Product Safety & Recalls

Last updated: 5 October 2026

At a glance

Every product sold on Pawfriends must be safe and comply with applicable Australian product safety laws.
Today, all products on Pawfriends are sold by HYGGO PTY LTD (ABN 26 680 569 653), trading as Pawfriends, based in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
Report a safety issue to [email protected] with the subject line Product safety.
If a product is recalled, we remove it from sale, contact affected buyers where we can, and provide the recall remedy at no cost.
If an item is faulty, unsafe, not as described or not fit for purpose, Australian Consumer Law guarantees apply and we will provide a repair, replacement or refund as the law requires.

Your safety comes first. Every product sold on Pawfriends must be safe and must comply with Australian product safety laws, whether it is sent from Australia or from overseas. This page explains the product safety rules that apply on Pawfriends, how recalls are handled, and how to report an unsafe product.

Pawfriends is operated by HYGGO PTY LTD (ABN 26 680 569 653), trading as Pawfriends, based in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Today all products on Pawfriends are sold by HYGGO PTY LTD (ABN 26 680 569 653), trading as Pawfriends, and your contract of sale is with HYGGO PTY LTD (ABN 26 680 569 653), trading as Pawfriends. We run the website and checkout, take payment, and handle customer service, delivery problems, returns and refunds. You can contact us at [email protected]. Emails are usually answered within one business day.

For more about who we are, see About Us, Contact Us and our Terms of Service.

What laws apply to product safety on Pawfriends?

Product safety in Australia is regulated under the Australian Consumer Law, with the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission and state and territory regulators responsible for enforcement. Key requirements include:

Mandatory safety standards for certain products, including requirements about design, construction, performance, testing or labelling.
Mandatory information standards for certain products, including warnings, instructions and care labelling.
Bans on products that are unsafe, whether permanently or on an interim basis.
Recalls where a product is found to be unsafe and must be removed from sale and remedied.

Examples of regulated products can include button or coin battery products, toppling furniture, many baby and children's products, toys, bicycle helmets and children's nightwear. Other laws may also apply to some goods, such as electrical safety laws, gas safety laws, therapeutic goods laws and food standards.

You can check current mandatory standards, bans and recalls on the Product Safety Australia website at productsafety.gov.au.

How does Pawfriends work?

Pawfriends is an online marketplace, but every product currently listed on Pawfriends is sold by HYGGO PTY LTD (ABN 26 680 569 653), trading as Pawfriends. The stores on Pawfriends group the range of our supply partners, which are manufacturers and wholesalers. Most orders are sent directly to you by the relevant supply partner, most of whom are outside Australia, mainly in China.

Even so, the buyer never has to deal with a supply partner directly. The contract of sale is with HYGGO PTY LTD (ABN 26 680 569 653), trading as Pawfriends. We run the website and checkout, take payment, and handle customer service, delivery problems, returns, refunds and safety issues.

We are opening Pawfriends to independent sellers. If a listing is sold by an independent seller in future, the seller will be named on the listing and will be the seller of record for that listing. Pawfriends Buyer Protection will still apply, and we will handle the claim if the seller does not resolve the problem. Today, all products are sold by us.

What is our product safety approach?

As the current seller of record for products sold on Pawfriends, HYGGO PTY LTD (ABN 26 680 569 653), trading as Pawfriends requires products offered on the site to comply with applicable Australian laws and safety requirements.

We may ask a supply partner for compliance evidence before or after a product is listed, including test reports, certificates, warnings, labelling details or other supporting information. We may also remove or suspend listings while we review a safety concern.

Our review of a listing, document or supplier information does not reduce or replace any legal safety obligations that apply to the product or its supplier.

What safety obligations apply to products offered on Pawfriends?

Products offered on Pawfriends must:

comply with all applicable mandatory safety standards and information standards
not be banned, recalled or otherwise unlawful to supply in Australia
include any required warnings, labels, instructions and safety information on the product, packaging and listing where required
be described accurately, including age suitability, intended use and any safety limitations
be supported by compliance evidence where required
be removed from sale immediately if they are found to be unsafe, non-compliant or recalled

Anyone supplying products for sale on Pawfriends must also monitor relevant recalls and safety alerts, tell us promptly if they become aware of a safety issue, and co-operate with us, regulators and buyers in any recall or safety action.

These requirements apply whether the product is sent from Australia or overseas. See also our Prohibited & Restricted Items, Seller Terms and IP Policy.

What does Pawfriends do about unsafe or non-compliant products?

We set product safety requirements for products offered on Pawfriends.
We may request compliance evidence before or after a listing goes live.
We monitor recall and safety information and review listings that may be affected.
We remove listings that are unsafe, banned, recalled or otherwise non-compliant.
We may suspend listings, supply partners or future sellers that do not meet our standards.
We co-operate with the ACCC and other regulators, including by providing information where required by law.

How are recalls handled?

If a product sold on Pawfriends is recalled:

We remove the affected listing or listings from sale.
Where we can identify affected buyers, we or the relevant supplier will contact them with information about the recall, the hazard and what to do next.
The remedy stated in the recall will be provided at no cost to the buyer. Depending on the recall, this is usually a refund, repair, replacement or another remedy stated in the recall notice.
If a return is required, we will provide instructions and, where applicable, a prepaid label or reimbursement of reasonable return postage.
If the recall remedy is not provided as it should be, contact us and we will help under Pawfriends Buyer Protection and your rights under the Australian Consumer Law.

If you have a recalled product, stop using it straight away and follow the instructions in the recall notice. You can also check recalls at productsafety.gov.au.

What should I do if an item I ordered seems unsafe, faulty or non-compliant?

Australian Consumer Law guarantees apply whether an item is sent from Australia or from overseas. If a product is faulty, unsafe, not as described or not fit for purpose, you may be entitled to a repair, replacement or refund as provided by law.

If there is a safety or compliance problem with an item you ordered from Pawfriends:

Email [email protected] with your order number and the subject line Product safety.
Describe the issue clearly and include photos or video if possible.
Stop using the item if continued use may be unsafe.
We will review the report as a priority and tell you what happens next.

For safety, fault or not-as-described issues, we pay any return cost where a return is needed. For many items, we may offer a refund or replacement based on photos without asking for the item back. If a return is required, we will provide the return address, which may be overseas, and either a prepaid label or reimbursement of postage.

Approved refunds are processed within 3 business days of approval, or within 3 business days of receiving the returned item where a return is required. Refunds are made to the original payment method and usually appear within 3-10 business days after being issued.

For more detail, see our Returns & Refunds Policy and Buyer Protection.

How do I report an unsafe product or listing?

If you think a product on Pawfriends is unsafe, does not meet a mandatory standard, or has been recalled, please tell us as soon as possible:

Email [email protected] with the subject line Product safety.
Include the listing link or order number, a description of the safety concern, and photos or video if possible.
If someone has been hurt, tell us what happened.

We review safety reports as a priority and may remove a listing while we investigate. You can also report unsafe products directly to the ACCC via productsafety.gov.au.

In an emergency, call 000. For poisoning or suspected button or coin battery ingestion, call the Poisons Information Centre on 13 11 26 immediately.

What is the special warning for button and coin batteries?

Button and coin batteries can cause severe internal burns or death if swallowed or inserted. Keep new and used batteries out of reach of children, check that battery compartments are secure, and seek urgent medical help immediately if you suspect a battery has been swallowed or inserted.

How is my information used in a safety investigation or recall?

To fulfil orders, we disclose the buyer's name, delivery address, phone number and order details to the supply partner sending the item, most of whom are outside Australia, mainly in China. If we investigate a safety issue or recall, we may also use order information to identify and contact affected buyers.

For more information about how we handle personal information and cross-border disclosures, see our Privacy Policy.

How can I contact Pawfriends about product safety?

HYGGO PTY LTD (ABN 26 680 569 653), trading as Pawfriends is the operator and seller for all products currently sold on Pawfriends. You can contact us using the details below:

Email: [email protected]
Location: Melbourne, Victoria, Australia