Think Twice Before Buying These 7 Household Items On Amazon

Trying to hinder the pull of Amazon can seem like defying gravity, and most of us don't really want to do either. Sometimes you simply can't resist Amazon home goods. But some product categories, like electrical products, safety devices, and large kitchen appliances, are too risky to buy on Amazon due to scams, inconsistent quality, and safety concerns. Some of these issues stem from third-party sellers, some are challenges Amazon continues to address, and some simply come down to consumer risk tolerance.

In many cases, it is possible to find a quality product at a good price in one of these categories, but the likelihood of something going awry can be higher than many shoppers realize. In 2024, the Consumer Product Safety Commission ordered Amazon to notify customers and issue refunds for more than 400,000 products that violated federal safety regulations, including faulty carbon monoxide testers. In 2024 and 2025, the British consumer group Which? found unsafe products on Amazon's marketplace despite the company's efforts to police listings.

Skepticism can be key here, often starting with a healthy suspicion of product reviews. The onslaught of fake reviews — and legitimate reviews attached to the wrong products — continues even though Amazon has made efforts to help by suing fake review brokers and even kicking sellers off the platform. But fake and misleading reviews remain a concern, so use discretion when reading customer feedback. Regardless, however, there are still certain things that just aren't worth purchasing from the major retailer.

There are plenty of reasons to avoid buying power tools on Amazon, from counterfeit products to inconsistent quality to voided warranties by companies for which Amazon is not an authorized seller, like Ryobi, Milwaukee, and Ridgid. And the fact is that you can usually beat Amazon's tool prices by shopping locally with a little patience. One exception might be buying refurbished and warrantied tools from authorized sellers, which can sometimes net you a good deal. But on the whole, you're better off purchasing elsewhere.

If you've ever repaired tools or electronics, you've probably been tempted by suspiciously cheap replacement batteries online. You can find low-cost rechargeable batteries for everything from cordless tools to Amazon devices. Sometimes they'll work perfectly fine, and you end up with a great battery that never explodes or burns down your house. But a name-brand option with built-in protections is cheaper than your insurance policy — and probably more reliable.

Charging batteries might be a potentially explosive affair, but something quite different can go wrong when you use a cheap charger from Amazon. It's sometimes accompanied by a little "pop" sound, often by a release of what electronics geeks call "magic smoke," and it can kill a device that was far more expensive than a legit charger. But note that even the name brands won't necessarily help you, since many of the most trusted brands are regularly counterfeited by Amazon third-party sellers.

Kirkland is usually great. Products from the Costco brand, even when purchased on Amazon, can be high-quality and cheaper than competitors. Still, there are reasons to avoid buying Costco's Kirkland products on Amazon. The prices are often higher than Costco prices, products can be improperly handled, they might be expired, and the sellers aren't legally allowed to resell them in the first place. (The same is true for Trader Joe's products.)

While you can sometimes get a decent furniture deal on Prime Day, clark.com reports that your odds aren't as good the rest of the year, and that you might find better deals from competitors like Walmart and Home Depot. Some purchasers report much smoother returns processes when using other online furniture retailers, like Wayfair. And speaking of Wayfair, you can sometimes find better deals there because they charge lower fees and sometimes offer auctions as an option for buyers.

As we already discussed, the CPSC specifically mentioned carbon monoxide detectors when panning Amazon for selling 40,000 dangerous products. And The New York Times' Wirecutter reports that the best deals available on Amazon are for carbon monoxide alarms and smoke detectors that don't have basic UL or Intertek/ETL certification. Half of Amazon's best-selling detectors were uncertified at one point in late 2025, and many continued to be offered after Wirecutter raised the alarm.

Some of our — and your — favorite growers sell plants on Amazon, and you can absolutely buy plants successfully on the platform. But to avoid buying plants that are unhealthy or literally DOA on Amazon, you should avoid international growers, steer clear of accidentally buying fake plants, and read reviews dutifully. Or, better yet, buy directly from a known grower ... or from a local grower you trust.