WA consumers are being warned about an asbestos and demolition operator who is misleading the community, by falsely claiming to hold valid WorkSafe licences which have expired or were once held by companies that have since been liquidated.
A Perth modelling agent has been ordered to pay almost $12,000 in fines, costs and compensation by the Perth Magistrates Court for taking payments from aspiring male models but failing to deliver what he had promised.
With Black Friday sales coming up and many people doing their Christmas shopping online this year, Consumer Protection is warning consumers that scammers are out to take your money with fake retailer websites, social media pages and classified ads.
So far this year scammers have stolen a staggering $1.1 million from 418 WA victims in ‘buying and selling scams’ which, according to new figures from WA ScamNet, more than triples the losses from the whole of 2019 when 255 victims reported total losses of $319,100.
Consumer Protection is advising caution for Christmas shoppers with a wider availability of credit options including ‘buy now, pay later’ schemes and payday loans which could leave consumers drowning in debt.
The COVID-19 pandemic has seen increasing use of ‘buy now, pay later’ schemes which allow shoppers to take possession of the goods straight away while paying off the purchase price in instalments.
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.
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.
Are you moving house? Then Consumer Protection recommends choosing your removalist wisely as about 40 complaints have been received so far this year against a few rogue operators in Perth.
Issues raised in the complaints relate to damage to goods, late arrivals, untrained contractors, false claims that they have insurance when they don’t, poorly equipped vehicles and coercion for payment prior to the completion of the job.
Losses are mounting following a spate of phone threats and voicemails from scammers demanding the payment of a fake tax debt or the victim will be arrested.
So far this year, WA ScamNet at Consumer Protection has received 97 reports of tax phone scams with 15 victims losing a total of $188,200. The highest loss amount by one victim was $60,000. This compares with 2019 figures when $100,450 was lost between 22 victims and a total of 51 reports.
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.
