Dangerous toys found on online shopping platform Temu

Temu has only been operating in Australia for 18 months, and our findings echo what international consumer groups have discovered. 

CHOICE’s Italian counterpart Altroconsumo found serious safety issues with products bought from Temu, including noncompliance with EU regulations for general product safety, toy safety and technical regulations for children’s clothing. Some products also had a strong chemical smell of solvents, paint and silicone.

During Altroconsumo’s second investigation into Temu a year after its first, there were signs of improvement. It was harder to find products from some risky categories (such as children’s clothes with laces) on the Italian Temu.

This is “a sign that some of the indications that emerged in our first investigation have been taken into account”, says Elisa Falliti, Altroconsumo’s campaign officer. However, many failures were still evident, even though Temu should be aware of the market regulations, says Falliti.

“Temu should also verify that if a product has been considered unsafe, it is not available on the platform in other formats or with other names, as well as verifying whether the same issue is potentially available in other similar products.”

Temu has also come under scrutiny by the European Commission (EC) and is being forced to clean up its act. 

In Europe, Temu is headquartered in Ireland and attracts 45 million European users a month. In May, the EC designated Temu as a Very Large Online Platform under the EU’s Digital Services Act. Among other obligations, this means it will need to put in place “mitigation measures to address risks” such as unsafe, illegal and counterfeit products being listed and sold.

The EC suggests that measures could include “better reporting and detection of suspicious listings, improving moderation processes to swiftly remove illegal items, and refining its algorithms to prevent the promotion and sale of prohibited goods”.

• Screw is not captive. When you open the battery compartment to change the batteries, the screw that fastens the cover comes off completely and does not remain with the battery compartment cover. If this screw is lost then the cover could be accessed by a child.
• Safety alert symbol is not present on the front of the packaging.

• Screw is not captive. When you open the battery compartment to change the batteries, the screw that fastens the cover comes off completely and does not remain with the battery compartment cover. If this screw is lost then the cover could be accessed by a child.
• Safety alert symbol is not present on the front of the packaging.

• Battery compartment failed the tension test and batteries became released without the use of a tool.
• Safety alert symbol is not present on the front of the packaging.

• Battery compartment is not resistant to being opened by young children and the battery was removed without the aid of a tool. The batteries became released.
• Certain warning statements about the battery are not present.
• Safety alert symbol is not present on the front of the packaging.

• Upper and lower halves of the item’s body were separated in the tension test and consequently, batteries became released without the use of a tool.
• Safety alert symbol is not present on the front of the packaging.

• Screw is not captive. When you open the battery compartment to change the battery, the screw that fastens the cover comes off completely and does not remain with the battery compartment cover. If this screw is lost then the cover could be accessed by a child.
• Safety alert symbol is not present on the front of the packaging.

• Screw is not captive. When you open the battery compartment to change the battery, the screw that fastens the cover comes off completely and does not remain with the battery compartment cover. If this screw is lost then the cover could be accessed by a child.
• Safety alert symbol is not present on the front of the packaging.

• Battery compartment is not resistant to being opened by young children and the battery was removed without the aid of a tool. The battery became released.

• Battery holder is not resistant to being opened by young children and the battery can be removed without the aid of a tool. The batteries became released.
• Certain warning statements about the batteries are not present.
• Safety alert symbol is not present on the front of the packaging.
• Two lithium coin batteries were supplied loose in plastic zip bags and are not designed to be child-resistant.
• The internationally recognised “keep out of reach of children” symbol is not present on the batteries.

• Screw is not captive. When you open the battery compartment to change the batteries, the screw that fastens the cover comes off completely and does not remain with the battery compartment cover. If this screw is lost then the cover could be accessed by a child.
• Safety alert symbol is not present on the front of the packaging.

• Screw is not captive. When you open the battery compartment to change the battery, the screw that fastens the cover comes off completely and does not remain with the battery compartment cover. If this screw is lost then the cover could be accessed by a child.
• Warning statements about the battery are not present.
• Safety alert symbol is not present on the front of the packaging.

• Battery compartment is not resistant to being opened by young children, and the batteries can be removed without the aid of a tool. The batteries become released.
• Safety alert symbol is not present on the front of the packaging.

• Safety alert symbol is not present on the front of the packaging.

• Screw is not captive, meaning it did not remain with the battery compartment when opened.
• Safety alert symbol is not present on the front of the packaging.
• Certain warning statements about the battery are not present.

Toys bought from popular online shopping platform Temu are failing Australian safety laws and have been found to carry deadly coin and button battery hazards, a CHOICE investigation reveals.

We randomly chose 15 coin and button battery-operated products from the Temu website and purchased them anonymously in May 2024. The products included children’s watches, an electronic writing pad, spinning tops, mini electronic games, an LED tea light and a light-up tutu.

Our expert tester found that most had unsafe, insecure battery compartments. In fact, every product tested failed at least one requirement under the Australian button battery regulations that are designed to protect children’s lives.

Although Temu has now removed the offending products, CHOICE is warning buyers to be cautious when buying toys powered by button or coin batteries online as the suppliers may be flouting Australian laws.

An ongoing issue

This investigation follows previous CHOICE tests of button batteries bought from a range of online retailers such as eBay and Amazon, as well as “bricks and mortar” retailers. 

All too many are failing the requirements that have been in place since June 2022.

What’s the danger?

Once coin and button batteries become loose, they have the potential to be ingested, with devastating consequences including death, choking and localised internal burning. 

Three Australian children have died from ingesting button batteries to date.

Key findings from our Temu safety investigation

A Roy Morgan survey from August 2024 found that 3.8 million Australians aged 14 or older have bought from Temu at least once in the past 12 months, with a whopping 80% of these being repeat shoppers. 

Temu’s website and app are full of offers for “limited time deals” and “blowout sales”, and enticing alerts designed to encourage impulse purchases. 

CHOICE bought 15 products from Temu, including toys (our full findings are published below), and all of them failed safety testing. 

The toys we bought were dirt cheap, including a set of four mini electronic piano keyrings for $7.79 and a knock-off Tamagotchi pet for just $3.50.

There were three types of failures.

1. Easily accessible button batteries

Seven products we bought had unsafe battery compartments that were not resistant to being opened by young children.

One of the worst offenders, a $12.79 LED tutu skirt, had an accessible lithium battery compartment that was not child-proof and could be opened without a tool, making it especially unsafe. (While the model we tested has now been removed, a quick search on Temu suggests that other, similar-looking LED skirts that use button batteries are still on sale, but it’s unknown if those meet safety requirements.) 

Another worrying product, a coin cell charger, had two lithium batteries supplied loose in a plastic zip bag, and the batteries could be easily removed from their holder.

2. Non-captive screws

A further seven toys had non-captive screws, meaning that the screws don’t remain with the battery compartment cover once it is opened.

If a screw is lost when changing the batteries, it becomes easy for a child to open the cover and access the batteries inside. 

A captive screw (that is, one attached to the battery cover) is a requirement under the Australian toy safety standard, which is one of the industry standards used to prove that a product meets the button battery regulations.

3. Labelling failures

Apart from the physical failures, 14 of the 15 products did not have the required button safety alert symbol on the front of the packaging, and several had general safety labels (such as choking hazard statements) that were so small they were virtually unreadable.

Products now removed from the site, but buyer beware

Temu says it had already removed three of the dangerous products in July and August, prior to CHOICE alerting it to the failures: the LED tea lights, the writing pad and the light-up tutu.

Temu removed the remaining 12 products we tested from its platform only after we alerted them to our findings.

It says third-parties who sell through its platform are required to submit relevant documentation and sign agreements “affirming their commitment to product safety and adherence to regulations relevant to their intended markets”.

Despite this, it looks like plenty of unsafe products have the potential to slip through the net. It’s a worrying set of results, given Temu’s surging Australian popularity in recent months during a cost-of-living crisis.

Temu hasn’t signed the safety pledge

In Australia, online marketplaces including Amazon, eBay, catch.com.au and AliExpress have signed up to the ACCC’s Voluntary Product Safety Pledge. 

The pledge commits signatories to 12 product safety-related actions, including removing unsafe products listings within two days of receiving a takedown request from an Australian regulatory authority.

To date, Temu has not signed up to the pledge. The company says it’s “in regular communication with consumer groups and regulatory authorities to address inquiries and facilitate product takedowns or recalls when required”. 

But our spot check suggests more needs to be done to reduce the number of problematic items sold in the first place.

While Temu continues to grow and recruit sellers – and sell products that may not meet local laws – CHOICE advice is to remain vigilant about which products you buy on the site. 

And if you find a problem with a listing, report it to Temu and ACCC Product Safety for further investigation.

Call for general safety provision 

“It’s disappointing that big companies like Temu continue to flout mandatory button battery safety requirements, putting children in Australia at risk of serious injury or even death,” says Andy Kelly, CHOICE deputy director of campaigns and communications. 

We’re calling on Temu to urgently sign up to the Product Safety Pledge.

“CHOICE is also calling on the government to introduce a general safety provision that would make it illegal to sell unsafe products in the first place, and this should apply to online marketplaces like Temu,” he says.

The e-commerce giant has attracted ACCC attention recently, with the recall of several unbranded LED headlights designed for Croc-style shoes that were sold via Temu.

Even though Temu says its suppliers must sign product safety commitments, Temu still has a duty to protect its customers. An ACCC spokesperson explains that “if a business supplies consumer products in Australia at any stage in the supply chain, they are legally responsible for product safety”.

“All businesses, including manufacturers, importers, distributors, and retailers, involved in the supply chain for button batteries or products powered by them must comply with the mandatory button battery safety and information standards,” they say. “These standards include design requirements and safety warnings and information to be provided on the product and its packaging.”

Although the ACCC won’t comment on specific investigations, the spokesperson says it “takes alleged non-compliance with the button battery standards very seriously and will continue to take enforcement action where necessary”.

Since the laws came into effect, several brands including The Reject Shop and Tesla have been fined for failing to comply with mandatory safety and information standards for products powered by button batteries.

Safety advice on button batteries

The ACCC gives the following advice about button batteries.

• If you suspect a child has swallowed or inserted a button battery contact the 24/7 Poison Information Centre on 13 11 26, and Triple Zero (000) immediately if your child is having any difficulty breathing.
• Check for a secure compartment and warning labels, even when shopping with a trusted seller. If you need to buy a product with a button battery online, make sure to check the compartment is secure when it is delivered.
• Regularly check that products and toys are not damaged or broken, or if the button battery compartment does not close securely. If faulty, stop using the product and keep it away from children.
• If you need to dispose of button batteries, put sticky tape around both sides, safely put them in a child resistant container and recycle them at your nearest drop-off point.
• Consumers can report an unsafe product to the ACCC via the ACCC Product Safety website.

Temu safety failures: The full results

For more specifics on the Temu failures, see the results below.

The products originated from Chinese suppliers, but were all received in one package with a return address listed in Bankstown, NSW, which corresponds to that of a third-party global freight forwarder. 

The products included children’s toys and novelty items. All of the listings have since been taken off the platform, but it’s possible that similar items may still be available, so we advise shopping with caution.

How Temu monitors unsafe products

In response to our findings, Temu tells CHOICE it conducts spot checks on physical products to see if they meet relevant standards, and uses customer feedback to identify potential issues with products. 

“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,” a spokesperson tells us. 

“Violations can lead to warnings, penalties, product delisting [and] account closure, and Temu maintains a blocklist to prevent problematic sellers from re-entering the platform.”

About our expert tester

Our test coordinator Antonio Bonacruz is a children’s product safety expert and sits on Australian and international committees for toy safety. He tested items in our accredited labs based on the four Australian mandatory standards that apply to button battery product safety and information standards. Where applicable, the Australian (Safety of Toys) Standard and Australian (Electric Toys) Standard were used.

• Battery compartment failed the tension test and batteries became released without the use of a tool.
• Certain warning statements about the battery are not present.
• Safety alert symbol is not present on the front of the packaging.