With Commissioner for Consumer Protection David Hillyard In the past few weeks, several major retailers have announced closures and subsequent closing down sales. Many of us find the promise of major sale savings too tempting to pass up, and while they can be a great opportunity to bag a bargain, it’s important to consider what it means when it comes to warranties and guarantees, or your return,...
The annual State Wage Case was heard yesterday in the Western Australian Industrial Relations Commission. The State Wage Case sets the minimum rates of pay for employees covered by the State industrial relations system, including apprentices and trainees, and determines whether there will be any adjustment to rates of pay in State awards. The Commission’s decision will be announced mid-June and...
A bikini business ended up in deep water and was fined $30,000 after Consumer Protection prosecuted the online swimwear seller for misleading customers about refund and returns rights. Frankii Swim Pty Ltd must also pay costs of $546.30 after a sentencing hearing at the Perth Magistrates Court on 17 May 2019, for three breaches of the Australian Consumer Law. The charges for false and misleading...
The State Government has approved an extra four hours of trading for general retail shops in metropolitan Perth on both Western Australia Day and the Queen’s Birthday public holidays. The extension to permitted opening times means general retail shops will be able to trade any time between 8am and 6pm on Monday, 3 June 2019 (Western Australia Day) and Monday, 30 September 2019 (Queen’s Birthday...
The average price of unleaded petrol is set to increase by over 16 cents per litre (cpl) to 156 cpl tomorrow, so FuelWatch is encouraging Perth drivers to fill up today to save money. FuelWatch advises that on Tuesday 21 May 2019, most Coles Express sites are increasing their ULP price to 164.9 cpl (increasing by 26 cpl). Most BP sites are increasing their ULP price to 163.9 cpl, most Caltex...
With Commissioner for Consumer Protection David Hillyard Are your airbags safe? Car owners across Western Australia are reminded to check whether they have faulty Takata airbags as the Department of Transport exercises its powers to cancel vehicle licences if owners do not respond to notices to replace deadly Alpha airbags. Quarterly recall figures show that around 2.8 million faulty Takata...
Selling cars without a motor vehicle dealer’s licence has cost a Perth man $5,000 after he was fined by the Perth Magistrates Court in a case brought against him by Consumer Protection. In addition to being fined $5,000, 32-year-old Rainer Puhmas from Innaloo was ordered to pay costs of $525.50 after pleading guilty by letter during the hearing on 3 May 2019. Rainer Puhmas bought 17 cars and sold...
The average cost of unleaded petrol is set to increase by around 18 cents per litre (cpl) to 158.2 cpl tomorrow, so FuelWatch is encouraging Perth drivers to fill up today to save money. FuelWatch advises that on Tuesday 14 May 2019, most Caltex and Coles Express sites are increasing their ULP price to 165.9 cpl (increasing by 24 to 26 cpl). Most BP sites are increasing their ULP price to 161.9...
A Malaysian international student studying in Perth has lost $13,782 to a phone scam after she was threatened with having her visa cancelled and being deported. The scammers, pretending to be from the Immigration Department, cold-called her and demanded she pay the money immediately to avoid arrest, instructing her to pay by purchasing Google Play cards at Aldi supermarkets. After purchasing the...
With Commissioner for Consumer Protection David Hillyard Winter is coming and we’ve got an important energy safety message to share about gas heaters. You could be putting your health and your family’s health at risk if you don’t follow this advice. Gas heaters are an effective way to keep warm but if they are faulty, poorly maintained or misused they can leak carbon monoxide (CO) gas, which can...
The minimum fees prescribed in Schedule 2 of the Building Regulations 2012 will increase by 7 per cent on 1 July 2019 for the 2019/20 year. A list of the current minimum fees and the new minimum fees is in the table below. This increase in fees is the result of a review undertaken by the Department of Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety at the request of the Parliament’s Joint Standing...
Consumer Protection is warning the WA community not to deal with the seller of food vans and trailers who has accepted more than $70,000 from small business operators but has failed to supply them or provide refunds. Cody Raymond Williams , sole Director of CLC Group Pty Ltd trading as CLC Fabrications (unregistered) , has taken deposits and, in some cases, the full amount from six people who...
The average price of unleaded petrol is set to increase by around 14 cents per litre (cpl) to 156.8 cpl tomorrow, so FuelWatch is encouraging Perth drivers to fill up today to save money. FuelWatch advises that on Tuesday 7 May 2019, most Coles Express sites are increasing their ULP price to 165.9 cpl (increasing by 23 cpl). Most BP and Caltex sites are increasing their ULP price to 163.9 cpl,...
A photographic business that specialises in taking photos of new-born babies is the subject of a Consumer Protection public warning following complaints about unacceptable delays in supplying the images to parents. Nine complaints have been lodged against Melissa Sheed Photography of Aubin Grove with some of the parents waiting for more than a year to receive the photos of their babies. The...
With Commissioner for Consumer Protection David Hillyard Consumer Protection WA and our counterpart agencies across Australia are reminding people with disability of their consumer rights as the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) continues to roll out. The NDIS brings extensive change for people with disability and for businesses or providers in the scheme. Since the NDIS began its...
Consumer Protection and the WA Police Force are alarmed at the high number of incidents of home owners utilising the services of unlicensed security installers, and may be unknowingly inviting criminals into their home. These possibly dodgy businesses and individuals advertise their services on websites such as Gumtree as well as on social media, offering to install alarm systems, CCTV cameras,...
A decorative alcohol-fuelled (ethanol) burner exploded in a suburban backyard in Perth’s southern suburbs at the weekend, prompting a reminder to consumers that certain table-top models have been banned. The explosion on Saturday evening 27 April 2019 is believed to have been sparked by a burner being re-fuelled while still lit and injured four people, including a child, who were taken to...
The Department of Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety (DMIRS) is conducting a stakeholder satisfaction survey to invite feedback on our services and our role as a regulator. The results will help DMIRS focus on business areas and services that need performance improvements. If you subscribe to a DMIRS email newsletter or subscriber news service, you may be contacted by email and invited to take...
Two Perth seniors have lost money to scammers, claiming to be from the NBN or a telco, who have adopted tactics aimed at accessing their computers and bank accounts while preventing them from making calls to their family or their bank. An 81 year old man received a call from someone claiming to be from the NBN and, as he had been connected to the NBN just the day before, he thought it was a...
West Australians could be putting their health at risk this winter when they switch on gas heaters for the first time. Faulty, poorly maintained or misused gas heaters can leak potentially lethal carbon monoxide gas – an issue highlighted by Carbon Monoxide Awareness Week (April 29 to May 5). Western Australia’s Director of Energy Safety, Ken Bowron, is reminding householders to have their gas...
The average price of unleaded petrol is set to increase by about 19 cents per litre (cpl) to 158.4 cpl tomorrow, so FuelWatch is encouraging Perth drivers to fill up today to save money. FuelWatch advises that on Tuesday 30 April 2019, most Coles Express sites are increasing their ULP price to 164.9 cpl (hiking by 24 cpl). Most BP and Caltex Woolworths sites are increasing their ULP price to 163...
With Commissioner for Consumer Protection, David Hillyard Families, friends and the rural communities in which they live are mourning the deaths of two boys aged under ten who lost their lives recently in separate quad bike accidents in WA and Tasmania. The tragic accidents occurred on farms and involved rollovers, a common set of circumstances when we look at the statistics. On average, 16...
With Commissioner for Consumer Protection David Hillyard A flurry of bills has depleted your bank account, but you suddenly need a new fridge and one of your favourite brands is on super-special. It’s a tempting scenario: the chance to receive a product or service immediately without paying for it straight away. As the term suggests, buy-now-pay-later...
The average cost of unleaded petrol is set to increase by around 14 cents per litre (cpl) to 154.8 cpl tomorrow, so FuelWatch is encouraging Perth drivers to fill up today to save money. FuelWatch advises that on Tuesday 23 April 2019, most Coles Express sites are increasing their ULP price to 163.9 cpl (increasing by 25 cpl). Most BP, Caltex Woolworths and 7-Eleven sites are increasing their ULP...
