Beware back of van salesmen operating in Perth
Issue Date: - Thursday, 2 July 2009
Consumer Protection has issued an urgent warning to consumers who may be approached by two men attempting to sell electronic equipment from the back of their van.
There have been several reports of consumers being approached in Victoria Park and Subiaco by two men in a white Volkswagen van with ACT number plates offering plasma televisions and home theatre systems for cash.
Commissioner for Consumer Protection Anne Driscoll would like to hear from any consumer who may have been approached on the street or had any dealings with the two van vendors. These people will be very mobile and will move from suburb to suburb searching out sales.
“Do not deal with these itinerant salespeople. Our experience is that the goods being sold are almost always counterfeit and, although they are touted as a bargain, this is far from the truth,” Ms Driscoll said.
“Technically, consumers who buy from itinerant vendors have the same rights as those who buy from stores in terms of the statutory warranty. However, in these street sales, consumers’ rights are disregarded.
“The vendors are breaking the law by not allowing the cooling off period under the Door to Door Trading Act and by accepting money before the cooling off period has expired.
“They also appear to be misleading consumers by exaggerating the qualities and features of the products, including the sale price, claiming the goods normally sell for $5,000.
“Previous cases in Western Australia have seen fake leather jackets, fake oil paintings, re-badged electronic goods and defective construction equipment sold illegally to unsuspecting consumers.
“We fear consumers’ safety may also be put at risk as these counterfeit products are generally of low quality and may not meet minimum Australian standards.”
Consumers who are approached by street vendors or door to door salespeople are urged to contact the Consumer Protection Advice Line on 1300 304 054 immediately so an investigation can be launched.
Media contact: Alan Hynd 9282 0679 or 0429 078 791