Unsafe online electrical products fail Australian safety standards
Consensus Summary
Two news sources report that testing by the Lighting Council Australia found almost three in four online lighting products fail Australian safety standards. A total of 131 products were tested, with 73 per cent non-compliant, including none from Temu and AliExpress, 8 per cent from Amazon, and 12 per cent from eBay. The council wrote to marketplaces two months ago, but only Temu removed its 240V products, doing so within a week after being contacted in June. Three downlights failed fire safety tests, and two products lacked model numbers, making recalls impossible. Experts warn of fire and electrocution risks, calling for stricter regulations to hold online platforms accountable. Both sources agree that voluntary action is insufficient, but ABC highlights additional challenges like untraceable products and consumer harm statistics, while 7NEWS emphasizes the contrast between compliant Australian retailers and unsafe online platforms.
✓ Verified by 2+ sources
Key details reported by multiple sources:
- Lighting Council Australia tested 131 lighting products and found 73 per cent failed Australian safety requirements
- Almost three in four products purchased online failed to meet Australian standards
- None of the products sampled from Temu and AliExpress were compliant with Australian standards
- Only 8 per cent of lighting products tested from Amazon passed compliance
- Only 12 per cent of lighting products tested from eBay passed compliance
- Lighting Council Australia wrote to online marketplaces about test results two months ago
- Temu was the only platform to remove 240V lighting products from its Australian website after being contacted
- Three downlights from online marketplaces failed laboratory safety tests and caught fire when exposed to heat and flame
Points of Difference
Details reported by only one source:
- 100 per cent of products from Australian retailers Beacon Lighting and Lights4Less passed regulatory requirements
- Major marketplaces (Amazon, AliExpress, Kogan) did not respond to the test results shared two months ago
- Lighting Council Australia CEO Malcolm Richards stated: 'They will be an absolute ticking time bomb in your home'
- Licensed electrician Michael Colthurst urged consumers to verify product compliance with Australian standards with their electrician
- Two of the failed products lacked model numbers, making them untraceable or recallable
- Two of the samples were destroyed during a high-voltage strength test
- Choice research found 6 per cent of people buying products on online marketplaces suffered injury or property damage due to unsafe products
- Temu removed all 240V lighting products from its Australian website within a week after being contacted in June
- The report noted that regulators struggle to identify suppliers or compel recalls for untraceable products
- Bea Sherwood from Choice said Australia's product safety regime is a 'patchwork system' and online marketplaces are unwilling to remove dangerous products
Where the reporting differs
Details that conflict, or appear in only some outlets:
- 7NEWS states that Temu was the only platform to remove products from sale after being contacted two months ago, while ABC specifies that Temu removed products within a week after being contacted in June
- 7NEWS mentions that 100 per cent of products from Beacon Lighting and Lights4Less passed regulatory requirements, but ABC does not mention these retailers
Source Articles
Cheap electrical products bought online a ‘ticking time bomb’, experts say
Almost three in four electrical products purchased online fail to meet Australian safety standards.
'Cheap and attractive' lights sold online fail Australian compliance tests
Testing of more than 130 lighting products available online found most failed to meet Australian standards.
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