The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission has accepted court enforceable undertakings from Love N Care Pty Ltd, a wholesaler of baby products which it imports and exports, after its baby walkers failed to comply with mandatory safety standards.
Baby walkers manufactured or imported into Australia must be labelled in accordance with the Trade Practices (Consumer Product Safety Standard) (Baby Walkers) Regulations 2002.
Following an investigation, the ACCC reached the view that Love N Care had contravened section 65C of the Trade Practices Act 1974, by distributing the baby walkers, described as 'Construction' and 'Police' but which were not labelled with all the appropriate warning instructions as required by the standard, to a number of retailers.
"Consumer safety is of utmost importance and the ACCC will act promptly against suppliers when consumers are placed at risk through non-compliance with mandatory safety standards", ACCC Chairman, Mr Graeme Samuel, said today. "All companies have a responsibility to ensure that the goods they supply comply with mandatory standards. The ACCC places great importance on promoting compliance with mandatory standards and will not hesitate to take enforcement action when necessary".
When the matter was brought to Love N Care's attention it co-operated fully and agreed to provide the ACCC with court enforceable undertakings. Love N Care acknowledged and admitted that it supplied 'Construction' and 'Police' baby walkers in contravened section 65C of the Act.
Love N Care has undertaken that it:
- will not in future supply any baby walkers that do not fully comply with the relevant mandatory consumer product safety and information standards that apply
- will provide the correct labelling to its manufacturer for future reference, and to all parties to whom the baby walkers were distributed to
- will publish in a major daily newspaper in each State or Territory of Australia in which non-compliant baby walkers were distributed by Love N Care Pty Ltd a public notice advising of the non-compliant baby walkers, and
- will implement at a trade practices compliance program.