Choice has filed a formal 'super' complaint with the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) after an investigation uncovered a range of dangerous and potentially banned products being sold on popular online marketplaces including eBay, Amazon, and AliExpress. The consumer advocacy group purchased items such as cigarette lighters shaped like children's toys, prop cigarettes, gel blasters, flick knives, and fake tongue studs, which it described as 'frightening' and unsafe.
Investigation findings
The investigation revealed that many of these products are permanently banned in Australia due to the risk they pose to children or general fire hazards. Among the items bought were novelty lighters and toy-like cigarettes, as well as sky lanterns from Shein. Fake tongue piercings, which could pose a choking hazard if swallowed, were also found on AliExpress and eBay. By Tuesday, most of these products had been removed from the sites.
Call for law reform
Choice's campaigns director, Andy Thomas, highlighted the seriousness of the issue, noting that the group had also identified flick knives, butterfly knives, and gel blasters—described as 'essentially weapons'—for sale on some platforms, though they did not order these to avoid legal issues. A nationally representative survey by Choice found that 6% of Australians who bought products online in the past two years had suffered an injury, property damage, or both.
'We've been shouting from the rooftops about Australia's lax product safety laws since the 60s really,' Thomas said. 'Consumers are still being put at risk and far too many people are still being harmed.' He emphasized that online marketplaces represent one of the biggest gaps in the law, acting as intermediaries that often evade responsibility for selling non-compliant and unsafe products.
ACCC response and government action
The ACCC confirmed it would carefully review Choice's complaint and issue a public response within 90 days, as required under the super complaint mechanism. The regulator noted that 'unsafe consumer goods in digital markets' remains a compliance and enforcement priority for the second consecutive year. Meanwhile, Assistant Minister for Competition and Consumer Affairs, Andrew Leigh, stated that the federal budget includes funding to strengthen Australia's product safety framework, including mandatory safety obligations for online marketplaces and higher penalties for businesses that put consumers at risk.
Retailer statements
Amazon and Shein responded to inquiries, stating that customer safety is their top priority. Amazon said it uses advanced AI models and dedicated safety teams to monitor products and quickly removes any that evade controls. Shein noted that vendors failing to comply with product safety standards face penalties, including potential bans. Temu added that it requires sellers to comply with laws and has added novelty lighters to a platform-wide blocklist. AliExpress's parent company, Alibaba, and eBay did not respond by the deadline.
