An unlicensed motor vehicle dealer in Armadale has been fined $1,000 and ordered to pay costs of $569 after being convicted in his absence by the Perth Magistrates Court on 9 November 2018. Hussein Hadi had bought and sold 13 vehicles from October 2016 to November 2017 without a licence in breach of the Motor Vehicle Dealers Act. Commissioner for Consumer Protection David Hillyard said unlicensed...

A national voluntary recall has been issued for water absorbing balls sold by a WA supplier as a toy which may pose a danger to children. The supplier, Alpak Trade Pty Ltd trading as Fremantle Water Beads , has agreed to withdraw the water expandable polymer balls or water beads from the marketplace, but many of the products have already been sold in WA. The voluntary recall is the result of...

It’s only early November but many consumers are already searching for great deals as they plan for their Christmas and New Year celebrations yet, as always, it is a case of buyer beware especially when it comes to shopping online. This year our WA ScamNet team has received reports about fake websites selling everything from toys to barbecues and outboard motors. Buyers pay for the items which are...

The Christmas/ New Year period is rapidly approaching and it is important to understand public holiday obligations for the festive season. This season's public holidays are: Christmas Day, Tuesday 25 December 2018 Boxing Day, Wednesday 26 December 2018 New Year's Day, Tuesday 1 January 2019 Employers and employees should be aware of their employment obligations on these public holidays. The...

The average price of unleaded petrol is set to increase by around 13 cents per litre (cpl) to 159.5 cpl tomorrow, so FuelWatch is encouraging Perth drivers to fill up today to save money. FuelWatch advises that on Tuesday 6 November 2018, most Coles Express sites are increasing their ULP price to 165.9 cpl (increasing by 21 cpl). Most BP and Caltex sites are increasing their ULP price to 161.9...

An electrician was employed by an electrical contractor engaged by the network operator to carry out work on their Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) Project. The electrician was carrying out the replacement of an analogue kWh meter with a new digital kWh meter at a domestic property in Esperance. After installing the new meter, the electrician replaced the SPD to reconnect the supply...

Recent hikes in fuel prices have left many consumers searching for the best deal and trying to understand the reasons behind fluctuating prices. The price of fuel, like other retail products, is market driven and the government does not set the price. Consumer Protection operates the FuelWatch website which offers transparency in terms of what the prices at the pumps will do in the next 24 hours...

WorkSafe has issued a reminder to workers to stay focused on safety in the lead-up to the festive season. WorkSafe WA Commissioner Ian Munns said today both employers and workers needed to pay particular attention to staying safe before and after Christmas. “As we head towards the end of the year and the festive season, it’s timely to remind both employers and workers of the need to remain...

Wageline answers many enquiries each week about employer obligations relating to termination, and the entitlements owed to employees when employment ends through resignation, dismissal or redundancy. In recent weeks Wageline has had an increase in calls about dismissal and termination. Employers and employees in the state industrial relations system should visit the termination and dismissal...

These days, it pays to be extra vigilant on social media. Like-harvesting, or like-farming as it is also called, is a scam perpetuated throughout Facebook and features bogus pages designed to do nothing more than “harvest” your likes. The content pulls at your heartstrings or offers big prizes leading you to like, share and comment. Recently, a fake Virgin Australia page offering a trip to Hawaii...

A Noranda real estate agent has been fined $800 and ordered to pay costs of $900 by the Perth Magistrates Court for making unauthorised withdrawals from the agency’s trust account and failing to have the account audited. The agent, who was granted a spent conviction order, made two unauthorised withdrawals from the trust account – $450 in October 2016 and $1,350 in November 2016 – to pay a...