Baby bath aids such as plastic recliners, cradles or seats, have become increasingly popular with parents as they provide support for babies and young children in the bath. But it is important to remember that they are not safety devices or a substitute for adult supervision and support. Children have drowned while using a bath aid as they can easily slip off and become submerged under water, tip...

The average price of unleaded petrol is set to increase by around 14 cents per litre (cpl) to 163.9 cpl tomorrow, so FuelWatch is encouraging Perth drivers to fill up today to save money. FuelWatch advises that on Tuesday 9 October 2018, all Coles Express and most Caltex sites are increasing their ULP price to 167.9 cpl (an increase of between 18 and 19 cpl). Most Puma, BP and Caltex Woolworths...

Upcoming changes to pre-estimated liquidated damages From 1 January 2022, the maximum amount of pre-estimated liquidated damages that a dealer may charge will reduce from 15 per cent to five per cent. Consumer Protection is concerned about reports of significant charges being imposed by dealers on WA consumers who cancel motor vehicle purchase contracts. Under the Motor Vehicle Dealers Act, the...

A Perth motor vehicle dealership has lost $65,000 after being stung by a ‘man in the middle’ scam involving the payment of an invoice to a bank account that had been changed. The dealership recently made a purchase from a supplier and received an invoice with correct bank details. A week later an email request, sent by scammers, was received asking to direct the funds to a new bank account. The...

A motor vehicle repairer has been disqualified from holding a certificate by the State Administrative Tribunal (SAT) and ordered to pay costs of $500 after failing to meet an important condition placed on his certificate by Consumer Protection. Stephen Jeffrey Sokol of Aveley had breached the Motor Vehicle Repairers Act by failing to comply with a condition to provide Consumer Protection with a...

A Perth car dealership which specialises in selling vehicles on consignment as well as a salesperson involved in managing the business have been banned by Consumer Protection from conducting consignment sales. The move to restrict the licences to prevent consignment sales comes as charges are to be heard against the company, its Director and the employee/manager. PAG (WA) Pty Ltd , trading as...

Consumer Protection wants the WA community to be aware that there are legal restrictions applying to the owner of a Narrogin massage business as a result of a Supreme Court order which was made permanent on 21 January 2011. The order, originally issued on 25 November 2010, requires the Commissioner for Consumer Protection to pre-approve any recruitment advertisements before they are posted by Bon...

A WA solar business has been fined a total of $16,000 by the Perth Magistrates Court and ordered to pay compensation to consumers amounting to $29,355 after accepting money but failing to supply the goods. Christopher John Darker of Shenton Park, trading as Solar Technology (registered in Yallingup), was also ordered to pay costs of $608.65 when convicted on 7 September 2018 of wrongly accepting...

The average price of unleaded petrol is set to increase by around 12 cents per litre (cpl) to 152.6 cpl tomorrow, so FuelWatch is encouraging Perth drivers to fill up today to save money. FuelWatch advises that on Tuesday 11 September 2018, most Puma sites are increasing their ULP price to 159.9 cpl (an increase of 20 cpl). Most Caltex sites are increasing their ULP price to 157.9 cpl, most...

The average cost of unleaded petrol is set to increase by around 10 cents per litre (cpl) to 148.5 cpl tomorrow, so FuelWatch is encouraging Perth drivers to fill up today to save money. FuelWatch advises that on Tuesday 4 September 2018, most Caltex sites are increasing their ULP price to 152.9 cpl (an increase of 15 cpl). Most BP sites are increasing their ULP price to 151.9 cpl, and most 7-...

Clients of a Perth real estate agency which has now closed had more than $220,000 of their money taken from the agent’s trust account resulting in the company being fined $7,500 by the Perth Magistrates Court and ordered to pay costs of $1,237.50. Austpride Pty Ltd (in liquidation) , formerly trading as Real Estate Masters of Cannington, was convicted on 24 August 2018 of 12 charges related to...