Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
One Australian store has decided to stop selling the AirTag due to child safety concerns
- Thread starter snow755
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
By "Australia" you mean "one Australian retailer".
Not just one.
Gizmodo | The Future Is Here
Dive into cutting-edge tech, reviews and the latest trends with the expert team at Gizmodo. Your ultimate source for all things tech.
www.gizmodo.com.au
Alarmist journalism for clicks ..... if you read the article they have gone out of stock due to high demand at the other retailer.Not just one.
Gizmodo | The Future Is Here
Dive into cutting-edge tech, reviews and the latest trends with the expert team at Gizmodo. Your ultimate source for all things tech.
Yeh.. It was sensationalised on the news.. Office works took them off the shelves.. they then said that JB hifi has added a warning.. The FACTs are that the warning was on the JB site since launch, and is on every products with a button battery that isnt secured with a screw..
But lets not let the truth get in the way of a sensationalised story..
Even Tile have the same warning.. but no talk of pulling those for the past 5 years or so.. Interesting they are on sale.. looks like JB see the writing on the wall for tile
But lets not let the truth get in the way of a sensationalised story..
Even Tile have the same warning.. but no talk of pulling those for the past 5 years or so.. Interesting they are on sale.. looks like JB see the writing on the wall for tile
Attachments
or just make them square, with a ring hole in one corner, and have a battery door you can slide off easily with a flick of your thumb.. that seems to make them OK for kids..
You should really have read the article yourself 😂
It’s very clear that multiple retailers have pulled them pending advice from the consumer regulator over there. It’s not a stock issue.
Really ? ...... At the moment in the main this is Gizmodo talking to store employees and making an issue out of retailers having short or no stock. Im not seeing any advice from a regulator in that article ?? of course that may change.
JB and Big W
"On Wednesday morning the AirTags were still available to purchase online from JB Hi-Fi and Big W. However, after being contacted by Gizmodo Australia these items went out of stock within a matter of hours."
"Meanwhile, JB H-Fi’s own website says they are out of stock due to “very high demand.” "JB Hi-Fi is yet to respond to Gizmodo Australia’s multiple requests for comment."
Telstra
Telstra supposedly ceased selling them but the website says
"delivery within 5 days"
Big W (Again)
Big W told Gizmodo Australia it is not currently selling the AirTags.
“BIG W does not currently range Apple AirTags. We will be working with our partners at Apple to review any potential issues before offering them as part of our range to customers,” a Big W representative said in an email to Gizmodo Australia.
At the time this comment was made a link to a four-pack of AirTags was live on the Big W website. Big W has now confirmed with Gizmodo Australia that this was an error that has been rectified and that the company had not received AirTag stock yet.
As I said alarmist lazy journalism ..... poorly written article.
Of course it may well gain traction and be reported in a more professional way we will see
Even in the parts you’ve cherry picked, Big W refer to working with Apple to “review any potential issues” before offering the product - that’s not a stock problem. They haven’t accepted any stock because they haven’t agreed to sell them yet.Really ? ...... At the moment in the main this is Gizmodo talking to store employees and making an issue out of retailers having short or no stock. Im not seeing any advice from a regulator in that article ?? of course that may change.
JB and Big W
"On Wednesday morning the AirTags were still available to purchase online from JB Hi-Fi and Big W. However, after being contacted by Gizmodo Australia these items went out of stock within a matter of hours."
"Meanwhile, JB H-Fi’s own website says they are out of stock due to “very high demand.” "JB Hi-Fi is yet to respond to Gizmodo Australia’s multiple requests for comment."
Telstra
Telstra supposedly ceased selling them but the website says
"delivery within 5 days"
Big W (Again)
Big W told Gizmodo Australia it is not currently selling the AirTags.
“BIG W does not currently range Apple AirTags. We will be working with our partners at Apple to review any potential issues before offering them as part of our range to customers,” a Big W representative said in an email to Gizmodo Australia.
At the time this comment was made a link to a four-pack of AirTags was live on the Big W website. Big W has now confirmed with Gizmodo Australia that this was an error that has been rectified and that the company had not received AirTag stock yet.
As I said alarmist lazy journalism ..... poorly written article.
Of course it may well gain traction and be reported in a more professional way we will see
Meanwhile what about these parts of the article you seem not to have quoted:
Then there’s this on the record statement from Big W which again you seem to have omitted:
This all seems like pretty normal active journalism to me btw. “Lazy journalism” would be to simply take the out of stock notices at their word.
Last edited:
Of course we’ve both quoted or “cherry picked” ….. it’s my view that it’s alarmist, lazy journalism …. It’s not your view and that’s fair enough. …. I’m still missing the regulator part that you mentioned?
The clear inference of the article, backed up by the various statements they’ve had from retailers, is that there’s uncertainty over whether the airtag is safe and compliant and they’re looking to the regulator for guidance.
Your takeaway, that it’s entirely down to stock shortages and Gizmodo have just invented the rest with their “lazy journalism”, is demonstrably false to anyone that reads more of the story than you’ve chosen to quote. Pretty sure you know that too.
Everyone can read the story (and any future stories) and make up their own mind, I’m sure they wont rely on me or my opinion or indeed yours ….. I’m not the only one as you can see posted before your own contributions. I’m sure if there is anything in this it will gain traction in more reputable media organisations, which will be interesting to read as this story develops.
These 2032 batteries are pretty damn big, they aren't like the tiny watch batteries we all know from the past. It would take a spectacularly dumb kid to swallow one of these.
That said, I'd be more worried about my dog swallowing the battery if her tag falls apart for some reason.
That said, I'd be more worried about my dog swallowing the battery if her tag falls apart for some reason.
Have you ever brought a child up? Toddlers explore with their mouths and put just about everything they pick up in their gob. It’s not about being dumb, it’s basic human development and we’ve all been through it. They don’t think logically at 5-24 months and if one of these batteries was laying around, you really don’t want your child picking it up. It would inevitably end up in their mouth which is why there is concern over these.
I have two kids who have successfully made it past the toddler stage. Quite frankly if I were worried about swallowing...the whole damn airtag is more likely to be snagged than a loose battery.
Swallowing the whole AirTag would be safer than a loose battery. I can’t believe so many people are raising that point and so many on this forum seem to not register that difference. This is nothing to do with choking and everything to do with how dangerous these batteries are if ingested. They burn and poison if swallowed. That’s the issue.
Well I think the point in question is how easy is it for the battery to come out of the airtag? I've not tried so I don't know. Is it something a toddler of battery-swallowing-age could accomplish?
In most cases probably not, but it's certainly possible. I wouldn't leave one anywhere a child or a pet could access it. If it's in a case like the Belkin Secure Keyring, I don't think a child or a dog could get through that.
At least the drama seems to have stopped at Gizmodo ......
One would assume that the dangers of button batteries are known to safety regulators globally and not just Australia and I haven't seen anything anywhere else about the dangers of an AirTag beyond standard and sensible advice that you would take with any product containing a battery.
One would assume that the dangers of button batteries are known to safety regulators globally and not just Australia and I haven't seen anything anywhere else about the dangers of an AirTag beyond standard and sensible advice that you would take with any product containing a battery.
This post on the University Of Vermont Medical Center's website about button cell battery ingestion is interesting:
medcenterblog.uvmhealth.org
The bottom line, IMHO, is that these things certainly CAN be dangerous for kids and pets ... and if it's going to be accessible to them, adults are responsible to make sure it is in some sort of a child/pet-proof case.
It would be absurd to say that everything in the world must be child-safe ... Parents have a responsibility ... but certainly it's worth at least pointing the danger out so that people who haven't thought of the danger are aware of it.
Story Not Found
The story you are looking for is no longer available. Return to the HealthSource home page, explore one of the topic areas below, or use the search option to find a similar article.
The bottom line, IMHO, is that these things certainly CAN be dangerous for kids and pets ... and if it's going to be accessible to them, adults are responsible to make sure it is in some sort of a child/pet-proof case.
It would be absurd to say that everything in the world must be child-safe ... Parents have a responsibility ... but certainly it's worth at least pointing the danger out so that people who haven't thought of the danger are aware of it.