPA’s second-hand goods page says unsafe electrical equipment can kill, and that the risks include shock, burns and fire. It gives frayed cords on irons, hair dryers and straighteners as examples. It says the law is as strict for selling second-hand goods as for selling new items, and it points to the Plugs and Sockets etc. (Safety) Regulations 1994 and the Electrical Equipment (Safety) Regulations 2016. It suggests asking whether a PAT test has been carried out. It says a PAT test examines the appliance and can pick up internal defects, that it gives some security if you cannot buy new, and that you should check with the shop or the seller. Source

Who is the official electrical guidance written for?

The Office for Product Safety and Standards page on the Electrical Equipment (Safety) Regulations 2016 says it is guidance for businesses. The people it names are manufacturers, their authorised representatives, importers and distributors. It was last updated on 25 March 2025. It says the 1994 regulations were revoked on 8 December 2016 but still apply to relevant products placed on the market before that date.

Do not read that page as if it calls a private person clearing a cupboard a distributor. If you are trading, the business guidance is the one to read, and you may need advice beyond it.

RoSPA and the OPSS page are doing different jobs. Quote them separately.

The Office for Product Safety and Standards guidance on the Electrical Equipment (Safety) Regulations 2016 says it is guidance for businesses. It says it covers obligations for manufacturers, their authorised representatives, importers and distributors. The page was last updated on 25 March 2025. It says the 1994 regulations were revoked on 8 December 2016, but they continue to apply to relevant products placed on the market before that date. Source

What does each marketplace actually allow?

Depop says items that use electrical power, including batteries and solar power, are not allowed. The banned examples include phones, consoles, computers, hair dryers, kitchen appliances, TVs, chargers and power banks. Cameras, film, lenses, flashes and SD cards are allowed. Phone and laptop cases are allowed. So are digital and analogue wrist watches, with Casio, Swatch and Timex named. The list is not exhaustive. Depop decides.

Vinted’s catalogue puts electronics in the allowed categories and says they must be safe to be used. eBay’s product safety policy requires compliance with the Electrical Equipment (Safety) Regulations 2016 and the plugs and sockets regulations it lists, and it does not allow recalled items.

Read Depop compared and eBay compared. The banned-items guide covers knives, vapes, alcohol and medicines. Selling fees is a different question from whether the item is allowed.

Depop’s technology and electronics policy says the sale of most electronic and technology items is prohibited, and that items which use electrical power, including batteries and solar power, are not allowed. It says not to list mobile phones, speakers or headphones, games consoles and controllers, computers, laptops, tablets and e-readers, smartwatches, cosmetic electronics such as hair dryers or styling tools, home and lifestyle electronics such as lighting, virtual assistants and kitchen appliances, televisions and DVD players, battery banks, chargers, USB cables and hard drives, electronic toys, or chargers, USB cables and other electronic accessories. It says the list is not exhaustive and that Depop decides what is allowed. It allows cameras, video cameras, camera film, lenses, flashes and SD cards. It does not allow external printers or hard drives, card readers, studio lighting or power banks. It allows mobile-phone and laptop cases, covers, folios and holders, and digital and analogue wrist watches. The page gives Casio, Swatch and Timex as examples. Source

Vinted’s catalogue rules, which the page says are part of its terms, allow new cosmetics from non-professional sellers. They prohibit used, opened or unsealed cosmetics, including perfume, makeup, creams, lotions, hair-care and accessories, even if tried once, and they prohibit expired cosmetics. They prohibit tobacco, including e-cigarettes, vapes, vaporizing instruments and accessories, and food and drinks of any kind. They prohibit prescription and over-the-counter medicinal products, medications, professional medical supplies, vitamins, food supplements and health-related products. Electronics are listed as an allowed category, and the page says to make sure the electronics you list are safe to be used. Furniture such as beds is listed as allowed. The page does not name mattresses. Knives and sharp instruments, including kitchen knives, are prohibited. Source

eBay’s product safety policy says recalled items, items prohibited by law, items that are a health or safety hazard, and products that do not comply with the laws it lists are not allowed. The laws it names include the Electrical Equipment (Safety) Regulations 2016 and the Plugs and Sockets etc. (Safety) Regulations 1994. For baby and child products it says a new child car seat may be listed only by an eligible seller, and only if it meets UN Regulation No. 44 or UN Regulation No. 129 and the listing says so. It says used car seats are not allowed. It also says used bicycle helmets and used cots are not allowed. It tells sellers to check recalls and points them to the Office for Product Safety and Standards. Source

How should I describe it and hand it over?

Photograph the plug, the flex and any crack, burn or repair. Say whether it powers on, if you have tried it. Say if you do not know the history. If a PAT test exists, say so and keep the record. If it does not, do not invent one.

On SilentSale®, disclose defects, missing parts and modifications. That is in the Terms. Buyer and seller each contribute £0.30 + 3% of the item price to SilentCover® (£0.60 each on a £10 item), a discretionary protection service. Stripe holds the payment until the order completes.

For a local sale, PIN Pickup lets the buyer see the item working before they share the 6-digit PIN. There is no dispute after the PIN, so do the demonstration first. Read collection-only items and selling without meeting if you post it instead. On tracked Shipping, report a problem within 72 hours after delivery.

A damaged flex is a reason to stop the listing, not a footnote.

SilentSale® is a UK marketplace for private individuals aged 18+ buying and selling personal goods in GBP.

Stripe processes payments and holds funds until the order completes.

PIN Pickup is an in-person handover. The buyer inspects the item before sharing their six-digit PIN; the seller enters it in the app to complete the order. The PIN is acceptance. There is no shipping, tracking or post-handover dispute window.

For Shipping, report problems within 72 hours after confirmed delivery, or the collection scan for a locker or parcel-shop order. Confirming receipt closes the window early, so inspect first.