Victorian parents, carers and families can shop more safely after Consumer Affairs Victoria (CAV) inspectors removed thousands of dangerous Christmas products from shelves in its pre-Christmas sweep.
Consumer Affairs Victoria Director Nicole Rich said it was disappointing so many products needed to be removed, and the results put retailers on notice that CAV is actively inspecting and will take action where it finds unsafe products that break the law.
CAV inspectors carried out safety inspections in November and December, focusing on unsafe children’s toys and Christmas-themed products containing button batteries. In total, over 17,000 unsafe products were seized and removed by CAV inspectors.
Among the products that were seized were 3,400 unsafe toys, including projectile toys with dangerous rotors, children’s playsets, light-up wands and watches containing button batteries without mandatory warning labels, and children’s adhesive nail sets that did not have a list of ingredients, increasing the risk of skin irritations or allergic reactions. CAV inspectors also seized 11,000 unsafe button batteries that were incorrectly labelled and not securely packaged, and 18 unsafe remote controls containing button batteries.
To pick the safest toys this Christmas, CAV is advising Victorians to watch out for toys with button batteries and make sure the batteries are in secure compartments. People should avoid buying toys with sharp edges, points or splinters, and keep in mind the child’s age so that gifts are appropriate.
Under the Australian Consumer Law, it is illegal to supply products that do not meet mandatory safety or information standards. CAV inspectors have the power to issue on the spot infringement notices with $5000 fines. Maximum penalties under the Australian Consumer Law are as high as $2.5 million for individuals and $50 million for companies.
In 2023-24, CAV carried out 425 product safety inspections targeting non-compliant goods and issued 8 infringements and 131 official warnings. There were also 65 voluntary withdrawals of products that were not restocked for sale.
In cases where items are seized, further enforcement action can range from warnings to infringements or court action. CAV has also issued three public warnings for product safety and overseen 30 national recalls of unsafe products in 2024.
“Consumer Affairs Victoria inspectors have carried out numerous inspections of Christmas products, taking a zero-tolerance approach to unsafe toys or products – it's all about keeping Victorians safe as they do their festive season shopping,” said Ms Rich.
“Christmas should be memorable for the right reasons – so I encourage parents and carers to keep safety front of mind and report anything they think is unsafe to Consumer Affairs Victoria.”
To report a potentially unsafe product, you can contact us on 1300 558 181 or visit our Product safety page.