73% of Online lighting products failed compliance – here’s why we do things differently

If you’ve bought lighting or electrical gear online lately, there’s a good chance it wasn’t what it claimed to be.

Lighting Council Australia’s 2026 Online Marketplace Compliance Report assessed 131 lighting products sold through Australian online sales channels. The result: 73% – that’s nearly 3 in every 4 products – failed one or more Australian compliance requirements. Only 26.7% passed everything they were tested against.

It’s a confronting number, but it isn’t exactly a surprise to anyone who’s spent time in a trade van or behind a wholesaler’s counter. Cheap, unverified stock has been flooding into the Australian market for years, and it’s often nearly impossible for a normal buyer – tradie or homeowner – to tell a compliant product from a non-compliant one just by looking at a listing photo.

Where you buy from matters – a lot

The most telling part of the investigation wasn’t the overall failure rate. It was the gap between sales channels.

Specialist and large retailers averaged a 93.3% compliance rate. General online marketplaces averaged just 11.5%. More than 61% of the products assessed had no EESS registration at all, and 83.3% of retrofit lamps failed MEPS/GEMS energy-efficiency requirements outright.

It didn’t stop at paperwork, either. Three products bought online were sent for independent laboratory testing against Australian and New Zealand lighting safety standards. All three failed — with issues including inadequate insulation, accessible live parts, insufficient creepage distances, and materials that failed needle-flame and glow-wire testing, meaning burning material capable of igniting whatever’s underneath it. For a product sitting in a ceiling cavity, that’s not a minor technicality.

Watch the investigation

Why this matters more than a bad online review

A non-compliant light fitting or accessory isn’t just a quality issue. It can mean:

• Real safety risk – overheating, poor insulation, fire hazards
• Compliance headaches for tradies – a job that fails inspection, or comes back to bite you down the track
• No accountability – when something goes wrong, there’s often no local supplier to call and no warranty that actually means anything

For licensed electricians and data techs, that’s not hypothetical. It’s the difference between a job that’s signed off cleanly and one that isn’t.

Why buying from people who know the product still matters

This is exactly the gap a business like ours exists to close. Every product on our shelves has been through a real supply chain we know and trust – not a marketplace listing with no history behind it. Our range includes established brands like SAL Lighting, Robus, Clipsal, Haneco, Ledvance and Clevertronics, alongside our full range of power points, switches, cable, circuit protection, data and security products.

Our team includes people who’ve worked the tools themselves. That’s the difference between a warehouse that ships boxes and a wholesaler that can tell you why a product is compliant, why it’s rated the way it is, and whether it’s actually the right fit for the job in front of you. You can ask a real question and get a real answer – not scroll through reviews hoping for the best.

Look beyond the price tag

Before buying an electrical product, it’s worth asking:

• Is it intended for the Australian market?
• Does it carry the required Australian compliance markings and registrations?
• Is the manufacturer or supplier identifiable and reputable?
• Can the product documentation be verified?
• Is there a local supplier you can actually speak to if something goes wrong?
• Is it backed by an established brand?
• Will replacement parts or support be available down the track?

A small saving at checkout isn’t worth much if it comes with a product that doesn’t meet the standards it needs to.

The takeaway

Supporting local isn’t just about keeping money in the local economy – it’s about building a relationship with people who understand the Australian electrical industry and the needs of local trades. That’s what we’ve built our business around at POPES: a locally owned and operated wholesaler serving Canberra’s electricians, data techs, contractors and homeowners, with products, advice and service when you actually need it.

Buy local. Buy trusted. Buy with confidence.

Source: Lighting Council Australia’s 2026 Online Marketplace Compliance Report. Read more at lightingcouncil.com.au.