With Acting Commissioner for Consumer Protection David Hillyard Consumer Protection recently attended an intellectual property rights workshop in Perth where makers of products, particularly electrical items, showcased physical examples of genuine and non-genuine items to highlight the differences. The session was mainly to help Australian Border Force officers detect counterfeit goods but we...

With Acting Commissioner for Consumer Protection, David Hillyard Tenancy laws in WA are under review in a bid to support victims of family violence who live in rental homes. It’s your chance to have a say because community feedback is now invited. An options paper has been released outlining proposed amendments to the Residential Tenancies Act that are designed to complement the Restraining...

With Acting Commissioner for Consumer Protection, David Hillyard Do you know of an individual or organisation doing great work to help consumers or tenants, or promote product safety in WA? You can now recognise their efforts by nominating for the Consumer Protection Awards 2017. The awards are open to individuals, non-profit groups, businesses, and local government organisations, plus there's a...

With Acting Commissioner for Consumer Protection David Hillyard Watching The Block might have inspired you to get cracking on some home renovations but unlike the TV show contestants you won’t have access to host Scotty’s ‘black book of trades’. So, how do you go about finding trustworthy, reliable tradespeople who’ll do a good job for the right price? We’ve got some tips to help you avoid tradie...

With Acting Consumer Protection Commissioner David Hillyard Avoid pre-holiday blues – buying travel tips The recent collapse of a Perth travel agent highlighted that some Western Australians were unaware there is no longer a licensing system for travel agents and that the associated compensation scheme does not exist anymore. Global Plus Holidays in Northbridge is now in liquidation. Up until...

With Acting Commissioner for Consumer Protection David Hillyard It’s now easier for you to check whether your consumer goods are safe thanks to the new Product Safety Australia website www.productsafety.gov.au , which I would urge you to add to your favourites and make use of. There were 670 recalls across the country in the last financial year compared to 596 in the previous financial year. The...

With Acting Commissioner for Consumer Protection David Hillyard Many products we buy can be a danger to children. Often Consumer Protection voices concerns about small items such as parts that can choke, button batteries that can cause internal burns or potentially poisonous laundry detergent pods. But large items, such as furniture, also pose a big risk. Every year in Australia at least one...

The Australia wide roll-out of the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) commenced on 1 July 2016. To coincide with this, new information guides have been released for consumers with disabilities about their rights and businesses with useful information about their obligations under the Australian Consumer Law (ACL). The ACL provides protection when you buy goods like food, electrical items...

Consumers can be forgiven if they feel overwhelmed or confused by the myriad of insurance options currently being advertised. At the end of every financial year health insurance providers’ start talking about tax, surcharges and rebates but don’t let this rush you into a poor decision. Health insurance is a complex area and your needs may change with time so when you are looking to take out or...

It has been more than five years since the Australian Consumer Law commenced (1 January 2011) but our interaction with the WA community frequently highlights that some people are not aware of the automatic legal rights consumers have when buying goods and services. When you buy a product or service from a business you are entitled to ‘ consumer guarantees’ that your purchase is: of acceptable...

With Acting Commissioner for Consumer Protection David Hillyard Cots are supposed to be a place for babies to rest and sleep safely but Kidsafe WA reports that 51 children attended Princess Margaret Hospital in 2014/2015 with cot-related injuries. If you buy or receive a second-hand cot, it may not meet current Australian safety standards, increasing the risk of injury to any baby placed in that...

With Acting Commissioner for Consumer Protection David Hillyard The product, membership or subscription may say “free trial” but in many cases it turns into an automatic charge or renewal and consumers need to be aware of this marketing trap. We receive many complaints and enquiries from consumers who report receiving unexpected charges resulting from the automatic charging or renewals of...