Several children’s toys have been removed from popular online retailer Temu for breaching Australian safety laws.
Consumer group Choice ledinto 15 products sold on the Chinese-owned platform Temu, including “toys and novelty items”.
It found that all the items “contained button battery hazards, failing Australian safety requirements.”
Here’s what you need to know.
Temu
Temu is an online marketplace, operated by Chinese e-commerce company PDD Holdings.
Third-party retailers sell their products directly to shoppers via the Temu site and app. It launched in Australia last year.
Choice cited Roy Morgan data, which found that 3.8 million Australians (aged 14 and over) made a purchase on Temu in the year to August.
The consumer advocacy group launched an investigation into the safety of Temu products in May.
Investigation
Choice “randomly chose” 15 coin and button battery-operated products from Temu for its investigation.
This included kid’s watches, spinning tops, a musical keyboard, mini electronic games, an LED tea light and a light-up tutu.
Choice said the items were “dirt cheap,” with some costing $3.50.
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It conducted safety tests on the Temu products and found every product failed “at least one requirement under the Australian button battery regulations.”
It found most items had unsafe battery compartments. In one case, loose batteries were delivered in a plastic zip bag.
Choice said 14 of the 15 items did not have the required safety labels, and “several had general safety labels (such as choking hazard statements) that were so small they were virtually unintelligible.”
It noted that three Australian children have died from ingesting button batteries.
Choice called the findings “worrying,” given Temu’s “surging Australian popularity” during a
It also accused Temu of using “limited time deals” to encourage impulse purchasing from customers.
“Customers should remain vigilant when buying toys from Temu,” Choice warned.
“Temu needs to improve the way it detects and removes offending products, or it risks being fined.”
Response
Temu said it “immediately” launched a review after receiving Choice’s findings, and that all products have been removed from the platform.
A Temu spokesperson told TDA it takes consumer and product safety “very seriously”. They said sellers who fail to meet safety requirements face penalties, including being blocked.
“Temu is in regular communication with consumer groups and regulatory authorities to address inquiries and facilitate product takedowns or recalls when required,” it said.
