COVID-19 Rapid Antigen Test (RAT) kits have been available for use in Western Australia since 10 January 2022.

Subject to supply, RAT kits can be bought at participating pharmacies, supermarkets, and other retail outlets.

You can access up to 10 free tests from pharmacies over a three month period (maximum five in a month) if you have a government-issued concession card:

• Commonwealth Seniors Health Card
• Department of Veteran's Affairs Gold, White or Orange Card
• Health Care Card
• Low Income Health Card
• Pensioner Concession Card.

Only purchase RAT kits from reliable suppliers. A list of tests approved for use in Australia is available on the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) website along with answers to common questions.

The Commonwealth Government has placed a limit on the price mark-up of the test kits.

Contact Consumer Protection if you have concerns or want to lodge a complaint about any seller of testing kits.

Opportunistic scammers have set up fake websites or are selling unapproved self-testing kits that don’t work, so caution is needed if buying online.

Only purchase COVID-19 Rapid Antigen Test (RAT) kits that are approved by the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) and come from reliable suppliers.

A list of tests approved for use in Australia  can be found on the TGA website along with answers to common questions.

Before you buy online, checks can be made on the supplier by doing an ABN Lookup and by searching for any negative reviews or comments about the business. Pay with a credit card or via PayPal so there’s an opportunity for a charge back if the product doesn’t arrive.

The Commonwealth Government has placed a limit on the price mark-up of the test kits.

Contact Consumer Protection if you have concerns or want to lodge a complaint about any seller of testing kits.

If you're considering booking travel, such as a flight, cruise, accommodation or holiday package, in the medium to long term, the strong advice from Consumer Protection is to read the fine print of the potential booking very carefully.

It's more important than ever to pay close attention to terms or conditions relating to cancellation or postponement of travel. Hotels may charge 100% in advance with no refunds for cancellation as standard terms and conditions, meaning you will not even get a credit note if you cancel. Airlines or travel agents may deduct fees or charges from refunds or place restrictions on future credit.

The pandemic is ongoing, so trips may still not be able to go ahead as planned because of various national and international government restrictions that can be subject to change. You could end up losing money or sitting on a credit note or voucher while you wait for restrictions to be lifted, rather than having the cash to spend on local travel or something else.

Be aware that insurance purchased now for future travel is unlikely to cover any loss incurred due to continuation or re-emergence of COVID-19.

For more information, see our advice to Unpack the T&Cs before you book your holiday.

Sudden border closures or intra-state travel restrictions may impact your travel plans, either before you go or while you are away.

With all future travel arrangements, carefully check the terms and conditions before you book, so that you know what is possible if your travel plans are impacted. While you are travelling, stay informed about COVID-19 travel rules both at home and in your holiday destinations, as things can change quickly.

If you have been impacted by sudden travel restrictions, contact your travel provider to discuss your options. 

Businesses are encouraged to work with their customers and treat them fairly. Contact Consumer Protection if you wish to discuss your particular situation.

Also see our advice to Unpack the T&Cs before you book your holiday.

Some bookings are not flexible or refundable, which can cause problems for you down the track. If travel services are cancelled because of COVID-19, the Australian Consumer Law is unlikely to apply. This means that getting a refund, credit or date change will often depend on what you agree to in your terms and conditions (T&Cs).

Look in the T&Cs for flexibility to make changes, especially in relation to COVID-19. See how the T&Cs apply in the case of things like border closures, restrictions, isolation requirements and vaccine mandates.

Before you book, make sure you understand the T&Cs for each part of the trip, for example your flights, accommodation, transfers and tours. If you book through a travel agent or another third party, the policies and T&Cs of both the agent and travel provider will apply, so you will need to check both.

Make sure you understand what happens if you need to cancel your booking, or the booking cannot proceed. Find out exactly what terms like ‘100% refund guarantee’ actually mean. Some businesses will offer a full or partial refund, or credit.

Consider booking directly with accommodation providers or airlines if this provides more flexibility.

The T&Cs might be included in documents you are given, or you may find them on the company’s website. If you are unsure of where to find the T&Cs, ask your travel provider for a copy of them before you book your travel. We recommend you get confirmation about any refund policy in writing.

Read your travel insurance policy’s Product Disclosure Statement (PDS) as some policies do not cover epidemics or pandemics and some travel insurance policies have coverage limitations in relation to government bans. The PDS could be with your credit card provider if you paid by credit card and your particular credit card offers travel insurance.

'Change of mind' cancellations are not usually covered by insurance policies.

If you have any questions about what your policy covers, contact your insurer. 

If you are not satisfied with any decision from your insurer, discuss this matter with them and outline your preferred outcome. If your dispute remains unresolved, you can contact the Australian Financial Complaints Authority (AFCA) for assistance. The AFCA Significant Event Hotline 1800 337 444 provides priority service for anyone financially impacted by COVID-19 who wishes to make a complaint. 

Yes. However, any cancellation fees should be outlined in the terms and conditions (T&Cs) in the contract. New T&Cs cannot be introduced after you have signed the contract or purchased the holiday.

If you have a holiday package, fees may be charged by each individual provider such as airlines, cruise operators, tour operators or accommodation providers in addition to cancellation fees charged by a travel agent you booked with.

There should only be one cancellation fee for the booking, not per passenger in the booking.

Any fees should be reasonable and justifiable, for example administration costs associated with providing the service. If you believe unreasonable fees are being charged, contact Consumer Protection and we will review these arrangements carefully. 

This will depend upon the original terms and conditions (T&Cs) of your contract for the flight, cruise, tour or accommodation. Check these T&Cs and contact the supplier to discuss. 

If travel services are cancelled because of COVID-19, the Australian Consumer Law is unlikely to apply.

We encourage all businesses to work with their customers and treat them fairly. The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission has also published guidance for the Travel Industry where services have been cancelled because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

If you are unhappy or unsure about whether a refund or other remedy is fair and reasonable, contact Consumer Protection. You may also wish to consider obtaining independent legal advice to understand your rights under common law, contract law and the Australian Consumer Law.

Check your terms and conditions (T&Cs) to see what cancellation remedy is available in your situation. Depending on your T&Cs, remedies may include a:

• Full or partial refund; or
• Full or partial credit note or voucher. A credit note or voucher allows you to use the money you have already paid to the supplier, at a later date. Any credit note or voucher should have a long enough expiration date in order to allow you to use it given ongoing COVID-19 restrictions.

You will need to review the terms and conditions (T&Cs) of your booking to find out the airline’s obligations around providing a refund, credit or date change.

When it comes to providing credit notes/vouchers, there needs to be a reasonable amount of time given for you to book and use the credit following the lifting of travel restrictions, or the ability to change the name on a booking.

If you feel the airline is not honouring the T&Cs of your booking, always try to raise it with them first. If you still don’t reach a satisfactory resolution, contact Consumer Protection.

Your rights under the Australian Consumer Law may be different because government restrictions may make it illegal for a business to supply the goods or services.

However, Consumer Protection expects businesses will take reasonable precautions to ensure supply will not be affected by a government restriction before they enter into a contract. 

The ability to obtain a refund may also depend on the terms and conditions (T&Cs) in your contract with the travel supplier. A business cannot change the T&Cs of a contract after a government restriction is introduced. 

If you believe you’re entitled to a refund or other remedy, call Consumer Protection for advice on your particular situation. 

Refer to the terms and conditions (T&Cs) on your booking, as itinerary changes are usually covered in the contract. You should also check if you are covered under any travel insurance policy that you may have. 

After you have reviewed your T&Cs, contact the business you booked the accommodation through, or contact the accommodation provider directly, to see if they are prepared to offer a refund, replacement or voucher.

You may be entitled to compensation for expenses under the Australian Consumer Law but this will depend on the specific circumstances and whether the cancellation was because of government restrictions.

If you believe you’re entitled to a refund or other remedy, call Consumer Protection for advice on your particular situation. 

If you no longer want to travel due to concerns about COVID-19 and you cancel your booking this may be treated as a 'change of mind'. Review the terms and conditions (T&Cs) of your booking to find out what your options are in this situation.

You may wish to contact your supplier to negotiate options, however re-negotiation can only occur if both parties agree.  

Businesses are encouraged to work with their customers and treat them fairly. Contact Consumer Protection if you feel you are not being fairly treated in your particular situation.

Consumer Protection is urging consumers to check the terms and conditions, particularly coverage and cancellation clauses before they take out insurance, as clauses may have changed. Some major travel insurance providers may offer refunds for customers whose holidays have been cancelled due to COVID-19. Check with your travel insurance provider to see whether a refund is on offer. If you are not able to get your money back and want to lodge a complaint you should go to the Australian Financial Complaints Authority (AFCA).

Your travel agent may have to seek refunds from multiple suppliers to refund the total amount for your package holiday. There can be delays during COVID-19 if the agent is handling a large amount of cancelled trips.

However, the agent is required to pass on recovered funds to you as soon as possible, even when they are still attempting or have been unable to recover funds from other suppliers involved in your booking. Contact your agent to determine the status of your refund. If they are not responsive, lodge a complaint with Consumer Protection.

AirAsia recently completed a debt restructure and is now contacting their customers about outstanding flight credits or refunds. This was determined by a court administered debt restructure process.

AirAsiaX (AAX), AirAsia’s sister company, will provide customers with a travel credit on their AirAsia awards account.  Customers can use it to book existing services immediately and book services five years in advance.

Customers affected by the restructuring process will also receive the following (detailed in an ‘Explanatory statement’):

• one-off payment of 0.5% of their unused travel credit on the first anniversary of the completion of the debt restructuring (March 2023); and
• portion of AAX’s profits in the coming years.

Customers impacted by these issues are encouraged to contact AirAsia Customer Support directly in the first instance, or if they have booked through an agent to contact that Agent.

Further information is available on AirAsia’s website.

Most gift cards supplied after 1 November 2019 should be valid for three years. If yours was supplied after this date and is already due to expire, come to Consumer Protection for advice and assistance.

If the gift card was supplied before 1 November 2019, or is excluded due to nature of the gift card, then we encourage consumers to contact the business to discuss the extension of the gift card to allow for the temporary closure of the business.

Consumer Protection expects that if you are unable to use the gift card while the business is temporarily closed, that the supplier will consider:

• reimbursing the remaining value on the gift card;
• extending the expiry period; or
• amending the terms so you can use it online, if that’s a possibility.

If you are unable to contact the business, or do not have any luck in resolving your issue, come to Consumer Protection.

Try to contact the business directly to negotiate the return of your goods. Generally speaking, most businesses will have a way to contact them, so check a variety of channels.

If the business was unable to undertake the repairs or alterations as originally agreed due to COVID-19, you may be entitled to a refund of what you paid or you may be able to negotiate an extension of when the services can be supplied.

If you are unable to contact the business to negotiate the return of your goods or come to an acceptable resolution, come to Consumer Protection.

If a business has become insolvent, you may become an ‘unsecured credit’ if you have:

• bought or received a gift card and have not used it;
• been issued with a credit note; and/or
• paid in advance for products or services.

If the business continues to trade under the control of an external administrator, you may still receive products or services that you have paid for, or be able to use gift cards or credit notes to some extent.

If you have concerns with regard to a closed business, contact Consumer Protection for more advice or see our Insolvency page.

The Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has caused financial hardship for many Australians. One way to help you budget and save while grocery shopping, is using unit pricing. Use the unit pricing link for more information.

Major supermarkets are offering online delivery services. Friends or relatives may also be able to help.

Australia Post has a Pharmacy Home Delivery Service to assist vulnerable members of the community or people in isolation to access essential medications.

The Department of Communities’ COVID-19 Enquiries Line may be able to help.

My Aged Care offers assistance in relation to food, meals, etc.

Australian consumer law regulators are aware of incidents of children ingesting hand sanitiser. A new mandatory information standard has been introduced requiring alcohol based hand sanitiser to display the percentage of alcohol as well as safety and storage information. 

On 16 December, Product Safety Australia issued a recall for White Knight Antibacterial Hand Sanitiser 500mL and White Knight Sweet Berry Antibacterial Hand Sanitiser 500mL. The alcohol content is less than stated on the label so may reduce effectiveness and increase the risk of illness.

There is no law that prevents a business from either refusing or insisting on a specific method of payment, however we encourage all businesses to clearly display their preferred method to prevent any confusion and ensure consumers are aware before their purchase. More information is available on the Reserve Bank of Australia website. 

Given the highly infectious nature of COVID-19 coronavirus, we encourage consumers to be patient with businesses who have introduced contactless payments as a safety measure for employees and customers.

Contact the supplier immediately to ask whether the goods are still available and when you can expect delivery.

Many businesses are struggling to manage delays in supply so we urge you to be patient and anticipate some deliveries may take longer than usual. Check delivery providers’ websites regarding delays. 

If the goods do not arrive in the agreed timeframe or a reasonable amount of time, your Australian Consumer Law rights mean you can ask for a refund or other remedy such as a credit note. 

If you believe you’re entitled to a refund or other remedy and the business is not offering you any assistance, call Consumer Protection for advice on your particular situation. 

It is always best to check opening hours with your local store. Consumer Protection also has a retail trading hours page that is updated if extended trading hours permits are granted.

Your rights under the Australian Consumer Law may be impacted if you have to cancel a service booking e.g. beauty treatment, hair-cut, etc. because government restrictions apply to you or your family due to COVID-19. When making the booking, ask about their cancellation policy and check if any fees or charges will be incurred for cancelling or rescheduling due to illness. If there are charges, they should be reasonable and justifiable, for example administration costs associated with providing the service. Please remember, the business still need to cover their bills and staffing costs. If you believe the fees are unreasonable, contact Consumer Protection. For example if the business has a 24 hour cancellation policy, then that should apply in the first instance. If you cancel within the 24 hours, then you may be charged a fee.

Community sports club memberships may include the supply of goods or services (uniforms etc.) and fees to participate in events. Each club should be able to tell you what their plans are if they are affected by COVID-19. Clubs may offer a refund or other remedy such as a credit note for any part of the membership package they are no longer able to supply. Clubs can deduct reasonable charges for expenses already incurred.

See our COVID-19 coronavirus - Advice for incorporated associations and clubs page for more information.

Event ticket holders, including those with season tickets, should keep up to date with events and any possible cancellations. Promoters and venues have information regarding cancellations on their websites or consumers may receive an email or a text if the promoter has their contact details.

After reviewing the terms and conditions you may wish to contact your supplier to negotiate options, which may include:

• A refund: the terms and conditions will affect your ability to seek a refund and terminate the contract. If your terms and conditions include a right to a refund at the time the booking was made, the supplier is not able to change these terms at a later date in order to deny providing you with a refund:
• A credit note or voucher: the supplier may provide you with a credit note or voucher which will allow you to use the money you have already paid to the supplier at a later date. Any credit note or voucher should have a long enough expiration date in order to allow you to use it given ongoing COVID-19 restrictions.

If you are unable to negotiate a suitable outcome, contact Consumer Protection and we can attempt to negotiate an outcome for you. You may also wish to consider obtaining independent legal advice to understand your rights under common law, contract law and the Australian Consumer Law.

Consider your personal needs and the insurer's terms and conditions to decide if it's the right product for you.

Each insurer’s terms and conditions will vary, so review the policy in detail to see what coverage is provided and what is excluded.

If you ordered your wedding dress online from overseas and you are worried it may not be delivered in time, contact your supplier immediately to determine whether the dress is still available and when you can reasonably expect to receive it.

We are acutely aware that many businesses are struggling to manage delays in supply so we urge consumers to be patient and anticipate that some deliveries in the current environment may take longer than usual.

If the supplier is unable to provide you with the dress within the timeframe originally agreed, you should be able to obtain a refund or other remedy such as a credit note or voucher.

Contact Consumer Protection for advice, should you need it, on your particular situation.

Visit our COVID-19 coronavirus - Advice for incorporated associations and clubs page. We suggest you mark the page as a favourite to view updates.

Visit the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission's Charity Operations and COVID-19 page for information about relevant issues.

Charitable collections licence holders have been granted an extension of time to submit the annual financial statements. Licence holders whose annual financial statements are due for lodgement between 31 March 2020 and 30 August 2020 now have until 30 September 2020 to submit the required documents with Consumer Protection. Visit the Financial reporting requirements page for more details.

COVID-19 has created an exceptional set of circumstances significantly impacting charities in Australia. In response, a statement has been developed setting out the enforcement approach to be taken by charitable fundraising regulators across Australia.

Visit our COVID-19 coronavirus - advice for co-operatives page for information about relevant issues.

• STA Travel in administration - advice for affected consumers
• Commissioner's Blog: Cancelling contracts during COVID-19
• New WA code provides certainty for commercial tenants
• Don't rush into buying post-iso holiday  
• New service helps tenants and landlords resolve COVID-19 tenancy issues
• $70,000 in losses reported from victims of COVID-19-related scams
• New $154.5 million relief package to support tenants, landlords and construction industry
• Tenants urged to continue to pay rent if they can
• Don’t get caught by fake COVID-19 coronavirus cures and cons
• Commissioner's Blog: Your consumer rights during COVID-19 coronavirus
• Commissioner's Blog: Weigh-up your rights as gyms close 

• Department of Premier and Cabinet (DPC) - Mandatory contact registers expanded to keep WA safe (29 January 2021)
• Product Safety Australia (ACCC) - Product safety recall - White Knight Antibacterial Hand Sanitiser 500mL and White Knight Sweet Berry Antibacterial Hand Sanitiser 500mL (16 December 2020)
• ACCC - Travel problems top list of COVID-19-related reports (25 November 2020)
• ACCC - Virgin Australia and Alliance Airlines authorised to cooperate to support regional airline services (19 November 2020)
• ACCC - Supermarkets authorised to continue cooperating on COVID-19 response (3 September 2020)
• ACCC - Small businesses navigate pandemic, misconduct and scams (28 August 2020)
• Department of Premier and Cabinet (DPC) - Special COVID-19 Bill to keep Government moving (12 August 2020)
• Department of Health (TGA) - SGC Products fined $63,000 for alleged unlawful advertising on "Dr. Ageless" website in relation to COVID-19 (31 July 2020)
• ACCC - ACCC proposes to continue to allow airlines to cooperate on regional routes (30 July 2020) 
• ACCC - Etihad offers refunds for all cancelled flights purchased in Australia (28 July 2020)
• ACCC - Proposal to allow continued cooperation on fuel supply security measures (23 July 2020)
• Department of Health (TGA) - Lorna Jane fined almost $40,000 for alleged advertising breaches in relation to COVID-19 and "anti-virus activewear" (17 July 2020)
• ACCC - ACCC proposes to allow supermarkets to continue cooperating on grocery supply (15 July 2020)
• Department of Health (TGA) - Australia's first COVID treatment approved (10 July 2020)
• ACCC - April petrol prices plummeted to record lows (6 July 2020)
• ASIC - Rise in investment scams during COVID-19 pandemic (24 June 2020)
• ACCC - Qantas offers refunds for flight cancellations (19 June 2020)
• ASIC - ASIC’s Interim Corporate Plan for 2020-21 (11 June 2020)
• Department of Health (TGA) - Perth doctor fined $37,800 for alleged advertising breaches including references to COVID-19 (20 May 2020)
• ACCC - Don't get scammed looking for a lockdown puppy (18 May 2020)
• Department of Health (TGA) – MMS Australia fined $151,200 for alleged unlawful advertising (13 May 2020)
• ACCC - Flight Centre to refund cancellation fees (3 May 2020)
• ACCC - Retailers granted authorisation to collectively negotiate with landlords (22 April 2020)
• ACCC - COVID-19: Product safety at home (15 April 2020)
• ACCC - COVID-19: Takata compulsory and NADI 5-AT recalls (14 April 2020)
• ACCC - Co-operation on funding to aid smaller lenders during COVID-19 (8 April 2020)
• ACCC - Scammers targeting superannuation in COVID-19 crisis (6 April 2020)
• ACCC - Oil companies allowed to co-operate to secure fuel supply during COVID-19 pandemic (3 April 2020)
• ACCC - Shopping centres to co-operate to support retail tenants (3 April 2020)
• ASIC - Unlicensed financial advice by real estate agents to tenants (3 Aprilv)
• ACCC - Small business guidance about refunds and cancellations due to COVID-19 (2 April 2020)
• ACMA - Telco financial hardship policies critical during COVID-19 (2 April 2020) 
• ACCC - NBN Co, telcos to coordinate on demand surge and consumer support package (1 April 2020)
• ACCC - Medicine wholesalers to co-operate on access to pharmaceutical products (31 March 2020) 
• ACCC - Banks authorised to co-operate on loan relief and services (30 March 2020)
• ACCC - Response to COVID-19 pandemic (27 March 2020)
• Department of Health - TGA issues warning about illegal advertising relating to COVID-19 (26 March 2020)
• ScamWatch - Warning on COVID-19 scams (26 March 2020)
• MoneySmart - COVID-19 making financial decisions (26 March 2020)
• ACCC - COVID-19 (coronavirus) information for consumers (26 March 2020)

• Tenancy WA not-for-profit community legal centre for residential tenants in WA 
• The Financial Counsellors’ Association of Western Australia can assist with money matters 
• Stopping Family Violence fact sheet: Accessing Family and Domestic Violence Support during COVID-19 

• Legal Aid WA - COVID-19: How can we help?