Cheap electrical products bought online a ‘ticking time bomb’, experts say

Cheap electrical products flooding homes could be putting lives at risk, with new testing revealing almost three in four products purchased online fail to meet Australian standards.

A light that should resist fire instead fuels it, with testing showing fixtures designed for Australian homes but bought online can pose a serious risk.

“They will be an absolute ticking time bomb in your home,” Lighting Council Australia CEO Malcolm Richards said.

Lighting Council Australia examined 131 products and found 73 per cent failed Australian safety requirements. Many didn’t display a mandatory symbol, while others had no brand or model number, meaning they can’t be recalled or traced.

“These lights were very unsafe. They’ll both potentially start a fire, maintain a fire and potentially even electrocute people who are touching them when they’re installed,” Richards said.

None of the products sampled from Temu and AliExpress were compliant. Just 8 per cent on Amazon were considered safe, and eBay managed just 12 per cent.

Compare that to Australian retailers Beacon Lighting and Lights4Less, where 100 per cent of products passed regulatory requirements.

Licensed electrician and wholesaler Michael Colthurst urged consumers to be vigilant.

“You really need to ask your licensed electrician what products you are using and do they comply to the Australian standards,” he said.

Major marketplaces were told about the test results two months ago. There was no response from Amazon, AliExpress and Kogan. Temu was the only platform to remove products from sale.

“Online marketplaces can control this problem if they want to,” Richards said.

“We need the laws changed to hold these marketplaces accountable,” Richards said, to prevent danger hanging over our heads.