Consumer Protection

• Unauthorised withdrawal of a $50,000 deposit after business sale settlement
• Business broker and his company fined a total of $7,000 plus $1,000 in costs
• Warning that violations of trust account laws will not be tolerated

A West Perth business sales agent and his company have been fined by the State Administrative Tribunal after making an unauthorised $50,000 withdrawal from the agency’s trust account.

• Scam victims lured by promises of a high income for little work
• Employment scam quickly evolves into a Ponzi scheme
• Victims tricked into paying more fees for a higher status and income

WA job seekers have fallen victim to an elaborate employment scam and Ponzi scheme that has so far claimed ten victims who have reported losing a total of $130,300.

The largest individual loss reported to WA ScamNet at Consumer Protection was $83,000 with the lowest being $2,400.

Every time you buy a product, book a holiday, top-up your phone credit or hire a tradesperson, you are entering into a legally binding agreement that comes with its own terms and conditions.

Sometimes you may have the chance to negotiate before you agree, however it is more common for consumers to be offered a ‘standard form contract’, which is the same as those offered to everyone else on a ‘take it or leave it’ basis.

• New powers to enforce WA’s anti-ticket scalping laws
• Consumer Protection can now issue infringement notices to offenders
• Higher penalties apply if law breakers prosecuted through the courts

New regulations under WA’s ticket scalping laws will give Consumer Protection the power to issue infringement notices to people identified as re-selling concert and event tickets at a mark-up that is greater than allowed.

• Terms of short-term stay contracts ruled unfair as they strongly favoured the landlord
• Renters faced heavy financial penalties for minor breaches of the unfair terms
• Holiday and short-stay accommodation providers urged to review their contracts

The Supreme Court has ordered a Perth property manager to stop using short-stay accommodation contracts which contain terms declared to be unfair under the Australian Consumer Law (ACL).

• Terms of short-term stay contracts ruled unfair as they strongly favoured the landlord
• Renters faced heavy financial penalties for minor breaches of the unfair terms
• Holiday and short-stay accommodation providers urged to review their contracts

The Supreme Court has ordered a Perth property manager to stop using short-stay accommodation contracts which contain terms declared to be unfair under the Australian Consumer Law (ACL).

• Vehicle sold after odometer reduced by more than 150,000 kilometres
• Profit on sale doubled due to fake odometer reading
• Odometer wind backs ‘the ultimate deception’ of vehicle buyers

A dramatic reduction of a vehicle’s odometer reading prior to sale has been described by a Perth magistrate as ‘brazen and egregious’ with the seller being fined $2,000 for deception.

• Important travel advice for consumers with WA’s border re-opening
• Check terms and conditions such as cancellation policies before booking
• Flexible arrangements recommended even if it means paying more

With Western Australia’s border re-opening, Consumer Protection is advising holidaymakers to ‘Unpack the T&Cs’ before they make travel bookings for long-awaited trips or family reunions.

• Eco Sheds and Homes customers paid $382,000 but most received nothing
• Two concrete pads the only work carried out and one shed partially supplied
• Concrete sub-contractor claims to be owed $35,000

Consumer Protection has raised the alarm over a business that supplies and installs sheds and patios after WA consumers claim $347,000 worth of goods and services were not supplied, or work not carried out.

Many people have heard of the ‘yellow sticker’ defect notices used to take unroadworthy cars off our streets, but less well known are the ‘green stickers’ used by Consumer Protection to stop dodgy vehicles being sold at car-yards.

Automotive officers from Consumer Protection regularly carry out random inspections at dealerships and place green “Unfit for Sale” stickers on vehicles that have defects and are considered unsafe or unroadworthy.