Puppies not delivered on agreed dates and deposits not returned Seven WA consumers still waiting for their money back after cancelling orders Consumers urged to buy existing puppies and not rely on breeding programs A consumer alert has been issued relating to the failure of a dog breeder to deliver within an agreed time and provide refunds requested by numerous customers. Consumer Protection has...
Moving house is widely considered to be one of life’s most stressful events, so we always urge consumers to choose their removalist carefully to avoid any extra drama on the day. Consumer Protection has recently received a growing number of complaints about the conduct of removalists advertising on social media. Initially the trader quotes an hourly rate and requests a small deposit, however upon...
Land valuer fined $4,000 for failing to meet accepted industry standards Inaccurate valuations have implications for buyers, sellers and tax purposes Maintaining standards is vital in upholding community confidence in the industry An Applecross land valuer has been reprimanded and fined $4,000 by the State Administrative Tribunal for failing to maintain basic industry standards when preparing...
Investment, particularly cryptocurrency, scams make up almost half of losses in 2022 $4.1 million dollars were conned out of 71 WA investors so far this year Potential investors urged to first seek professional advice from a licensed advisor Investment scams mostly involving cryptocurrencies are driving a surge in losses reported by WA victims to record levels in 2022. These scams now represent...
Babies can spend up to 17 hours a day sleeping, so it’s vital to ensure the place where they spend all this time resting is as safe as possible. As the range of infant sleeping products available in the Australian market continues to grow, leading medical and injury prevention experts, industry and regulators have developed a new best practice guide for the design of safe infant sleeping...
The two rental applicants received fake emails saying they were successful Payments to secure the property were sent to the scammers’ bank account Potential tenants are left out of pocket and without rental accommodation Two people searching for a rental have lost a total of $23,500 after scammers appeared to have hacked into a Perth western suburbs’ real estate agency’s email account. Consumer...
Motorists in Perth and Mandurah are advised to fill up now if they need to, with petrol prices set to rise tomorrow. FuelWatch reports that, from 6am tomorrow (Wednesday 13 July 2022), the average price of regular unleaded petrol (ULP) will increase by over 20 cents per litre (cpl) to 209.7 cpl. 7-Eleven hiking by up to 38 cpl up to 225.9 cpl; Coles Express and Ampol up to 219.9 cpl; BP up to 217...
Online shopping has revolutionised the way many of us buy goods, but it has also meant navigating additional challenges not faced by traditional in-store shoppers. Given online purchasers are required to pay for their items upfront before waiting to receive them, a common complaint we hear about is goods taking a long time to arrive, or perhaps never arriving at all. We recently raised the alarm...
Affected passengers are entitled to a refund if replacement flight not acceptable Compensation can be claimed for alternative bookings in some circumstances 193 travel complaints lodged with Consumer Protection so far this year Consumer Protection is reminding WA consumers about their rights when impacted by the current wave of domestic and international flight cancellations or long delays. So...
Text message recipients are advised they are a close contact Link in text goes to fake order form to get a PCR test kit Scammers seek to steal personal and financial information WA mobile phone users are being urged to ignore scam texts purporting to be from a federal government agency that contain a dodgy link and an offer of free COVID-19 PCR test kits. Recently the texts have appeared to come...
Find a NAIDOC Week event in your local area NAIDOC Week is celebrated by local community events. Please visit the website for local community events in your area. Search for local NAIDOC Week events How you can get involved in NAIDOC Week 2022 Please see the list below of events on Whadjuk Boodjar. To search for more NAIDOC Week events happening in your local area please visit the NAIDOC Week...
UPDATE: The new regulations are now in place, having been approved by Executive Council and published in the Government Gazette on 12 August 2022. Financial reporting thresholds increased to lessen the cost of compliance Regulation changes to provide consistency between WA and national rules Changes in response to feedback from sector consultations New regulations will be put in place by the...
A sudden ceiling collapse can turn a comfortable home into a disaster zone in an instant, with the potential for serious injury and significant damage to property and possessions. Consumer Protection recently became aware of two tenants who had been given seven days to vacate their rental property following the collapse of their living room ceiling. As we step in to help the parties reach an...
naidoc-week-2022-poster.jpg, by NAIDOC Organisation
Please visit the official NAIDOC Week website to download logos and other resources to help celebrate NAIDOC Week. Consumer Protection WA celebrates NAIDOC Week 2022 Consumer Protection WA and Ask Us are proud to support this year’s National NAIDOC Week 2022 . NAIDOC Week celebrates and recognises the history, culture and achievements of Aboriginal and...
Warning about scam calls and emails pretending to be from government agencies Hang up on calls threatening arrest and demanding payment via unusual methods Never share myGov password and PIN with anyone Consumer Protection is warning WA consumers to be alert to tax scams, which are most prevalent around the end of the financial year. So far this financial year (1 July 2021 to 20 June 2022), nine...
Motorists in Perth and Mandurah are advised to fill up now if they need to, with petrol prices set to rise tomorrow. After today it is likely motorists will have to wait for two weeks before petrol prices are again at the bottom of the price cycle. FuelWatch reports that, from 6am tomorrow (Wednesday 29 June 2022), the average price of regular unleaded petrol (ULP) will increase by 26 cents per...
Online retailer takes payment for goods that don’t arrive within a reasonable time Hundreds of complaints received by consumer protection agencies in Australia Consumers urged to avoid placing orders with the retailer at this time WA consumers are being warned about shopping with national online retailer Kingdom Warehouse , based in Melbourne, as many of their customers have failed to receive...
Keeping warm and safe during the colder months of the year also means being alert to the hazards created by commonly used heating products within the home. Consumer protection authorities are urging Australians to stay safe this winter by knowing the risks associated with items like hot water bottles, wheat/heat packs, electric blankets and heaters. June is also Burns Awareness Month , an...
There’s a lot to weigh-up when buying a car, such as the make/model and how much you want to spend, but one important thing to investigate is who you’re actually doing business with. We’re warning consumers to be wary of backyard operators who buy and sell multiple vehicles as a profit-making business, as they may rob unsuspecting consumers of their rights to a warranty and other remedies should...
14 June 2022 Motorists in Perth and Mandurah are advised to fill up now if they need to, with petrol prices set to rise tomorrow. After today it is likely motorists will have to wait for two weeks before petrol prices are again at the bottom of the price cycle. FuelWatch reports that, from 6am tomorrow (Wednesday 15 June 2022), the average price of regular unleaded petrol (ULP) will increase by...
Friday, 10 June 2022 Commercial tenancy laws covering retail shops now under review Various emerging issues to be canvassed during consultation phase Lease rights regarding rents, operating costs and duration of tenancy explored The laws which govern commercial tenancy agreements between small retailers and landlords, including shopping centre owners, are being reviewed by the McGowan Government...
Solar energy storage systems can be an attractive option for households looking to capture and store their own renewable energy. However, around 450 WA home-owners that have installed several models of LG-branded home energy storage batteries are being urged to check if their device is on a national recall list due to fears they may overheat and ignite. Due to the stored energy, battery fires can...
Consumer Protection and WA Police are raising the alarm after an increase in reports of teenagers and young adults being targeted in ‘sextortion’ scams.
Tuesday, 7 June 2022 ServiceWA app upgrades will ensure users have easy access to FuelWatch Interactive functionality and map will show fuel prices available near users Next addition to ServiceWA app continues journey in redefining the way Western Australians interact with government services The McGowan Government has updated its ServiceWA app to include FuelWatch, providing an easy to navigate...
Being contacted out of the blue by a business wanting to sell you something is a scenario many consumers will be familiar with. Whether it’s a knock at the front door from a salesperson, or unsolicited text messages, phone calls and emails, it may help to know there are strict rules surrounding how businesses are allowed to contact you. When it comes to door-to-door salespeople, there are...
