Published
Inspectors have seized 28,000 unsafe products and toys from importers and retailers across Victoria in the 2012-13 financial year.
In one of the latest product safety actions by Consumer Affairs Victoria, inspectors seized 3,500 unsafe toys from a Moorabbin importer and retailer.
In 2012-13, Consumer Affairs Victoria conducted more than 2,000 compliance activities to educate businesses on their obligations to supply safe products.
More than 5,000 product lines were inspected, and 27,971 dangerous products were seized, resulting in 11 product safety recalls.
Minister for Consumer Affairs Heidi Victoria said Victoria enforced very strict safety standards and ban orders to ensure products available for sale are safe.
“There are serious penalties and consequences for supplying products that fail to meet the mandatory standards,” Ms Victoria said.
“The toys seized at Moorabbin contain small, removable parts and present a choking hazard to young children. They also present a threat of eye injury when used inappropriately.
“Under Australian Consumer Law, a supplier who fails to comply with a mandatory safety standard can face fines of up to $220,000 for an individual and $1.1 million for a body corporate.”
The company, Huanyu Australia Pty Ltd and its director Mr Jia Bin Song, personally and on behalf of the company, acknowledged contraventions of the Australian Consumer Law and gave undertakings to the Director of Consumer Affairs Victoria to:
- refrain from offering, supplying or possessing goods which do not meet the requirements of a mandatory safety standard, information standard, or an interim or permanent ban order;
- pay $5,000 to the Director of Consumer Affairs Victoria on behalf of the Consumer Law Fund;
- conduct a voluntary recall of the non-compliant goods in accordance with www.recalls.gov.au;
- display the recall notice on its website and at its business premises;
- contact all customers and the more than 50 retailers to whom the company sold the non-compliant goods warning of the dangers and offering a refund;
- implement and maintain a compliance program designed to ensure their goods meet mandatory safety standards and ban orders; and
- consent to the destruction of the seized goods.
For further advice on product safety visit www.productsafety.gov.au or call Consumer Affairs Victoria on 1300 55 81 81.
