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Are manufacturers liable for products sold online?
Yes, manufacturers can still be liable when products are sold online. In the UK, the fact that a product is listed on a website or sold through a marketplace does not remove the manufacturer’s responsibility if the product is defective.
Liability usually depends on whether the product caused damage or injury because it was unsafe. A consumer may have a claim against the manufacturer, seller, or another party in the supply chain, depending on the facts.
What law applies in the UK?
Product liability in the UK is mainly governed by the Consumer Protection Act 1987. This law allows claims where a product is defective and causes personal injury or certain types of property damage.
A product is considered defective if it is not as safe as people are generally entitled to expect. Courts look at the product’s presentation, warnings, instructions, and the time it was supplied.
What if the product was sold through a third party?
Manufacturers are not automatically protected just because a third party sold the item. If a distributor, reseller, or online marketplace handled the sale, the manufacturer may still be liable if the defect came from the product itself.
However, the seller may also have separate legal responsibility. A consumer often has more than one possible defendant, which can be useful if the manufacturer is overseas or difficult to identify.
Do online marketplaces have responsibility too?
In some cases, yes. Online marketplaces may have obligations under consumer law, especially if they play an active role in selling, storing, or distributing the goods.
That said, the main liability often still falls on the manufacturer or the business that placed the product on the market. The exact position can depend on whether the marketplace acted only as an intermediary or as part of the supply chain.
What should consumers do if they are harmed?
Anyone injured by a defective product should keep the item, packaging, receipts, and any online listing details. These records can help show where the product came from and who supplied it.
It is also sensible to report the issue to the seller and manufacturer as soon as possible. If the injury or loss is significant, legal advice can help identify the right defendant and explain the time limits for bringing a claim.
Bottom line
Manufacturers can be liable for defective products even when those products are sold online or through third parties. The route of sale does not usually cancel out responsibility for safety.
For UK consumers, the key questions are whether the product was defective, whether it caused harm, and who sits in the supply chain. In many cases, more than one business may be legally responsible.
Frequently Asked Questions
Often yes, if the product is defective and their conduct or the product itself caused harm, though the exact rules depend on the jurisdiction and facts.
Usually no. A manufacturer may still be liable even if the item was sold through Amazon, eBay, a distributor, or another reseller.
Yes. Product liability often extends beyond direct sales, so lack of direct privity does not always defeat a claim.
Common defect types include manufacturing defects, design defects, and inadequate warnings or instructions.
Usually not for truly counterfeit goods made by others, unless the manufacturer contributed to the issue or failed in a duty that caused the harm.
Potentially yes, if the defect originated with the manufacturer or the product was sold in a condition that still traces liability back to the manufacturer.
It can. If a third party materially altered the product after it left the manufacturer, that may reduce or break the manufacturer’s liability depending on the circumstances.
Sometimes, but liability is often more limited for used products unless the defect existed when the manufacturer put the product into commerce or a duty was breached.
Yes, if the manufacturer had a duty to provide adequate warnings or instructions and the omission contributed to the injury.
Usually no. A reseller’s disclaimer does not automatically protect the manufacturer from claims tied to a defective product.
They can be. Using a fulfillment service generally does not, by itself, shield a manufacturer from product liability.
Yes, if the manufacturer has sufficient legal connections to that place and the jurisdiction rules allow the claim.
Often the third party may bear responsibility for improper storage, but the manufacturer can still be liable if the product was defective when it left the manufacturer.
Manufacturer liability is less likely if the danger arose solely after sale due to misuse, wear, alteration, or poor handling by others.
Sometimes, especially if the manufacturer authorized, endorsed, or was closely tied to the misleading claims.
Yes. A known recall can increase exposure if the manufacturer failed to warn, repair, replace, or otherwise address the danger properly.
The seller’s identity matters, but it does not automatically remove manufacturer liability for defects attributable to the manufacturer.
Yes. Defects in embedded software or firmware can support liability if they make the product unsafe or nonconforming.
Common defenses include product alteration, misuse, lack of defect, inadequate causation, expired limitations periods, and responsibility of an independent seller.
Not necessarily. In many cases, both the seller and the manufacturer may be potential defendants, depending on the facts and local law.
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