Consumer

Topics

Responsibility for fixing a problem with a good

When goods fail to meet a guarantee , a consumer has a right to a ‘remedy’ – an attempt to put the situation right. Common remedies include repair , replacement or refund , and can involve action for compensation or damages . Suppliers The supplier has to provide the remedy when goods do not meet...
Returns and cancellations
05 Mar 2014

Change of mind

You do not have to give a refund when a consumer simply changes their mind about the goods. But you can have a store policy to offer a refund, replacement or credit note when this happens. If so, you must abide by this policy. Also see our cancelling a service page.
Returns and cancellations
05 Mar 2014

Returned goods

Whether you have to provide a refund , repair , replacement or compensation to a consumer for problems with goods or services depends on whether you have met consumer guarantees set by Australian law. You are responsible for understanding your legal obligations. Australia’s consumer protection...
Returns and cancellations
05 Mar 2014

Servicing gas appliances

Gas appliances, after installation, become part of the house and tend to be neglected and forgotten until something goes wrong or they stop working as they should. Like other machines, gas appliances become inefficient, unreliable and may even pose a safety hazard if not serviced regularly. ' For...
Gas appliances
05 Mar 2014

Car jack safety

WATCH
Around 120 Australians have died as a result of do it yourself (DIY) car maintenance accidents since 2000, while many hundreds have been hospitalised due to injuries and Consumer Protection is keen to see a dramatic drop in these incidents. Research undertaken by the Australian Competition and...
Product safety for consumers
04 Mar 2014

Reporting a product

Product safety regulation in Australia is a shared responsibility between the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) and the states and territories. In Western Australia, Consumer Protection are the regulators of product safety and have a dedicated Product Safety Unit that deals with...
Product safety for consumers
04 Mar 2014

What is product safety?

Consumers have a right to expect products they buy work properly without any risk of causing illness or injury. A business must ensure their products meet acceptable levels of safety and will not cause harm when used as intended. Products must meet the requirements of relevant mandatory standards...
Product safety for consumers
04 Mar 2014

Prepaid Funerals Code review

A public consultation to seek feedback from the community and the funeral industry on the experience and operation of the Fair Trading (Prepaid Funerals Code of Practice) Regulations 2020 (WA) (Prepaid Funerals Code) closed on 13 September 2023. The Prepaid Funerals Code, which came into effect...
Consultations
04 Mar 2014

Problems with services

Major problems with services A major problem with services is when: A reasonable consumer would not have bought the services if they had known the nature and extent of the problem. For example, a reasonable consumer would not pay to have acrylic nails attached if they knew the nails would fall off...
Services
04 Mar 2014

Refunds and cancelling a service

A business does not have to give a refund if you simply change your mind about a service, unless they have a policy to offer a refund, replacement or credit note when this happens. However consumers do have rights and and responsibilities when cancelling a service or requesting a refund. What if I...
Services
04 Mar 2014

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Publications

Electrical safety certificate

READ
This is what an electrical safety certificate looks like. You should receive one from your electrical contractor within 28 days of the electrical work (other than repairs) being done.
Information
02 May 2014

Termites and your home

READ
Termites, often referred to as ‘white ants’, serve an important function in nature by feeding off dead trees and converting them into organic matter. Unfortunately for us, the wood in buildings and...
Building and Energy
Fact sheet
04 Dec 2023

Powering your new house for less – sustainable housing

READ
This fact sheet is a guide to making your new home is sustainable, energy efficient and easy to run. What is an energy efficient house? An energy efficient house uses less energy than an existing...
Building and Energy
Fact sheet
22 Jan 2019

Site considerations

READ
The cost of building a house can be affected by the nature of the site. It is wise to investigate the suitability of the site before selecting a block of land. When choosing a block When selecting a...
Building and Energy
Fact sheet
08 Aug 2019

Painting and decorating

READ
Consumers need to be aware that painting work is by law a regulated building service in Western Australia. Under the Building Services (Registration) Act 2011 (the Registration Act) a person (the...
Building and Energy
Fact sheet
10 Aug 2020

Inspection of buildings – guidelines for building complaint reports

READ
When dealing with building disputes relating to a regulated building service, Building and Energy may require the parties to a complaint to provide further details about the complaint. These further...
Building and Energy
Fact sheet
23 Jan 2019

Building complaint resolution

READ
This publication is the PDF and print-friendly version of information outlined on the webpage ' Building service and home building work contract complaints '.
Building and Energy
Fact sheet
13 Aug 2020

Sample complaint letter relating to a retirement village

Sample complaint letter relating to retirement village issues. Your name Your address Your phone number Your email address (if you have one) Date Name of contact person (or address the letter to the...
Consumer Protection
Template
22 Oct 2020

Sample complaint letter concerning purchase of retail goods or services

Sample complaint letter concernin g the purchase of retail goods and services. Your name Your address Your phone number Your email address (if you have one) Date Name of contact person (put the name...
Consumer Protection
Template
22 Oct 2020

Online reviews: a guide for business and review platforms

READ
Online consumer reviews are increasingly being relied upon by consumers as a low cost means of making more informed purchasing decisions. As long as the integrity of those reviews is ensured, this is...
Consumer Protection
Guide / handbook
29 May 2014

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Announcements

Risk for ticket holders who paid inflated prices for UFC event

UFC tickets that contravene WA’s anti-ticket scalping laws may be cancelled Fans with tickets sold for more than 10 per cent profit risk being refused entry Advice for ticket holders who have purchased from unauthorised resellers Consumer Protection is warning ticket holders for the upcoming Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC 284) event at Perth's RAC Arena who bought them from unauthorised...
Consumer Protection
Media release
01 Dec 2022

Alert to Perth motorists - fill up now to beat the petrol price rise

Motorists in Perth and Mandurah are advised to fill up now if they need to, with petrol prices set to rise tomorrow. FuelWatch reports that, from 6am tomorrow (Wednesday 30 November 2022), the average price of regular unleaded petrol (ULP) will increase by 23 cents per litre (cpl) to 201.4 cpl. Coles Express hiking by up to 46 cpl up to 209.9 cpl; Ampol and EG Ampol up to 205.9 cpl; BP up to 203...
Consumer Protection
Media release
29 Nov 2022

Take charge of battery safety this Christmas

Critical warning when using rechargeable batteries Number of fires caused by lithium-ion batteries rising sharply Think twice before buying rechargeable devices without original charger Take charge of your safety. That is the message for everyone buying or receiving a lithium-ion powered gift this Christmas. Consumer Protection is warning that lithium-ion battery chargers, and the way they are...
Consumer Protection
Media release
28 Nov 2022

Commissioner's Blog: Avoid disappointment, get on top of Christmas shopping early

Christmas is an exciting and magical time of year but the lead up to the big day can often be chaotic and stressful. With online shopping scams and delivery delays, Western Australian shoppers are urged to get on top of their Christmas shopping early to avoid disappointment. Online shopping is an easy and convenient choice to buy Christmas gifts, but Western Australian shoppers should be aware of...
Consumer Protection
Media release
25 Nov 2022

$16,000 in fines over unregistered real estate sales representative (Tyson Keene / Danielle McGufficke / Realty Lane Pty Ltd)

Agency and supervisor fined $7,000 each for failing their legal obligations Sales rep fined $2,000 after working for nine months without registration Reminder to real estate industry to be aware of their duties under the law A North Perth real estate agency, its supervisor and an unregistered sales representative have been fined a total of $16,000 by the State Administrative Tribunal (SAT) as a...
Consumer Protection
Media release
22 Nov 2022

WA consumer laws now synchronised with national changes

National and state consumer laws will be consistent with automatic updates WA parliament has the option not to adopt changes if any concerns Amendments will benefit WA consumers and businesses National changes to consumer laws will be more easily and more quickly reflected in state laws with a new mechanism now being adopted. WA consumers and businesses will benefit greatly from the amendments to...
Consumer Protection
Media release
21 Nov 2022

Review of tenancy laws that deal with family and domestic violence

Statutory Review will assess effectiveness of the special family and domestic violence provisions in tenancy laws Community consultation will determine if laws need fine-tuning Consultation begins with the 16 Days in WA campaign to end violence against women getting underway later this week Special provisions in tenancy laws aimed at helping renters in situations of family and domestic violence (...
Consumer Protection
Media release
20 Nov 2022

Commissioner's Blog: Pitfalls of paying tradies upfront

When you hire a tradesperson to undertake a home renovation or maintenance job, they might ask for a deposit upfront to confirm the booking or cover any materials they need to order. While tradespeople are legally allowed to ask for deposits, there are a few things we want consumers to know before paying them. A common issue reported to Consumer Protection is traders who demand large deposits –...
Consumer Protection
Media release
17 Nov 2022

Alert to Perth motorists - fill up now to beat the petrol price rise

Motorists in Perth and Mandurah are advised to fill up now if they need to, with petrol prices set to rise tomorrow. FuelWatch reports that, from 6am tomorrow (Wednesday 16 November 2022), the average price of regular unleaded petrol (ULP) will increase by 23 cents per litre (cpl) to 201.4 cpl. Coles Express hiking by up to 39 cpl up to 214.9 cpl; Ampol and Caltex/Puma up to 213.9 cpl; BP up to...
Consumer Protection
Media release
15 Nov 2022

New regulations to make funeral costs clearer

Funeral pricing will be publicly available to enable easy comparisons Grieving family and friends will know the total cost before a funeral is held Unscrupulous sales practices will be stamped out to stop overcharging New regulations are now in place that will result in funeral costs being clearer and making it easier for those grieving to make informed decisions at a difficult time. Funeral...
Consumer Protection
Media release
15 Nov 2022

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