Temu in real life: Are the products safe?
Boom time for discount shoppers. Online stores and factory-direct warehouses advertise every household product imaginable at prices most people can afford.
Discount Chinese marketplace Temu has become one of Australia’s most popular online retailers, selling everything from discounted laptops to baby strollers. There’s also Panda Mart, nicknamed “Temu in real life”, which sells tens of thousands of discounted items from thick mattresses to tiny screws at its warehouses in Cranbourne and Preston.
Despite being popular with customers, these retailers have attracted negative attention from regulators. Days after it opened in March 2025, Consumer Affairs Victoria seized thousands of items, including unsecured button battery-powered toys, from shelves at Panda Mart Cranbourne due to safety concerns.
In December, Panda Mart Cranbourne was forced to close for 72 hours after Consumer Affairs Victoria found thousands of products did not meet mandatory product safety and information standards.
Panda Mart Preston, owned by a separate company, was also forced to close in December and inspectors seized thousands more items.
As of this week, Panda Mart Cranbourne faces 147 charges from consumer watchdog To sell unsafe products. Consumer Affairs Victoria’s investigation into Panda Mart Preston is ongoing.
Panda Mart Cranbourne also faces 130 charges over allegedly unsafe lamps and other electrical products Following inspection by Energy Safe Victoria. The Cranbourne retailer will appear in court on these charges next month and Consumer Affairs Victoria will respond to the allegations.
Following a temporary closure in December, Panda Mart retailers reopened with a “20 percent discount storewide to thank customers” and reassured them about product safety. “We would also like to reassure our customers that safety is our top priority and we will continue to co-operate fully with Consumer Affairs Victoria,” he said.
Age He decided to conduct his own testing with the help of product safety expert Professor Blair Kuys. Kuys is an industrial designer, father of two and executive dean of Swinburne University’s School of Design and Architecture.
We bought 11 items, including a kitchen thermometer, nail polish and dog toys, for just under $30 from Panda Mart in Melbourne’s south-east. (Yes, we bought more than we planned. No, we don’t know what to do with these items).
We paid $43.61 for five more products from Temu, mostly from the “best sellers” panel. The items included a $21.12 portable breathalyzer, car scratch removal cream, earplugs, stainless steel kitchen scissors and two packs of “female” personal alarms.
But unfortunately we are unable to report on Temu products due to the company not delivering to Nine’s Docklands headquarters due to “navigation error or incorrect address”. The address was correct, but report deliveries from building staff often get lost on the way to Docklands (to be fair, I’d stay away from Docklands too if I could). We were offered a full refund, which could take up to 30 days, and were advised to choose the click and collect option for future orders. There will be no future orders.
Kuys emphasizes that cheap products are not necessarily bad products. He’s not immune to Temu’s charm. During the renovation, Kuys used the site to purchase a costume for $50 instead of purchasing one for nearly twice the price and a premium air hose for $70.
But he is concerned about the influx of unsafe low-cost imports caused by online shopping. “Some of these substances coming to shore are not regulated, no one knows what they are made of, and they can have fatal consequences,” he says. “There are a lot of products coming in right now that are not regulated, and the government is trying to play catch-up.”
What does our professor think about Panda Mart products?
Kuys is worried about our $1 “pet toy.” “There is no explanation as to what it is or what it is made of.
he says. “Is there some plastic or some kind of rubber? That’s very worrying. I might take a piece of it out.” [with my fingernail]”That makes me think a dog would destroy it, chew it up, and swallow whatever that material is.”
He’s also concerned about superglue, which has no label on the front but fine print on the back that warns it may cause “drowsiness and dizziness.”
She says that she will not use wet wipes, so-called “natural” nail polish, or eye shadow on her children. The eyeshadow contains the following label: “In case of any discomfort during Yes, please discontinue use. [sic] and seek medical attention immediately.”
“Anything that comes into contact with the skin, is ingested, or has the potential to be ingested, doesn’t stand a chance,” Kuys says. [I would use].”
The kitchen thermometer also rings alarm bells because it doesn’t come with any instructions and contains a red substance embedded in the pinewood that looks like it could easily be split in half.
But other products (bike lock and measuring tape) do not raise particular security concerns. The toy cars received full marks because they have labels for children aged three and over and contain safety warnings.
Panda Mart did not respond to requests for comment regarding the safety and labeling of its products nor to Kuys’ assessment.
I ask Kuys’ opinion on my canceled Temu order of a “women’s only” personal alarm, stainless steel kitchen scissors, earplugs, car scratch removal cream, and breathalyzer for $21.22.
“Earplugs seriously worry me because they’re on me,” she says.
Kuys worked on the breathalyzer design with a company that designs and manufactures them for the police department.
“The technology used to get an accurate reading is incredibly expensive,” he says. “So the immediate thing to me is: How do they know this is true? And if people are relying on blowing this to get home, that’s a huge red flag. For $20, there’s no way this is true.”
So what does Kuys look for when evaluating products?
He wants to know what the product is made of, how to use it, and the risks involved. It is also trying to buy grown products like lumber and cotton rather than oil-based manufacturing products. “You can look cheaper [natural] There are alternatives such as bamboo and hemp fiber,” says Kuys.
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Madeleine Heffernan is The Age’s consumer affairs correspondent. He also reported on education, the city and business for the publication.Connect with: excitement or email.
