Watch out if you’re buying cheap toys online for the grandkids this Christmas – the bargain may end up costing you more than you think.
Consumer group CHOICE tested a random assortment 15 kids’ toys and novelty items purchased from online retailer Temu and found all of them failed at least one regulation under Australian button battery safety standards.
The items included a light-up tutu skirt, an electronic fidget spinner, a projector watch, mini electronic games and a musical keyboard. CHOICE purchased the 15 items anonymously from Temu in May this year.
“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,” says CHOICE CEO, Ashley de Silva.
“Most of them had unsafe, insecure battery compartments, and all of them failed at least one requirement of mandatory button battery safety standards.”
Mr de Silva says the popular online retailer has stopped selling most of the problem items, but not all of them. He wants to see them do more.
“Temu has now removed all the offending products from their website, but 12 of the items were still available for sale when we alerted Temu to the issues,” says Mr de Silva.
“It shouldn’t take a CHOICE investigation to ensure unsafe products are removed from their website.”
One of the worst offenders was the LED light-up tutu skirt, which had a non-childproof lithium battery compartment that was possible to open with a fingernail.
Wait, what is Temu?
If you haven’t heard of it, Temu is a wildly popular online retailer based in China, offering heavily discounted consumer goods of all kinds, usually direct from the Chinese factories producing them.
Since it first launched to international customers in 2022, Temu has quickly risen to be one of the major players in the online retail space, competing with giants like Amazon and Alibaba.
Customers love the insanely low prices, but Temu is not exactly loved by governments and privacy advocates around the world. Temu has been accused of everything from selling customer data to spying for the Chinese government.
Temu also has something of a reputation for selling poorly made goods that don’t meet quality and safety standards in most countries – as CHOICE’s button battery investigation discovered.
“We’re disappointed to see a big company like Temu flouting mandatory button battery safety standards. We urge Temu to join other online marketplaces like eBay and Amazon and sign up to the voluntary Product Safety pledge, which provides additional protections to consumers,” says de Silva.
“CHOICE continues to call on the government to introduce a general safety provision, which would make it illegal for businesses to sell unsafe products in the first place,” says de Silva.
Why are button batteries so dangerous for kids?
Button batteries are bright, shiny objects shaped like lollies and are make a very attractive proposition to young children. But they are lithium batteries and hold a considerable amount of power.
If swallowed, the battery will come into contact with saliva and other fluids and when a button battery gets wet, it becomes corrosive.
This can lead to painful – and very serious – internal burns. Around 20 children are taken to emergency departments for swallowing button batteries every week.
Check out this video from Queensland Health showing what happens when a button battery is inserted in a chicken breast to get an idea of the damage they can do.
If you suspect a child has swallowed a button battery, you can contact the 24/7 Poison Information Centre on 13 11 26 and call 000 immediately if the child is having any difficulty breathing.
Temu responds
Temu published a response to the CHOICE claims, reassuring customers that it takes product safety extremely seriously:
“Temu is a marketplace where third-party sellers offer their products directly to consumers. At Temu, consumer safety is our top priority. We take product safety very seriously and require our merchandise partners to ensure that their products meet the applicable regulations where 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 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.
“Temu entered the Australian market just over a year ago, and since then, we’ve actively listened to feedback from customers and stakeholders and continuously adjusted our offerings and services to better fit local practices while aligning with the quality control requirements of the Australian market. Here, we’d like to explain a bit more about our quality control approach.
“We require prospective sellers to submit necessary documentation as part of their onboarding process. Additionally, they sign agreements affirming their commitment to product safety and adherence to regulations relevant to their intended markets. Temu supports this process by providing guidance and resources on compliance requirements for various markets.
“Once sellers are onboarded, they are required to provide comprehensive product information, including descriptions, model/batch number, trade name, pricing, images, and relevant documents if applicable.
“Spot checks are conducted to verify that the physical products match their descriptions and adhere to relevant standards. This includes checking packaging, labels, and safety markings. If any products are suspected of potential non-compliance, Temu takes swift action, which may involve suspending the listing, requesting additional documentation, or removing the product altogether.
“Ongoing monitoring and collaboration are also integral to maintaining quality control. Temu closely monitors customer feedback to identify potential issues with products. When concerns arise, we take prompt action to investigate and, if necessary, remove any products suspected of being non-compliant. Furthermore, Temu is in regular communication with consumer groups and regulatory authorities to address inquiries and facilitate product takedowns or recalls when required,” the response concludes.
Do you ever buy things from Temu? Do you expect items you buy from there to conform to Australian regulations? Let us know in the comments section below.
Also read: Aldi has Australia’s cheapest groceries, CHOICE finds
The inference that all Temu products are just cheap third-rate is highly incorrect. I for one, have purchased several items from clothes to tools and have been very impressed with the quality, sometimes greater than products available from Australian retailers and a hell of a lot cheaper. Often the price difference of products obtained for retail here from the same manufacturers is several hundred dollars more, leading me to believe I’m being ripped of by local retailer’s
After a recommendation from a friend, I bought a few small kitchen items, clothes and shoes but wish I hadn’t as I dumped most of them because it’s too much trouble to return them. I did however leave reviews to warn others.
It’s very puzzling how Temu’s product review ratings are so high on their website and how they manage to make them look so good with claims of high quality but overall, item description are lacking and mostly confusing. What’s most annoying is how I get bombarded with loads of Temu’s cheap products every time I go online to check the weather, a TV program or read an article like this one.
I think it depends on what you are buying. Clothing and DIY stuff are of decent quality, but some toys are made by places in China just looking for a big profit and not quality.
Also, Brad, you need to check your facts before making comments, TEMU is only a site for other individual businesses to sell through just like Bunnings is, as for the products not being up to standard if you don’t think it is as advertised you contact them and they will usually refund your money without you having to return the items. I have been dealing with them for years and everything I have complained about has had its full price refunded and I still have the items you won’t find this happening with any Australian Companies.