The product info on an electric blanket I purchased stated it to be a genuine Australian Product with an Australian Manufacturers Warranty, however the item is made in China. Could you please explain to me how this works? (for future reference)
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It is misleading to say the least if it is not a âGenuine Australian Productâ, but made in China.
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The Australian manufacturers warranty part can be complied with if there is a manufacturerâs representative, local distributor, or warranty agent who take care of warranty claims on behalf of the manufacturer.
So that leaves the âGenuine Australian Productâ: I canât find any official Government reference to the meaning of âGenuine Australian Productâ. If it has no official definition and sanction, it becomes marketting puffery and is valueless.
Compare that to Made in Australia, or Australian Made where it is made very clear when the terms can be used
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If all the individual components (blanket, lead, control unit, etc.) were manufactured in China, and brought to Australia, where all the bits were assembled into an electric blanket, it could be claimed to be Made in Australia, or Australian Made. This is because the last transformation was a significant change, even though all the components are from o/s.
If the product were completely assembled o/s, the above Made in Australia claim canât legitimately be made.
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As was indicated there is no legal definition of a "genuine Australianâ product but this history of American Specialized bicycles might be a good analogy on how design and manufacturing diverge.
Consider a tag stating âEngineered in Dandenong Manufactured in Chinaâ. Could that make it a legally undefined âgenuine Australianâ product if the company is Australian and contracts the manufacturing out, even to China or elsewhere, maybe?
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Thank you for that clear and generous reply meltam - I wonder in which country the Australian-specific plugs go on 
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You are most welcome.
I buy a lot of bits and pieces direct from China, and they can often be requested with 220/230v Australian plugs, though most of the gear is made for the US, and the EU (European region).
Just as a matter of interest, the Chinese use the same tri-pin plugs as we do, but their sockets have the earth on top. Their voltage is 220v, whereas ours is 230v and most modern equipment has been designed to take this into account, so electrical equipment is interchangable between the two countries.
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Thank you, meltam - yes that is interesting about common plug types. I guess that rules out the plugs being changed in Australia as the last significant change that then made the blanket an Australian product.
Appreciate you sharing your knowledge.
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Itâs possible that the reference for the electric blanket to âgenuine Australian Productâ is intended to convey it complies with the requirements for Australian electrical equipment, and nothing more. If it does there should be evidence of who the registered Responsible Supplier is, and an RCM. Itâs relevant to ensure the product imported meets the requirements of the national EESS (electrical equipment safety system).
âSelling Electrical Equipment in Australia â EESS
The principle requirements,
To legally sell in-scope electrical equipment under the EESS, the following applies:
For Responsible Suppliers
The Responsible Supplier (on-shore manufacturer or importer) must meet all the requirements of the EESS, including:
- That the electrical equipment offered for sale is categorized as risk level Level 1, 2 or 3 and is electrically safe.
- Ensuring that any in-scope risk level (Level 1, Level 2 or Level 3) electronic equipment offered for sale meets the safety requirements of the EESS (including the Equipment Safety Rules).
- The Responsible Supplier and any in-scope electrical equipment offered for sale are correspondingly registered.
- Pay all corresponding registration fees.
- The product is marked with the Regulatory Compliance Mark (RCM) in accordance with the requirements listed in AS/NZS 4417.1 & AS/NZS 4417.2.
Electric blankets are Level 3 âHigh Riskâ classification. There are risks of buying on line where the product is direct delivered from OS as it may not meet Australian regulation. The responsibility for ensuring compliance is devolved to the state and territories.
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OT but thanks for that. I bought a power strip from the defunct Masters chain and wondered why the cord was on the âwrong sideâ of the plug. It did not affect my use but apparently a Chinese product they brought in and had certified for Australia. Sometimes differentiating from Bunnings can be counter-productive, and probably another reason Masters is defunct.
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Sort of and not all the time. Having lived in China and travelled extensively throughout the country, the three pin plugs used in Australia arenât overly common in China. The most common plug type is:
The Australian three pin plug devices arenât commonly sold in China, but power points for Australian three pin (or universal points) are often found in hotels or other tourist frequented locations. Some power boards sold within China also have Australian three pin sockets, along with the standard two pin Chinese ones. We used to travel with such a power board and used it when only a two pin Chinese power points were available.
When Australian type three pin power points are installed, most are oriented the same way around as that in Australia, especially where the power point has a switch. Those without switches may be found to be oriented in any direction as the power point switch isnât there to guide orientation. Notwithstanding this, the power points are wired the same as in Australia where the vertical pin is earth and the two slanting pins are active and neutral.
From time to time, and more rarely one might see two pin Australian plug power points (those to accept slanting two pin Australian plugs).
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Aha - it does have an RCM (on the packaging, at least). Thank you for this most interesting and useful info, Mark
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