An LED-lit tutu skirt, a spinning top and a set of building blocks are among a number of dangerous toys that were sold by Chinese-owned shopping platform Temu, Choice has found.
Choice tested 15 toys operated by circular coin or button-style batteries, including watches, a writing tablet, a musical keyboard, a cartoon projector and a electronic pet game from Temu in May.
Most of the randomly chosen toys had unsafe, insecure battery compartments and all failed at least one requirement of mandatory button-battery safety standards, said Choice’s chief executive, Ashley de Silva.
A $12.79 LED tutu skirt was one of the worst products tested, with a non-compliant lithium battery compartment that was not child-proof and was “very easy to open with just a fingernail,” Choice said.
“Our results are a worrying reminder of the potential for these kinds of products to slip through the net, putting children in Australia at risk of serious injury or even death,” said de Silva.
Since 2022, coin and button battery-operated products sold in Australia must have child-resistant battery compartments and carry warning labels.
Andy Kelly, Choice’s deputy director of campaigns, said more people were turning to the “easy option” of Temu – which entered the Australian market a year ago – due to mounting cost-of-living pressures as Halloween and Christmas approach.
Choice tested the low-cost toys for compliance with battery safety laws after observing some products on the platform appeared “concerning”, he said.
“The price point does make you wonder whether the products are actually compliant with the mandatory standards that we have,” he said. “When we did the test, it basically confirmed that all of them had failed at least one requirement of the button battery regulation.”
He said ingested button batteries had caused the death of three children in Australia.
“We can’t say for sure whether the remaining toys that contain button batteries on the Temu website are compliant or not compliant,” he said. “If I was considering purchasing one of these products, I would definitely think twice.”
Temu is not a signatory to Australia’s online product safety pledge, which goes beyond the law by asking retailers to remove unsafe products within two business days of notification, replying to consumers who report an unsafe product and having effective processes in place to ensure that unsafe products are not being sold, he said. “It’s impossible to keep tabs on operators like Temu,” he said.
Choice is calling for a general safety provision which would introduce a duty not to sell unsafe products and would be backed by heavy penalties for non-compliant sellers.
A Temu spokesperson said that it takes product safety “very seriously” and requires its third-party sellers to ensure their products meet regulations wherever they are sold.
“Upon receiving Choice’s inquiry, we immediately launched a review of the product listings in question. We found that three of the products – the TutuSkirt, LED tea light, and [the] writing tablet – had been flagged and removed by our proactive monitoring in July and August, before we received the notice from Choice. We have removed the remaining 12 products from our platform,” they said.
They said that as part of the platform’s onboarding process, prospective sellers sign agreements affirming their commitment to product safety and adherence to regulations in their intended markets.
“When concerns arise, we take prompt action to investigate and, if necessary, remove any products suspected of being non-compliant.
“Accountability and penalties are clearly defined within Temu’s quality control framework. We continually guide sellers on the need for strict product safety compliance, ensuring they are fully aware of their responsibilities. Violations can lead to warnings, penalties, product delisting, account closure and Temu maintains a blocklist to prevent problematic sellers from re-entering the platform.”
The ACCC advises shoppers to check for a secure battery compartment and warning labels, even when shopping with a trusted seller.
The battery compartments in toys should regularly be checked for damage, it advises.
Individuals should contact triple zero if a child has swallowed or inserted a button battery and is having difficulty breathing. Consumers can report an unsafe product via the ACCC product safety website.