CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — Popular toys are expected to be harder to find this holiday season.
Consumers might have to look to resale or second-hand sale websites for their purchases.
A new report finds they could encounter counterfeit or recalled toys making their way into their online shopping carts.
Websites do work to track and report counterfeit products.
Experts say, counterfeit items can be hard to track because scammers can make new listings under new names.
"It can get a little tricky when we get into sites that are host between the buyer and the seller," said Hannah Rhodes, a consumer watchdog associate for the U.S. Program Education Fund. "Particularly sites where maybe the seller isn't aware of these recall rules. that's where it gets a little bit tricky where people should know, but unfortunately they don't and that's how it ends up online."
You can find a list of recalled toys at safer products.gov.
Consumer groups are pushing for congress to pass the "inform act" which would require online merchants to collect, verify and disclose certain information like names and addresses from third-party sellers.
