Consumer Protection provides a range of services to the Indian Ocean Territories through a Service Delivery Arrangement with the Australian Government.

Western Australian laws—including most of those relating to Consumer Protection—are applied as Commonwealth laws in the Territories, unless the Australian Government takes action to repeal, suspend or modify the applied laws. The Commonwealth Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts holds the delegated powers for these laws.

You can use this site to find more  information about your rights and obligations as a consumer, although it may not apply in all cases. Applied laws that have been modified from Western Australian laws are listed in the Applied Law Compilations section of the ComLaw website.

If you have a question or need help to resolve a dispute with a trader e.g. online or retail shopping, have a question about clubs and associations, need help to resolve a dispute when renting a home (tenant), or renting your property (owner,) or when buying or selling a home (real-estate), as well as buying or repairing your car or product safety we may be able to help. Call the Consumer Protection contact centre on 1300 304 054 and mention you are calling from either Christmas Island or the Cocos (Keeling) Islands in case the advice needs to be modified for you.

Publications

We have a number of publications that have been translated for Indian Ocean Territories consumers:

• Keeping safe in your rental property - family and domestic violence tenancy law information
• Tenancy Law Videos - Malay Translation
• Cannabis house factsheet - Chinese
• Your rights when buying something
• ​Shopping tips for travellers - multilingual
• Look out for scams posters - multiligual

Posters

Scam posters in different languages, by Consumer Protection