Consumer

Announcements

Commissioner's Blog - Mould a growing issue for tenants in winter

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...
Consumer Protection
Department News
11 Aug 2015

Commissioner's Blog: Toppling furniture can kill kids – anchor it!

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...
Consumer Protection
Department News
24 Jul 2015

Commissioner's Blog - Considerations before making an offer on a property

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...
Consumer Protection
Department News
13 Jul 2015

Commissioner's Blog - Laws around car sales and repairs offered online

With Commissioner for Consumer Protection Anne Driscoll People who sell cars on a regular basis need to hold a motor vehicle dealers licence. In fact the law says that if you sell more than four cars a year you may be asked to substantiate why you do not hold a dealers licence. If it is purely for personal use and is not connected to running a de-facto business buying cars privately and then on-...
Consumer Protection
Department News
06 Jul 2015

Website warning – Travel Advisor Pro (TAP)

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...
Consumer Protection
Alert
29 Jun 2015

Commissioner's Blog - Too much trust can mean tradie trouble

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...
Consumer Protection
Department News
26 Jun 2015

Survey scam warning for Aqwest customers in Bunbury

Consumer Protection is warning Aqwest customers in Bunbury about a potential phone scam. There have been three reports from people who were phoned by a caller claiming to be Aqwest, offering a free water filter for taking part in the survey and asking for credit card details from the call recipient. Aqwest says it does not offer inducements or ask for credit card details during phone surveys...
Consumer Protection
Alert
26 Jun 2015

Public warning about Gerardus (Gerry) Jorissen

Consumer Protection is warning Western Australians not to deal with Gerardus (Gerry) Hermanus Jorissen who has sent at least $200,000 of other people’s money to overseas criminals under the guise of an investment scheme. Mr Jorissen who lives in Moora, came to the attention of authorities in 2013 as a possible fraud victim identified by Project Sunbird – an anti-fraud initiative run...
Consumer Protection
Media release
23 Jun 2015

Commissioner's Blog - Online loan scam = deeper debt

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...
Consumer Protection
Department News
19 Jun 2015

Commissioner's Blog - Checkout Checks

With David Hillyard, Acting Commissioner for Consumer Protection Checkout Checks Each week, our team of compliance officers visit shops across the Perth metropolitan area to see whether prices advertised on store shelves match the amounts customers are charged when the goods are scanned at the checkout. These checks are called price scanning audits and are also done by Consumer Protection...
Consumer Protection
Department News
12 Jun 2015

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