Dick Smith removes meth pipes from online sale

This pipe was for sale on Dick Smith's site. Photo / Supplied

Dick Smith, formerly one of the most trusted brands in Australasia, has removed drug pipes from sale on its website after an inquiry from the NZ Herald.

The brand was a high-street fixture for years, selling high-tech goods and electronics - but until this morning offered consumers a very different kind of "high" technology.

The Dick Smith chain collapsed in 2016 and the brand was purchased by online retailer Kogan.com.

The new Dick Smith still sells electronics, but also offers shoppers a wide variety of consumer goods such as clothes, books, sex toys and - until this morning - glass meth pipes.

The items were listed under the categories of "candle holders" and "novelty".

The bizarre offering was spotted by an eagle-eyed Reddit user, who shared a screenshot to the popular social media site yesterday, asking: "Which timeline is it where you can buy a crack bong from Dick Smith's?

"Because we're on it."

This "crack bong" was noticed online. Photo / Supplied

One of the pipes listed for sale. Photo / Supplied

In its "About" section, the new Dick Smith site touts its links with the much-loved brand.

It quotes Kogan.com CEO Ruslan Kogan's comment on buying "one of the most iconic retail brands in Australia".

"I remember as a kid always visiting Dick Smith to look for parts to upgrade my computer. There is a strong history of passion in the Dick Smith community for how technology can improve our lives, and we look forward to helping make it more affordable and accessible for all," Kogan said.

"We will invest in building and nurturing the Dick Smith community, and honour the great legacy of this Australian business."

This pipes was listed under "candle holders". Photo / Supplied

Asked by the Herald if selling glass pipes honoured that legacy, Dick Smith responded by saying the offending items had been pulled from sale.

"Dick Smith runs a marketplace where small businesses can list their items — there are millions of items for sale on the platform," a spokesperson said.

The spokesperson said similar items could be found on other trading sites and added: "For Dick Smith that item you shared goes against their terms and conditions and so it has been removed for sale."

A check of the site reveals that a number of the pipes and bongs have now been removed, leaving only products explicitly for use with tobacco.