Last updated: 1 October 2026
Your safety comes first. Every product sold on Pawfriends must be safe and must meet Australian product safety laws, whether the seller ships from Australia or from overseas. This page explains the rules sellers must follow, how we handle recalls and how you can report an unsafe product.
Australian product safety laws
Product safety in Australia is regulated under the Australian Consumer Law, with the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) and state and territory regulators responsible for enforcement. Key requirements include:
- Mandatory safety standards – legal requirements for certain products, such as design, construction, performance, testing or labelling. Examples include products containing button or coin batteries, toppling furniture, many baby and children's products, toys, bicycle helmets and children's nightwear.
- Mandatory information standards – requirements for the information supplied with certain products, such as warnings and care labelling.
- Bans – some products are banned permanently or on an interim basis because they are unsafe.
- Recalls – when a product is found to be unsafe, it may be recalled voluntarily by the supplier or by order of the government.
Other laws also apply to some products, such as electrical safety laws, gas safety laws, therapeutic goods laws and food standards.
You can find the current mandatory standards, bans and recalls on the ACCC's Product Safety Australia website at productsafety.gov.au.
Sellers' obligations
Sellers on Pawfriends must:
- only list products that comply with all applicable mandatory safety and information standards, and that are not banned or recalled
- keep evidence of compliance (such as test reports and certificates) and provide it to Pawfriends promptly on request
- include all required warnings, labels and instructions on the product, its packaging and the listing
- describe products accurately, including age suitability and any safety limitations
- monitor recalls and safety alerts that relate to their products
- stop selling immediately and tell Pawfriends at [email protected] (subject "Product safety") if they become aware that a product they sell is unsafe or recalled
- make any mandatory report required by law – for example, suppliers must notify the ACCC within 2 days of becoming aware that a consumer product they supplied has been associated with a death, serious injury or illness
- co-operate with Pawfriends, regulators and buyers in any recall
These obligations apply equally to overseas sellers selling to Australian consumers through Pawfriends. Our Prohibited & Restricted Items policy and Marketplace Seller Agreement contain more detail.
What Pawfriends does
- We set product safety requirements for sellers and may ask for compliance evidence before or after a product is listed.
- We monitor recall and safety information and review listings that may be affected.
- We remove listings that are unsafe, banned, recalled or non-compliant, and may suspend sellers who don't meet our standards.
- We co-operate with the ACCC and other regulators, including by providing information where required by law.
How recalls are handled
If a product sold on Pawfriends is recalled:
- We remove the affected listings from sale.
- Where we can identify buyers of the affected product, we or the seller will contact them with information about the recall, the hazard and what to do.
- The seller must provide the remedy set out in the recall – usually a refund, repair or replacement – at no cost to you.
- If the seller doesn't provide the remedy, contact us and we will help under Pawfriends Buyer Protection.
If you have a recalled product, stop using it straight away and follow the instructions in the recall notice. You can check whether a product has been recalled at productsafety.gov.au.
Report an unsafe product
If you think a product on Pawfriends is unsafe, doesn't meet a mandatory standard, or has been recalled, please tell us:
- Email [email protected] with the subject "Product safety".
- Include the listing link or order number, a description of the safety concern and photos if possible.
- If someone has been hurt, tell us what happened. In an emergency, call 000. For poisoning or suspected battery ingestion, call the Poisons Information Centre on 13 11 26 immediately.
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.
Button and coin batteries – a special warning
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 medical help immediately if you suspect a battery has been swallowed or inserted.