Reminded of this:
https://www.eevblog.com/forum/chat/fake-power-cord-why-it-came-with-a-hard-drive-reader-kit/
A nice three prong cord with proper ground pin/socket on both sides, except there is no ground wire to be found inside.
Might be OK when used in that device but potentially deadly if used on something else. Who checks this when rummaging for a line cord.
Another example of a disaster in waiting.
Maybe a possible solution is to have some kind of safety assurance registration schemes (yes I know, they already exist). If the item, for sale on ebay (from abroad), has valid documentation, for the appropriate safety assurances, it can be placed as normal.
But if not (no valid safety assurances), the seller (e.g. ebay), has to (by a new law, I'm suggesting, now), put up a large safety/warning message about the dangers of buying stuff from abroad that has NOT got valid safety assurances.
Ideally, the warning message has to be clicked, in order to make it disappear.
DANGER, DANGER (especially if your name is Will Robinson).
RISK of lose of life, it might set fire to your home, blow up, and explode. Possibly when you least expect it. Its specifications could be widely exaggerated.
E.g. If it says, good for 10,000,000,000 watts, don't give it more than 0.000000001 watts.
Possibly a fake/clone/dangerous/faulty item(s).Maybe/possibly, that would reduce the impact of these potentially dangerous goods.
But that wouldn't solve the problem, of some dodgy businessman, in the UK. Buying a whole container load of really cheap items, such as these (pre-short-circuited with nails, circuit-breakers). Then quietly selling them on smaller markets, around the UK. Who (unfortunately), have a reputation, for potentially (ignore the pun) selling such items.
It probably causes serious competition issues. If we want to sell something (perhaps electronics), we have to design it to be safe, and pay lots of money to have all the compliance (safety) checks and things done. We have to take care that no patents are breached, or copyright/trademarks are infringed.
Whereas another country(s), can just toss it in the post (typically with tiny postal costs, and possibly not paying any taxes/VAT), to customers in the UK. (The VAT/duties system, has been revised since the beginning of 2021, so that might change).
tl;dr
There seems to be a lot wrong with the current system, not just safety wise. I hope that the powers that be, can resolve it, without making it even harder for us in the UK. Red-tape (excessive paper-work), tax and rules/regulation wise.