Online Marketplace & Platform Seller Compliance Check

Why this matters

The Product Regulation and Metrology Act 2025 gives UK ministers wide powers to update product safety and metrology law for the online era, including addressing the long-standing gap where consumers buy unsafe or non-compliant goods from third-party sellers based overseas through UK-facing marketplaces. Secondary legislation is expected to place new due-diligence and information-sharing duties directly on the operators of online marketplaces — not just the sellers using them — making platforms responsible for checking that products sold through them meet UK safety requirements and that a UK-based responsible person can be identified for enforcement purposes. Businesses that run a marketplace, or that sell through one on behalf of other traders, should not wait for every detail to be finalised before reviewing their exposure. Alongside this, the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024 already gives the Competition and Markets Authority direct enforcement powers over unfair trading practices on online platforms, including marketplace listings, without needing to go to court first. For a marketplace operator this means clear obligations around verifying seller identity, displaying accurate trader information to consumers, and having a process to act on product safety recalls and complaints. Getting ahead of this — auditing seller onboarding checks, safety information held on listings, and complaint-handling processes — reduces the risk of CMA enforcement action and reputational damage from unsafe goods reaching UK consumers through your platform.

What you'll need

• Details of how your business operates or uses an online marketplace (as operator, seller, or both)
• Your current process for verifying third-party seller identity and location
• Information on how product safety information is displayed and checked on listings
• Your existing process for handling product recalls or safety complaints

What you'll get

A personalised compliance report covering: a score out of 100, an executive summary, a list of findings ranked by severity, and a prioritised action plan with timeframes.