Could cheap Amazon Haul deals be hiding hidden dangers?

We should be able to trust that the toys we buy for our kids are safe. But not all of them are: Toy-related injuries treated in emergency rooms increased in 2023 compared to the previous year.

To prevent kids from getting hurt, toys are supposed to be inspected before they reach us. But far too often, those inspections are skipped. This lack of safety testing is illegal, but families often have no idea it’s happening.

Online retail giant Amazon recently announced a new feature called Amazon Haul. The service will offer super-cheap items – but those extra cheap deals may come with a catch.

Extra-cheap toys from online retailers can be dangerous

The convenience of online shopping is difficult to dispute, but pay attention to low prices that seem to be too good to be true.

Extremely cheap online goods are often priced so low because they are being shipped directly from a foreign warehouse to the customer. When items are shipped this way, they go right from the manufacturer to your door. There’s often no inspection or safety testing to confirm the product’s safety or quality.

Even buying from familiar, U.S.-based retailers can’t always guarantee safe products. The Consumer Product Safety Commission has issued 58 recalls for unsafe toys and other products so far this year – and 22 of those were for items sold exclusively by Amazon.

Amazon Haul offers bargains, but are its products safe?

One thing can’t be denied: Amazon Haul will offer extremely cheap prices. Every item offered through the service is under $20, with some as cheap as just $1.

It will manage this by shipping items to consumers directly from a warehouse in China. Because of this, shoppers can expect much longer shipping times than Amazon’s typical one- or two-day delivery. Items will take up to two weeks to arrive.

Amazon claims that its Haul products will be screened “so customers can be confident they’ll receive products that are safe, authentic, and compliant with applicable regulations.” But unfortunately, when its products have been found to be unsafe, Amazon hasn’t always cooperated with regulators.

In July of 2024, the CPSC determined that Amazon is a “distributor” for certain products that are defective or violate safety standards. That makes Amazon responsible for recalls.

But in response, the company requested a stay from the CPSC requesting that Amazon not be considered a “distributor” of products. This would exempt Amazon from many CPSC requirements.

There’s currently no direct evidence that any specific item on Amazon Haul is hazardous. But the fact that the retail giant hasn’t always cooperated when recalls are requested by the CPSC may be a cause for concern.

How much cheap stuff do we really need?

The ultra-low price points on Amazon Haul might make it easy to click “add to cart,” but this also begs the question: How much of this super-cheap “stuff” do we really need? Services like Amazon Haul make it easy to overconsume and lead to the production of more shopping waste.

As a gigantic international online retailer, Amazon already produces tons of packaging waste with its shipments – and Haul certainly won’t help. Each one of Amazon’s classic blue and white bubble-lined plastic bags is destined to end up as litter or in a landfill someday, because even the company itself directly acknowledges that this packaging is “not yet recyclable.”

From cheap plastic products, to hard-to-repair impulse purchase gadgets, to the plastic packaging it’s all wrapped in – many of Amazon’s products are contributing to our growing waste problem.

We need Amazon to commit to reducing its waste. Part of that can be saying “no” to cheap, wasteful online shopping with Haul.

How to shop safely—and sustainably—for toys online

Making purchases online is always more risky than buying something in a brick-and-mortar store, due to lack of transparency and the difficulty of making returns. But if you are shopping online for toys this year, keep these tips in mind:

1. Start with the brand’s website for the product you’re thinking of buying, and look for authorized retailers. If a seller seems to be offering the product but isn’t on that authorized list, it may be counterfeit.
2. Finding the seller’s contact information can also provide a clue. Look for an address and working U.S. phone number for the seller, in case you need to contact them. Use your best judgment when assessing a seller’s website. Excessive typos, broken links, or grammatical errors are definitely a red flag.
3. If you’re curious as to whether a product is coming from overseas or not, the shipping time can give you an answer. A product that takes more than a week to arrive is likely coming from overseas.

Check out our full guide for even more tips to help you assess toy safety.

Ask Amazon to cut back on plastic waste

Amazon can help make the future of online shopping safer and more sustainable by making all of its shipments less wasteful. Take action to urge Amazon to take the next step in phasing out plastic waste.