New UK platform targets unsafe goods on marketplaces

A new digital platform that tracks unsafe and recalled products on online marketplaces has launched in the UK, adding fresh scrutiny to the way consumer goods are policed on major shopping sites.

FOLO-UP, founded by London-based electrician and entrepreneur Joffrey Bogemans, scans listings across multiple online marketplaces and flags items that appear on official safety alert and recall databases. The system then issues automated requests that marketplaces remove identified listings from sale.

The company said it has already identified nearly 100,000 unsafe listings across more than 30 online marketplaces during testing. The products span electrical goods, children's toys, cosmetics, clothing and ladders.

FOLO-UP reported that marketplaces removed up to 80% of unsafe listings it detected in a typical month. The removal rate varies by platform and by product category.

Bogemans positioned the launch against rapid growth in online shopping and increased price sensitivity among consumers before Christmas. He said the current regime leaves gaps in how quickly unsafe products disappear from sale once regulators issue warnings.

"The UK's regulation and recall system is struggling to keep up with the unprecedented growth of online retail. Online marketplaces, many of which we all shop with on a weekly or sometimes daily basis, are of particular concern. They unwittingly allow items to be listed that are not only unsafe, but in some cases, life-threatening," said Joffrey Bogemans, Founder, FOLO-UP.

The move comes amid renewed scrutiny of online marketplaces by consumer groups. Recent research by Which? reported large numbers of potentially unsafe items for sale on major platforms, including electrical products and household goods.

FOLO-UP operates as a monitoring layer that sits between public safety data and retail sites. The platform cross-references listings against information from the Office for Product Safety and Standards, the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development and the EU Safety Gate alert system.

The service uses artificial intelligence to scan and classify listings in real time. It issues alerts to regulators, retailers and industrial partners and logs responses to build a picture of how quickly products are removed.

The company said it aims to provide independent compliance monitoring across multiple marketplaces. It intends to share data and patterns with enforcement agencies and industry groups that focus on product safety.

Bogemans developed the platform after suffering an accident involving a telescopic ladder that he bought online. He said the product claimed compliance with the EN 131 safety standard but failed while he was working at height.

"I know first-hand how easy, and potentially dangerous, it is to purchase an item online that is unsafe. Nearly three years ago, I bought a telescopic ladder online which claimed to meet the necessary safety standards. After the ladder failed, leaving me off work for eight weeks, and with injuries that I still experience today, I made it my mission to ensure this couldn't happen to others. That is where the idea of FOLO-UP was born."

Before working as a domestic and industrial electrician, Bogemans held roles as a technology manager for a local council in Anderlecht, Belgium, and ran several IT consultancies. He began building the first version of the monitoring system during his recovery from the accident.

The initial prototype went live in mid-2024 and ran on a limited set of marketplaces. FOLO-UP said it refined its detection models over several months and expanded the range of product categories it tracks before launching the current version.

The service emerged at a time when regulators and industry bodies are examining the responsibilities of online marketplaces for product safety. UK enforcement agencies can issue safety notices and recalls, but many items are sold by third-party merchants that list products across several platforms at once.

Consumer advocates have previously raised concerns that some unsafe or non-compliant goods remain on sale for extended periods after formal warnings. They have also highlighted instances where similar products reappear under different listings or brand names.

Bogemans said he encountered difficulty assigning responsibility for his own accident. The seller and the marketplace both declined liability, which prompted him to investigate how non-compliant products reach consumers and why removing them at scale remains complex.

He later spoke about the incident and wider online safety issues at the Ladder Association's annual conference. His case study appeared in the association's report on unsafe telescopic ladders, which examined structural failures and labelling practices across samples bought online.

Early partners

FOLO-UP is now seeking formal partnerships with regulators, retailers and industry bodies. The company plans a structured early partner programme that will give participating organisations access to monitoring tools and data feeds.

The firm said early partners would influence the next phase of product development and the prioritisation of new features. It expects collaboration around reporting formats, escalation workflows and methods of sharing information with enforcement authorities.

The platform's developers are also exploring how aggregated data might reveal trends in unsafe product categories, cross-border sellers and recurring non-compliant brands. They expect that insight to support future enforcement strategies and industry standards.

Bogemans said he intends FOLO-UP to expand its coverage as more organisations join the initiative and share their requirements.