Consumer organisation Choice has issued a warning for Christmas shoppers, after a survey delivered an alarming findings.

Choice found that nearly three-quarters of consumers (74 per cent) believed businesses were legally required to ensure products were safe before selling them in Australia.

Most shoppers were unaware of how easy it was for dangerous products to end up on shelves, it said.

“Nine in 10 respondents thought it was important that businesses have a legal obligation to make sure their products are safe before selling them,” campaigns director Rosie Thomas said.

“Unfortunately, the reality is that Australia’s product safety regime is reactive, reliant on voluntary recalls, and it can take serious injury or death for an unsafe product to be removed from sale.”

The findings were based on the organisation’s Consumer Pulse September 2024 online survey of more than 1000 Australian households. The survey had quotas and used weighted data to ensure it was representative of the Australian population.

Thomas said Choice continued to urge the government to introduce a general safety law, which would make it illegal for businesses to sell unsafe products.

“This would help protect consumers from products that may cause injury, but aren’t covered by any mandatory safety standards or product bans,” she said.

“Until a safety provision is introduced, there’s no guarantee that every single product available for sale is safe.”

Choice has also put together product safety tips for Christmas shoppers.

• Avoid buying children’s toys, baby safety items and electronics from cheap overseas websites. These goods often fail Australian safety standards.
• If you’re buying something with button batteries, make sure they’re properly secured, as these small batteries can be deadly if swallowed.
• Check if the product might be a banned product, such as combustible candle holders.
• Keep an eye on product recalls by following Product Safety Australia on social media or signing up to its email newsletters.
• Beware of using AI for product suggestions. Popular chatbots have recommended goods Choice has found to be unsatisfactory or unsafe.