Consumer Protection

• 68 vehicles deemed unfit for sale by automotive inspectors in 2021
• Defects mostly related to tyres, windscreens and seatbelts
• Buyers urged to get a mechanical inspection before purchase

Automotive officers from Consumer Protection prevented 68 unroadworthy motor vehicles from being sold in 2021, helping to protect buyers and other road users in WA.

Random inspections are regularly carried out at car yards in WA and green “Unfit for Sale” stickers are placed on vehicles that have defects and are considered unsafe or unroadworthy.

• People looking for love online are prime targets for scammers
• WA victims lost almost $3 million in 2021
• Check to ensure the online love interest is genuine

Consumer Protection warns Western Australians looking for love could be left with a broken heart and an empty bank balance if they fail to spot the signs their online romance is the work of scammers.

Would-be scammers are using a broader range of digital platforms to target victims, including social networks, dating sites and instant-messaging apps.

• Be wary of fake door to door tradies offering cheap deals
• Check out the licence, if required, and credentials of tradies
• Charity scammers are known to target disasters to steal money from donors

A precautionary warning to victims of recent bushfires in Perth and WA’s South-West that they could be targeted by travelling conmen aiming to capitalise on their misfortune.

The warning also extends to those thinking of making donations to make sure they are not fooled into giving money to scammers instead.

• Child injuries and deaths are caused by falling furniture or appliances
• Parents and carers urged to secure items that can easily tip over
• Tenants have the right to fix items to walls, except for certain circumstances

Western Australians are being reminded about the dangers of toppling furniture and large appliances following a recent tragedy that claimed the life of a one year old girl in Byford.

• WA ScamNet reports more than 1,000 victims lost $14.8 million last year
• Most money lost from investment and romance scams
• Highest number of scam victims was online shoppers

A record number of Western Australians fell victim to scams in 2021, also losing a record amount of money.

UPDATE 16/11/22: Following his conviction in the Perth Magistrates Court, Mr Al-Khafaji was also reprimanded by the State Administrative Tribunal and disqualified from holding a motor vehicle repairer’s certificate for three months.

Christmas is a time when many people want to give back to their community with a donation to charity, but before opening your own wallet it is important to ensure your chosen cause is a legitimate one.

So far this year, there have been nearly 800 reports and more than $172,000 in losses across Australia to scammers posing as charitable organisations, according to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission’s ScamWatch service.

• Alwyn Healy banned permanently from retail sales in the WA aircon industry
• Supreme Court finds he breached an enforceable undertaking signed in 2015
• Compensation order to repay $10,500 to two recent customers

The Supreme Court has made a permanent order for a Tapping salesman to never again be involved in retail air conditioning sales to WA consumers as a result of further legal action taken by Consumer Protection.

When a service you’ve received isn’t up to scratch, or a product you’ve bought doesn’t work as it should, you may wish to seek a remedy from the business that supplied it.

Before contacting Consumer Protection for help, it is always important to try to resolve the matter yourself.

This is because in most cases an issue with a business or trader can be resolved pretty quickly just by explaining the situation and offering a mutually acceptable solution.

While Christmas is a time of giving, post-Christmas is when some consumers think about returning faulty or unwanted gifts.

Whether a retailer will accept a returned item could depend on your reason for returning it.  

If a product is faulty or not fit for its intended purpose then the retailer is obliged under the Australian Consumer Law (ACL) to offer you a remedy in the form of a repair, replacement or refund.