I tried to buy knives at Temu, Amazon, John Lewis, Next and Pro Cook – this is what I found

A BirminghamLive probe has revealed stark differences in the age verification methods used by companies selling knives online – with one appearing to have taken a set of blades off sale after we made contact. Temu insisted it had a “strict policy” after our reporter was able to access the “order and pay” stage for a block of six steak knives without being asked to prove they were 18 or over.

The product was listed as unavailable the following day. Elsewhere, John Lewis tells customers it uses a facial age estimation tool before allowing online orders but customers must then show a valid driving licence or passport on delivery to prove their age.

The differing policies add to the debate over whether it is too easy for teenagers to buy knives online. Knife crime was yet again in the headlines this week after the fatal stabbing of 12-year-old Leo Ross as he made the ten-minute journey home in Hall Green on Tuesday, January 21.

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The issue is particularly acute in Birmingham. Nearly 50,000 serious knife crimes were recorded in England from July 2023 to June 2024, according to Government data.

Birmingham had a rate of 24.76 knife possession offences per 10,000 people over the same time period. In total, Birmingham recorded nearly 3,000 offences, which meant it had the highest total number of possession offences of any authority. It was more than double Manchester, which recorded 1,280 offences.

The Prime Minister has promised urgent action to prevent under-18s buying knives online, saying it was “shockingly easy” for killers such as Southport murderer Axel Rudakubana to get their hands on weapons. Rudakubana, who was then 17, used a knife bought from Amazon to kill three girls at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class in Southport, Merseyside, last July. He was jailed for life on Thursday, January 23, and will serve at least 52 years.

The sale of knives with a fixed blade of more than three inches long to under-18s is illegal in England and Wales, with retailers facing fines or prosecution if they breach the law.

Here’s what we found when we looked at the websites of five major online retailers.

Temu

A set of six stainless steel steak table knives, including a pine wooden block, was available online for £13.14, plus a £2 delivery fee.

Leading up to the order, it appeared that Temu required no proof that their customer was over the age of 18 before this particular product could be bought. The 23cms (nine-inch) long knives could be received within one to four working days.

After BirminghamLive contacted Temu alerting them of the potential sale on Thursday, January 23, it appeared to remove the item from its website. It was listed as being “discontinued and unavailable” the following day, Friday, January 24.

Issuing a statement, a Temu spokesman told BirminghamLive: “At Temu, we have a strict policy regarding the sale of bladed items. Controlled items are strictly prohibited for sale on our platform, and we have a rigorous product listing and monitoring process to enforce this rule.

“For non-controlled items such as kitchen knives, we require a warning in the product details informing the buyer that the use of the product may be subject to laws and regulations in their jurisdiction and that any illegal use is strictly prohibited and may result in legal consequences. The buyer is also informed that they must be 18 years of older to buy the item under the Criminal Justice Act 1988 and the Violent Crime Reduction Act.

“We have also put in place a two-stage age verification process. First, users are required to provide their full name, ID number and place of residence to confirm they are at least 18 years old when placing their order for knives.

“Second, we use the Royal Mail to deliver packages that require age verification. The courier will request ID confirmation and hand over the package to the buyer only upon verification of the identity and age. Otherwise, the package is returned to the seller.”

Amazon

It requires buyers to add their date of birth on the payment page. It also says proof of age and a signature will be required on delivery.

Amazon says it prohibits knives whose primary purpose is, or which are marketed in a way that claim they are, for combat or military use, self-defence or to encourage violent behaviour. Examples include zombie knives, combat knives, assault knives, throwing knives, daggers, boot knives, spring-assisted knives, hand-to-hand or fighting knives, gravity knives, bayonets, swords, self-defence knives, or ninja stars.

Amazon permits household knives, kitchen knives, cutlery or silverware, all-purpose tools such as pocket and everyday carry knives, and knives whose primary purpose is for outdoor activities such as camping.

It confirmed it uses “trusted ID verification services” to validate the age of customers on orders of age-restricted items at purchase, and also followed an age verification delivery process requiring drivers to verify the recipient’s age.

In triple killer Rudakubana’s case, Amazon’s records showed the driver recorded a year of birth consistent with an adult and marked the recipient as “visibly over 25-years-old”, in accordance with its policies and industry practice. Amazon said it would continue to work with law enforcement agencies and the Government “on this important issue.”

It was one of two 20cm identical knives Rudakubana had purchased from Amazon on July 13, last year. It was reported that he took steps to hide his identity by using a virtual private network (VPN), which encrypts personal data.

Amazon said it took its responsibility around the sale of bladed products “extremely seriously” and had launched an urgent investigation in relation to “this tragic case.”

John Lewis

The retailer says it will verify the buyer’s age at the checkout using a facial estimation tool, Yoti. The customer needs to allow camera access on the person’s device to do this. It says none of the customer’s data will be saved and Yoti will delete the photo immediately after verifying age.

If customers are using the John Lewis app, they need to make sure they have updated to the latest version for age verification to work. Once the age verification is complete, they will be redirected to checkout to buy the items.

To receiving a bladed item, buyers must be 18 or over, and show a valid driving licence or passport. If they cannot show a valid ID on delivery, the parcel will be returned to the firm’s warehouse. It would then contact the customer once it has processed the refund.

Next

Next says it’s not permitted to sell a knife or sharp object to any person under the age of 18 by law. The retailer will ask for proof that the customer is aged 18-plus when ordering a knife or sharp object online.

If customers have a knife or sharp object in their bag when checking out online, they will be asked for their date of birth, if Next does not already hold it, to ensure they are over 18.

Next will only deliver such items to one of its stores and does not allow them to be sent to home addresses.

On collection, if store staff believe the customer looks under the age of 25, they will ask for ID to ensure they are 18 or over. The store will only accept a passport, driving licence or provisional driving licence.

Pro Cook

Pro Cook offers a range of bladed items which are restricted for sale to those over the age of 18. It says it takes the responsibility of age verification “very seriously.” As part of the transactional process online, Pro Cook will attempt to verify the age of the person buying any bladed product using Experian’s Prove ID Service.

This system will seek to verify the customer’s details against several databases. It says there are three possible outcomes when it performs this check:

1. The customer’s age is verified, and they are confirmed as over the age of 18. In this case, the order will progress through their systems and be delivered as normal

2. The customer’s age cannot be verified and it is not possible to confirm whether they are over the age of 18. In this case, DPD may require photo ID on delivery

3. As the age verification was not successful the customer will be contacted by Pro Cook’s customer services team