Electrical safety
NZ law requires all electrical appliances items sold to consumers to be safe.
The Electricity (Safety) Regulations underpin the compliance framework and rules regarding the sale of electrical goods.
What paperwork do I need?
To show they're safe, some electrical items require a supplier declaration of compliance (SDoC) before they can be sold.
Some also require safety approval from the Government or certification. In order to sell your item on Trade Me, you must have this documentation and be prepared to supply it where required.
The Ministry of Business Innovation and Employment’s Energy Safety team can ask for your documentation at any time. You must supply it within 10 days or you risk a $3,000 fine for a company, or a $1,000 fine if you are an individual.
In addition to regulatory action, we expect you to supply the documentation within 24 hours if requested for its on-site protection purposes.
Members who fail to supply the requested documentation to either Energy Safety or Trade Me risk having listings removed and receiving a sales suspension or closure of their membership.
Can I sell secondhand electrical items?
Yes, but all secondhand electrical items sold in New Zealand must still be electrically safe. A way of demonstrating this is to have them tested to Australian and New Zealand Electrical Safety Standard (AS/NZS) 5761.
If in doubt, you may sell an item with the plug removed.
For more details, see Energy Safety’s advice.
Can I list an electrical item with a foreign plug?
No. All items that need plugs must have New Zealand plugs with insulation on the pins and meet the regulatory requirements such as having insulation on the pins of the plug.
What about selling with an adapter?
You may not supply an item with a foreign plug and an adapter. For example, you cannot sell a phone with a charger that uses a UK plug with an adapter.
Where can I get some more information?
Check out Energy Safety's guide to supplying safe electrical products.