A motor vehicle dealer who sold on consignment has been disqualified from holding a licence for eight years, starting from 19 November 2020, after being convicted of deceiving owners about the sale price and failing to comply with laws relating to consignment sales.
Members of Perth’s Chinese community have lost more than $175,000 so far this year to phone scams after they were threatened with arrest or deportation unless they paid fees.
There have been 17 reports from people who have been targeted by the scammers this year, with four victims claiming to have lost individual amounts of $30,000; $13,800; $71,500 and $60,000.
With their ornate design and intricate mosaic patterns, it’s hardly surprising that Turkish-style lamps are a popular decorative feature in many Western Australian homes.
But just because they are beautiful, it’s important to remember that lamps are an electrical item that can pose a serious safety risk if they haven’t been approved for sale in Australia.
Regional Express Airlines Limited (Rex) has agreed to review its refund policies and procedures to ensure ongoing compliance with the Australian Consumer Law (ACL) when flights are cancelled or delayed, as part of an enforceable undertaking agreed between Consumer Protection and Rex.
The airline has agreed to modify some terms and conditions on its website that had the potential to mislead consumers by giving the impression that a refund was not available under any, or very limited, circumstances.
A Mount Lawley real estate agency, its supervising director and two staff members have been reprimanded by the State Administrative Tribunal (SAT) over the failure to lodge three tenancy bonds with the Bond Administrator as well as related irregularities found in the agency’s accounts.
Consumer Protection has issued a Halloween warning about potentially deadly button batteries and other hazards found in some novelty items and trick-or-treat costumes.
The agency’s product safety inspectors have been out and about ahead of Halloween and have identified a number of non-compliant products.
A child safety campaign has been re-launched highlighting the dangers of portable pools with, on average, one child drowning every year in Australia and many more needing hospital treatment, some left with severe brain injuries.
The ‘Don’t Duck Out, Make it SAFE’ summer campaign involves product safety regulators throughout Australia, including Consumer Protection in WA, joining forces with the Royal Life Saving Society to raise awareness of safety measures aimed at preventing children from drowning.
The owner of a Wellard property has been fined $2,000 and ordered to pay $740 in costs for failing to lodge his tenants’ bond.
At Rockingham Magistrates Court on 26 October 2020, Anthony Gerlando Scafidi pleaded guilty to breaching the Residential Tenancies Act 1987 following a prosecution by Consumer Protection.
The law requires a security bond to be lodged with the Bond Administrator as soon as possible and no later than 14 days after receiving it. The bond is then held in trust for the duration of the tenancy.
While many Western Australian businesses have re-opened and returned to ‘business as usual’, there are fears some will not survive the financial impact of the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic.
When a business closes its doors, consumers often call Consumer Protection with concerns about money paid for goods or services that are yet to be received, or unspent gift vouchers or credit notes.
How consumers and creditors are affected when a business goes bust depends on the circumstances of each case.
A photographer of new-born babies was arrested and has appeared in the Perth Magistrates Court today on six charges of accepting payments from consumers but failing to supply some of the images to parents, an alleged breach of the Australian Consumer Law.
An arrest warrant was issued against Melissa Sheed of Aubin Grove after numerous attempts by Consumer Protection to serve her with a court summons failed.
Commissioner for Consumer Protection Lanie Chopping is pleased that this case is finally before the courts.
