Senior

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Buying or building advice for seniors

You may be living in a home you own or have a mortgage on, but wish to sell and buy or build another one. This might be because you want a smaller garden, to downsize your house or you want to change location. Downsizing can provide many benefits: You can buy a newer home which incorporates...
Your own home
12 Feb 2014

Changing your mind - Retirement villages

If you sign a residence contract, and you change your mind within seven working days of the date of the contract, you can terminate the contract without penalty. This is called the ‘cooling off’ period. If the manager or person representing the retirement village does not give you the required pre-...
Contracts
05 Feb 2014

Your agreement - Retirement village contracts

Before moving into a retirement village, you will be presented with several documents . These can be lengthy and quite daunting. It is critical you read and understand the documents – especially the contract. If you decide to enter into the contract, it will generally be legally binding for both...
Contracts
05 Feb 2014

Retirement villages fee and charges

As retirement villages vary greatly in the types of accommodation and in the services provided, it is important to carefully consider how much you can afford to pay. It is essential you read the residence contract to determine exactly what fees will be payable prior to entering the village, during...
Fees and charges
05 Feb 2014

Retirement village checklist

There are advantages and disadvantages to living in a retirement village just as there are with any form of housing. It is important you fully understand what you are agreeing to and what the legal and financial implications are for you and your partner on entering, living in and leaving a village...
Choosing a village
05 Feb 2014

Information you must be given from retirement villages

To help you decide whether to sign a residence contract with a particular retirement village, you must receive (at least 10 working days before a residence contract is signed): a pre-contractual statement, that provides accurate information about a range of matters including fees and charges...
Choosing a village
05 Feb 2014

Visit retirement villages

It is a good idea to visit a number of different villages before deciding whether retirement village living is the best option for your circumstances and settling on the village that's right for you When you make your visits to different villages: inspect the unit being offered, including security...
Choosing a village
05 Feb 2014

What is a retirement village?

A retirement village provides accommodation and sometimes other amenities and services to a person, and their partner, who is over 55 years of age and/or is retired from full-time employment. There can be confusion about the difference between village complexes classified as retirement villages,...
What is a retirement village?
05 Feb 2014

Retirement villages and caravan parks

There can be confusion about the difference between retirement villages and residential / caravan parks . In terms of appearance and services, the two may be very similar. The main differences relate to the type of ownership and occupancy arrangements, the permanency of tenure and the protections...
Types of rental accommodation
05 Feb 2014

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Announcements

Door-knockers offering free laptops not from the Government

Consumer Protection is warning Western Australians, particularly those in remote and regional communities, about door-knockers offering ‘free’ laptops to people who sign up for courses. Acting Commissioner David Hillyard says varying reports are being looked into and there’s a common theme that consumers are on a low-income and thought they were dealing with someone working for, or associated...
Consumer Protection
Media release
15 Jun 2015

Pensioner loses $15,000 in telco phone scam

An 80-year-old from WA’s South West has lost more than $15,000 in a phone scam where the caller pretended to be from Centrelink and claimed the man’s pension payments would be stopped unless he paid money supposedly owed to a telecommunications company. Fred, who doesn’t want to use his surname, was contacted about eight weeks ago and advised that he owed thousands of dollars to Sure Telecom and...
Consumer Protection
Media release
21 May 2015

Return to sender operation thwarts scammers

The suspicious minds of officers from Consumer Protection and Australia Post have saved about 200 West Australians from ‘heartbreak hotel’ as part of a new initiative targeting overseas fraudsters. Commerce Minister Michael Mischin said in the past two months, 600 letters containing payments totalling almost $19,000 were stopped from being sent to overseas criminals and returned to victims. Mr...
Consumer Protection
Media release
08 Apr 2015

Changes benefit retirement villages

Amendments to laws governing retirement villages will ensure residents have clearer information about the fees they are required to pay and will make operators more accountable for the services they provide. Commerce Minister Michael Mischin said the changes would be phased in over the next 16 months. “Under the amendments, retirement village contracts must include specific information about the...
Consumer Protection
Media release
24 Mar 2015

Victims lose thousands in online loan scams

Consumer Protection has issued an alert after many West Australians desperate to get a loan have been duped by online loan scams. In the past 12 months, 13 people have reported losses of more than $25,000 after applying for loans online and then being contacted by scammers. They are told their loan has been approved and asked to pay fees upfront in the belief that they would then receive their...
Consumer Protection
Media release
13 Nov 2014

Warning: Ballajura man promotes US pyramid schemes (Leon Shipard)

Western Australian consumers are being warned about a Ballajura man who is under investigation for promoting pyramid schemes based in the United States. Leon Shipard (75) has been promoting the AndThanks2U website ( www.andthanks2u.com ) by posting leaflets in the letterboxes of Perth homes and advertising in the ‘business opportunities’ section of the Quokka classified newspaper. Quokka has now...
Consumer Protection
Media release
30 Oct 2014

Fine and compensation order for home handyman (Michael David Wells)

A home handyman has been fined a total of $4,000 by the Perth Magistrates Court and ordered to pay $1,100 compensation to two consumers after taking deposits but failing to carry out the work. Michael David Wells of St James had advertised his home repair service on community noticeboards at local supermarkets in Carlisle and Brentwood, where two consumers obtained his contact details. In March...
Consumer Protection
Media release
13 Oct 2014

Consumer Protection on the move

After fifteen years being based at the Forrest Centre on St Georges Terrace in Perth, Consumer Protection has moved to a new CBD location. The main location is Gordon Stephenson House, 140 William Street Perth with front counter services available on Level 2. The move is in line with the state government's plan to consolidate existing office space for the public service. Consumer Protection’s...
Consumer Protection
Media release
30 Sep 2014

REMOVED - Early closure for Consumer Protection this Friday, 26 September 2014

The St Georges Terrace office of Consumer Protection is moving offices over the September long weekend and in preparation it will close early this Friday . Bonds will close at 1.00pm; while all other services (including our Contact Centre) will close at 3.30pm. While there may be some minor services disruptions, we expect to be fully operational by 10.00am, Tuesday 30 September 2014. If you have...
Consumer Protection
Department News
22 Sep 2014

Contract renewed for Seniors’ Housing Centre

A new contract for the Seniors’ Housing Centre will ensure the partnership between Consumer Protection and peak seniors’ organisation, the Council on the Ageing Western Australia (COTA WA), will continue to help seniors get advice about housing options. The centre is funded by the State Government through the Department of Commerce, and the Department of Local Government and Communities. Commerce...
Consumer Protection
Media release
19 Aug 2014

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