Require online marketplaces to verify that sellers offering precious metal jewellery to UK consumers hold a valid UK Assay Office registration or proof of UK hallmarking compliance before permitting listings describing items as gold, silver, platinum or palladium.

The Hallmarking Act 1973 protects consumers by requiring precious metal items sold in the UK to be hallmarked. However, global online marketplaces host large volumes of cross-border listings, making enforcement difficult. Without platform-level verification, non-compliant sellers may gain access to UK consumers. Reform is needed to ensure fair competition, consumer protection and confidence in the UK hallmarking system.