Consumer Protection

• Four consumers pay for decorative screens but get nothing in return
• Full refunds given two years later, just prior to Court appearance
• Business proprietors fined $5,000 each for accepting payments but failing to deliver

A producer of custom laser-cut panels, screens and gates who took consumers’ money but failed to deliver has received a $5,000 fine imposed by the Perth Magistrates Court on 14 May 2021.

• Rivervale man fined $4,000 for dealing more than 40 vehicles with no licence
• Magistrate says licensing important for safety and protection of consumers
• Consumer Protection urges the community to report any illegal sales

A Magistrate has reminded the community that the licensing of motor vehicle dealers in WA is “not just red tape” as he fined a Rivervale man $4,000 for illegal sales while being unlicensed.

• Bedrooms by Aura and Simone Lockett fined $15,000 for failing to deliver
• Court orders six consumers be paid about $36,000 in compensation
• Affected consumers from around Australia ordered items online and via Facebook

A Perth retailer of luxury designer furniture has been ordered to pay a total of $47,387.91 by the Perth Magistrates Court being a fine, costs and compensation after taking payments from consumers but, in most cases, not delivering the goods.

• Candice Evans to lead the team in Consumer Protection’s Geraldton office
• Her experience in helping tenants will be useful in new role
• Consumer Protection’s presence in the region increases ability to deal with local issues

Consumer Protection has appointed a new senior regional officer to service the region which covers Geraldton and an area as far as Carnarvon, the northern Wheatbelt around Moora and remote communities such as Wiluna to the east.

• Scammers intercept email communications between family and aged care home
• Grand-daughter organising the transfer gets fake email with different bank details
• Consumer advice: be suspicious of emails notifying bank account change

Scammers have stolen about $375,000 intended to fund the aged care costs of a 102 year old woman, the money being the proceeds from the sale of her Ferndale home.

• More than $650,000 lost by WA online shoppers last year
• 952 WA scam victims reported losing a total of $11.8 million in 2020
• More victims but less money lost when comparing 2020 to 2019 figures

An increase in online shopping activity during the COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in a huge 500 per cent increase in losses to scams for that category in 2020 statistics compiled by WA ScamNet at Consumer Protection.

In 2020, 257 online shoppers in WA reported total losses of $653,745, compared to 129 victims losing $127,304 in 2019.

• Applications are open for grants helping WA tenants and landlords
• Up to $2,000 paid to landlords for future rent support
• Grants assist tenants struggling financially

Applications are open under the Residential Rent Relief Grant Scheme to help tenants who are struggling financially meet rent payments.

Renters who are facing a significant rent increase they are unable to afford can apply. However, their landlord must agree to a fixed-term lease of at least six months beyond 28 March 2021. This grant is capped at $2,000 per tenancy.

• Prepaid funeral funds to be placed in secure investments
• Code provides greater transparency and disclosures in contracts
• A 30 day cooling off period will now apply

A new mandatory code of practice is now in force for WA’s prepaid funeral industry which aims to safeguard the estimated $170 million being held to pay for future funerals.

The new code which began on 1 March 2021 will ensure that the funds will be managed within secure investments under the name of the client until they are required.

Labels such as ‘eco-friendly’ and ‘sustainable’ can be attractive for shoppers wanting to do their bit for the environment, but it’s not always easy to sort what’s fact from fiction. 

That’s why a recent internet sweep by consumer agencies throughout the world, including Consumer Protection in WA, focused on identifying misleading environmental claims for the first time.