Travel buying tips to avoid holiday hell The recent collapse of a travel agent business in WA and similar instances over East should send a warning to Australians looking to buy airfares and/or holiday accommodation. Consumers who had paid cash, in person or by direct bank transfer, for travel services lost their money when the agent failed to pass funds on to suppliers or cancelled booked travel...

With Acting Consumer Protection Commissioner Gary Newcombe The Syrian refugee crisis has prompted an outpouring of public support for those in need of aid. Consumer Protection would like to remind Western Australians, who try to make a difference through charitable donations, to choose an established humanitarian charity. Charities in Western Australia need to be licensed and you can check...

Consumer Protection and WorkSafe have issued a warning after traces of asbestos were found in some imported crayons. Testing carried out by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) and WorkSafe Victoria found asbestos at trace levels in the following products: Dora the Explorer personalised 32 pack crayons Dora the Explorer jumbo crayons Arti Crafti 16 piece crayons Peppa Pig 8...

Page last updated 5 October 2015 What models are affected? They are all top loaders and the numbers are: SW75V9WIP/XSA; SW65V9WIP/XSA; SW70SPWIP/XSA; SW80SPWIP/XSA; WA85GWGIP/XSA and WA85GWWIP/XSA. I had my machine repaired as part of the recall – do I need to do anything? We understand there has been at least one fire in WA involving a ‘reworked’ machine and there have been at least 17 fire...

The AS/NZS 5601 drafts for comment have been released. The following draft amendments are available to download from the Standards Australia website : DR AS/NZS 5601.1:2013 Amd 2:2015 Gas Installations - General installations; and DR AS/NZS 5601.2:2013 Amd 1:2015 Gas Installations - LP Gas installations in caravans. The public comment period closes on 19 October 2015. Comments can be submitted...

With Commissioner for Consumer Protection Anne Driscoll In July 2014 Consumer Protection saw a growth in mould issues, raised mostly by tenants but also by landlords and property managers in WA. The seasonal spike, also seen in 2013, can be attributed to cooler, wetter weather and means we’re expecting similar figures around now and in the months up to October. Mould is a fungus that thrives on...

On 1 August 2015 the Plumbers Licensing Board will amend the way in which plumbers must give notice that drainage plumbing work is ready to be inspected.

With Commissioner for Consumer Protection Anne Driscoll... In the last 15 years at least 14 children under nine years old have died from domestic furniture falling on them in Australia. Anyone who has been around small children will know that they like to climb on furniture, however if freestanding items such as bookcases, drawers or wardrobes fall, they can trap, crush or suffocate a child...

With Consumer Protection Commissioner Anne Driscoll Things to consider before making an offer on a property You might walk into a home and fall in love with it very quickly but it is important to do your own research and ask questions before making a written offer on a property. There is no mandatory cooling-off period for real estate contracts in Western Australia, so make sure you know what you...

A travel accommodation website is listing properties for lease without the property owner’s permission, sparking fears that the site is run by scammers. WA ScamNet is currently investigating the origins and purpose of Travel Advisor Pro (TAP) traveladvisorpro.net but due to early indications that it is a scam, a decision has been made to issue an early warning to protect consumers from potential...

With Acting Commissioner for Consumer Protection, David Hillyard Paying large amounts of money up front for nothing in return or hiring a tradesperson without a recommendation, or without seeing references or sighting previous good work are some of the mistakes Western Australians regularly make when having work carried out on their homes. In the last few months we have issued new warnings about...

With Acting Consumer Protection Commissioner David Hillyard If you’re applying for a loan online the last thing you need is to lose money in the process but unfortunately that’s what has been happening to a number of people here in the West and over East. In the last few weeks consumers have contacted WA ScamNet at Consumer Protection after being defrauded by scammers posing as Mercury Money – a...