Online retailers are FAILING to carry out proper ID checks on knives in wake of Southport massacre, MailOnline investigation reveals

[TrueBlueTerrier]

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/articl ... sacre.html

Top retailers and their delivery partners are failing to carry out proper ID checks on knives purchased online, a MailOnline investigation has found.

It comes in the wake of the Southport massacre that devastated the nation and exposed missed opportunities to prevent killer Axel Rudakubana.

Last month, the 18-year-old was jailed for 52 years for murdering Bebe King, six, Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven, and Alice da Silva Aguiar, nine, in July last year.

Rudakubana, was 17 when he stormed a Taylor Swift-themed dance class in the seaside town on the first day of the summer holidays.

The teenager purchased the kitchen knife he used to kill three innocent children and harm 10 others on Amazon.

Despite being too young to legally purchase a knife, he bought the 20cm blade without age verification, for only £1.70.

The driver who delivered the blade recorded that the package was given to someone who was visibly over the age of 25 at the then 17-year-old's £130,000 Lancashire home.

Currently, the law requires sellers to operate an age verification system but it does not specify how those systems should be implemented.

In the wake of the horror attack, the Home Secretary Yvette Cooper has announced new measures to prevent weapons 'getting into the wrong hands'.

This would include a stringent two-step system that requires retailers selling knives online to require customers to submit photo ID at the tills and again on delivery.

Under the proposals, delivery firms would only be allowed to deliver knives and other bladed articles to the same person who purchased it.

But a MailOnline investigation has unearthed a widespread problem in the way knives are being purchased online - prompting the need for Government intervention to be fast-tracked.

Reporters purchased similar knives to the one used by Rudakubana from five different online retailers: Amazon, John Lewis, Lakeland, Etsy and Temu.

In four out of five cases, we found a stringent two-step process was not followed, with retailers either falling down on age verification or ID requirements.

One retailer neglected to ask about age at any step of the buying process, before the delivery firm left the package containing the knife in a communal hallway.

And while other reputable retailers impressed with cutting-edge facial recognition technology at point of purchase, they failed to check ID upon delivery. Find the full results below.

The law currently requires sellers to operate an age verification system that is likely to prevent under 18s from buying knives but it does not specify how that system should be implemented

Murky and unspecific, the loose regulations mean that online retailers can adopt largely varying approaches to selling knives.

Axel Rudakubana's murder weapon was handed to one of his parents upon delivery, it has been suggested.

Under Amazon's two-stage ID check process, the retailer's delivery driver could hand the item to someone other than Rudakubana, provided it had been established that that person was over 18.

The driver can either conclude that the receiver looks over 25 (similar to the 'check 25' policy used by shops selling alcohol) or conduct an ID check.

In the wake of the horror attack, Amazon has ordered an 'urgent investigation' into how underage Rudakubana was able to purchase the knife.

We purchased a Starrett Professional Stainless Steel Kitchen Knife from Amazon for £4.58.

During the online purchase, Amazon conducted an ID check, requiring a name and address which was checked by the retailer's 'trusted ID verification' service.

For the purpose of the investigation, we first submitted an incorrect address to see if it would be accepted. It wasn't.

The following day, Amazon delivered the item to a person visibly over the age of 18.

Amazon's policy states that, upon delivery, 'drivers are required to verify the recipient's age through an app on their devices before handing over a parcel containing an age-restricted item.'

The delivery driver asked the recipient to provide their name and a valid ID in order to hand the package over, complying with the company's standard procedure for age-restricted items.

An Amazon spokesperson said: 'We take our responsibility around the sale of all age-restricted items - including bladed products – extremely seriously.

'We use trusted ID verification services to check name, date of birth and address details whenever an order is placed for these bladed items.

'We have an 'Age Verification on Delivery' process that requires drivers to verify the recipient's age through an app on their devices before handing over a parcel containing an age-restricted item.'

We purchased a 20cm knife from John Lewis, much like that used by Axel Rudakubana.

Much like what the Government hopes to introduce, in theory John Lewis has a stringent two-step system for purchasing knives online.

It uses age verification technology to determine the customer is over 18 at the point of sale. Alternatively, the buyer can show ID which is cross checked with a face scan.

If the system cannot confirm the buyer is over 18, the site will not proceed to checkout.

They also requires someone over the age of 18 to be present and show a valid driving licence or passport on delivery.

But this is where its courier, Royal Mail, failed.

With nobody home to answer the door, the postman slid the knife through the letter box.

Proof of delivery falsely stated that age verification took place when the knife was delivered and an unknown signature, supposedly the reporter's, was taken.

When put to the courier, a Royal Mail manager arrived within hours asking for confirmation of details of the incident.

The manager was armed with printed copies of our email, proof of delivery and the postman's notes. An investigation is currently underway.

A John Lewis spokesperson said: 'We take safety incredibly seriously and, in line with strict government guidelines, have added facial age estimation as an additional layer of security when customers purchase knives online.

'While deliveries are made by reputable third parties, we have detailed measures in place to make sure this is done safely and are investigating this case as a priority.'


The online transaction was simple, we added the knife to our basket and entered a date of birth upon checkout.

Although answered honestly, it would have been easy to provide a false birth year as proof of age was not required.

The knife was delivered by a FedEx courier. A family member simply opened the door and accepted the package in the reporter's place.

They were given no indication that they were receiving a blade.

Shortly after, an order update showed we had supposedly signed for the package - which is impossible, given no signature was taken at all.

The packaging was marked 'priority' but there were no labels to flag that inside the cardboard box was a dangerous item.

FedEx passed on the incident to their customer experience team for investigation.

A spokesperson for Lakeland told MailOnline: 'Lakeland take the selling of age-restricted items incredibly seriously, selling kitchen knives to home cooks using mail order with stringent procedures in place both at the point of sale and at the point of delivery via delivery partners.

'Upon learning of the discrepancy relating to your order, the team at Lakeland launched a thorough investigation with its delivery partners.

'The investigation has shown that whilst the delivery manifest clearly shows that the product was age restricted and flagged appropriately, on this occasion, the correct signed-for procedures weren’t followed at the point of delivery.

'Our delivery partner takes this matter very seriously and has already taken corrective actions to prevent this from happening again.'


What are the new stricter checks for online knife sales?
A stringent 2-step system will be mandated for all retailers selling knives online requiring customers to submit photo ID at point of sale and again on delivery.
In addition, delivery companies will only be able to deliver a bladed article to the same person who purchased it
Under the new measures, a person may need to submit a copy of a photo ID such as driving licence or passport, as well as proof of address such as a utility bill, before showing ID again when the package is delivered
This could also include a person submitting a current photo or video of themselves to an online retailer alongside their ID
It will also be illegal to leave a package containing a bladed weapon on a doorstep when no one is in to receive it.

We ordered a 17cm Japanese Santoku knife from Etsy UK, one of the UK's most popular online marketplaces.

The purchase required no ID checks, signatures or even age verification warnings at any stage of the online order or in-person delivery process.

As Etsy connects individual sellers, many of them with small businesses, to buyers.

The retailer's official policy is that the sellers themselves are responsible for the delivery of items, although Etsy prints the labels.

Nonetheless, the apparent inability to relay that the parcel contained an incredibly sharp and large kitchen knife is worrying.

So, too, is Etsy UK's rule that 'a knife or bladed item which is not prohibited by restrictions [knives intended for violence, such as those designed to be concealed or quickly deployed] may be sold on Etsy, as long as it otherwise qualifies for sale and meets all applicable legal requirements in applicable jurisdictions.'

Given that no age verification took place, the legal requirements for this sale were plainly not met.

As no one was in when the parcel was delivered, it was left propped up outside the door in communal hallway shared by at least six other flats.

This practice - leaving a package containing a bladed weapon on a doorstep when no one is in to receive it - will become illegal under the new laws to be implemented in spring.

The parcel was in plain packaging other than the word 'fragile' splayed across its bottom half.

And the knife itself was large, strikingly sharp and capable of inflicting serious damage.

Etsy UK have been contacted for comment.

We bought a six-piece sharp corrugated kitchen knife set for £7.46, working out at £1.24 per knife, and a sharp stainless steel knife, part of a dining set, for £1.11.

When purchasing the blade, Temu stated 'under UK law, you need to be 18 or over to buy these age-restricted items.'

In 2023, a Which? investigation found Temu to be selling illegal weapons and as knives and axes that should be age-restricted.

The consumer group said they found listings for folding knives on the marketplace that resembled items banned under UK law.

They also said they were able to buy age-restricted items such as knives and axes without age verification.

Following the investigation, Temu said they 'initiated a comprehensive investigation and review of our processes to further strengthen our safeguards and prevent similar cases from occurring again.'

The retailer required a full name and date of birth before confirming the sale.

At this point they did no further ID checks, nor asked for a copy of a valid passport or driving licence.

Temu's policy states that 'by placing an order for an age restricted item you are confirming that you are at least 18 years old' and that they use a 'challenge 25 policy'.

'Age-restricted items cannot be delivered to a designated safe place location but can be delivered by Royal Mail to a Local Collect Post Office, Enquiry Office, or Delivery Office for age verification at the time of collection,' it added.

Once passed to the delivery partner Royal Mail, multiple warnings were received telling the customer they must be over 18 to receive the parcel.

The recipient was asked for their year of birth before the knives were handed over, meaning the company's 'challenge 25 policy' was followed.

A Temu spokesperson said they have a strict policy regarding the sale of bladed items.

'Controlled items are strictly prohibited for sale on our platform. For non-controlled items, we require a warning in the product details to inform buyers that the use of the product may be subject to laws and regulations in their jurisdiction.

'We have also put in place a two-stage age verification process, which includes an initial age confirmation at the point of sale and a subsequent ID check upon delivery.

'We work with delivery partners like Royal Mail for age verification to ensure recipients meet the age requirement.'

A Royal Mail spokesperson said: 'Royal Mail’s policy on age restricted products requires confirmation that the person is aged 18 and over before delivering the item.

'In order to verify a customer’s age, posties are asked to request the person’s year of birth and ask for identification.'

Minister for Crime and Policing, Dame Diana Johnson, told MailOnline: ‘Too many young people are still buying these weapons online, so we are introducing stronger age verification checks and significant fines for tech executives who fail to swiftly remove knife crime content on their sites.

‘We are consulting with partners in our Coalition to Tackle Knife Crime and are also developing a Young Futures programme to identify those at risk of being drawn into crime and provide them with the support they need.’

[GRS]

If the government were serious about this issue they could easily put in legislation to deal with it. Something along the lines of:

1: Postage priced at an eye watering amount - say £20.
2: Have Royal Mail as the only courier allowed to handle bladed items. They are not delivered to the address but the recipient has to attend a RM DO to collect the item in person.

By putting in these couple of conditions it would immediately put off people trying to purchase them online. Not saying it would stop stabbings but surely if people find it very difficult & cost prohibitive then it would stem the tide of these weapons being bought & used.

However as usual the government will pay lip service to this matter & come up with some wishy washy solution & then wash their hands of it until the next tragedy.

[pinstripe]

“'In order to verify a customer’s age, posties are asked to request the person’s year of birth and ask for identification.' “

We ask for identification if they look under 25, but 1 or 2 AV items can seriously impact on your delivery time. It take most customers long enough to find their door keys, never mind their passport.

Anyway, heard of a postie in a nearby office who signed for and left an AV item in a safe place. Was suspended and looks like he’ll lose his job, so RM are taking this seriously.

[Mr Rush]

China's a police state and they can't stop spree stabbings, though hopefully they manage to stop delivery personnel f***ing signing for packets

[clashcityrocker]

but 1 or 2 AV items can seriously impact on your delivery time.

I think I have had 2 in the last 12 months.

[GRS]

but 1 or 2 AV items can seriously impact on your delivery time.

I think I have had 2 in the last 12 months.

Really? Ironically I had 2 today

[Mr Rush]

but 1 or 2 AV items can seriously impact on your delivery time.

I think I have had 2 in the last 12 months.

We had entire yorks of booze bought off Amazon coming through for Burns Night. All AVs. Was it the weight or the wait they didn't like?

[kazardaimenu]

If the government were serious about this issue they could easily put in legislation to deal with it. Something along the lines of:

1: Postage priced at an eye watering amount - say £20.
2: Have Royal Mail as the only courier allowed to handle bladed items. They are not delivered to the address but the recipient has to attend a RM DO to collect the item in person.

By putting in these couple of conditions it would immediately put off people trying to purchase them online. Not saying it would stop stabbings but surely if people find it very difficult & cost prohibitive then it would stem the tide of these weapons being bought & used.

However as usual the government will pay lip service to this matter & come up with some wishy washy solution & then wash their hands of it until the next tragedy.

Yes between 08:00 and 10:00 the whippersnappers won’t get out of bed in time

[kazardaimenu]

“'In order to verify a customer’s age, posties are asked to request the person’s year of birth and ask for identification.' “

We ask for identification if they look under 25, but 1 or 2 AV items can seriously impact on your delivery time. It take most customers long enough to find their door keys, never mind their passport.

Anyway, heard of a postie in a nearby office who signed for and left an AV item in a safe place. Was suspended and looks like he’ll lose his job, so RM are taking this seriously.

I heard people in our office were doing it but nothing came of it just a blanket warning for the office. If they aren’t in just bring it back.

[GRS]

If the government were serious about this issue they could easily put in legislation to deal with it. Something along the lines of:

1: Postage priced at an eye watering amount - say £20.
2: Have Royal Mail as the only courier allowed to handle bladed items. They are not delivered to the address but the recipient has to attend a RM DO to collect the item in person.

By putting in these couple of conditions it would immediately put off people trying to purchase them online. Not saying it would stop stabbings but surely if people find it very difficult & cost prohibitive then it would stem the tide of these weapons being bought & used.

However as usual the government will pay lip service to this matter & come up with some wishy washy solution & then wash their hands of it until the next tragedy.

Yes between 08:00 and 10:00 the whippersnappers won’t get out of bed in time

Exactly……anything to stop these waste of space lowlife getting hold of these weapons. Just to add to this I saw today that Amazon are banning the sale of vehicle registration plates on their platform. If they can do it for this because of the criminal element, then surely they could ban the sale of knives so people have to go into a shop to buy one where it is a lot harder especially with CCTV everywhere.

[Mr Rush]

so people have to go into a shop

Do those still exist?