Consumer Protection

Cute photos of puppies and kittens have been used by scammers for years to dupe prospective pet buyers out of their hard-earned money and it’s only getting worse.

In Western Australia last year, our WA ScamNet team received 114 reports of pet scams, with 75 victims losing more than $216,000 – a three-fold increase on both the losses and victim numbers reported five years earlier in 2017.

• Non-compliant products containing button batteries pulled from Albany shelves
• Retailers face penalties for failing to comply with mandatory standards 
• Separate inspections reveal most Albany automotive dealers comply with the law

Consumer Protection has sounded a warning for retailers to ensure they are complying with mandatory button battery safety laws or face penalties, after a number of inspections in Albany uncovered non-compliant products for sale.

• James Bartlett (Manager) fined $12,000, JPA Offroad Group Pty Ltd fined $12,000
• This is Mr Bartlett’s second prosecution for the same offence
•  It is against the Australian Consumer Law to accept deposits or full payments without supplying the goods and services within a reasonable or agreed time

Consumer Protection WA has prosecuted a Perth-based business selling Jeep car parts and offering installation services, for taking payment from consumers and failing to supply goods and services in a reasonable amount of time, resulting in a $24,000 fine.

Buying a pet is a decision many people make with their hearts as well as their heads, meaning it can be a particularly devastating experience when things go wrong with a new companion.

The issues we hear about can vary – from new pets with significant health issues or not matching their description (such as size or pedigree), to breeders taking upfront deposits for litters that are never born.

That’s why we have launched a new campaign to help empower new pet owners to understand how the Australian Consumer Law protects them in the same way as it does for other purchases.

• Former Director fined $2,500 for unauthorised transfer of trust account funds
• Deposit from real estate sale contract transferred to agency operating account
• Funds then sent to two personal bank accounts

A former Director of an East Perth real estate agency has been ordered to pay a total of almost $4,000 by the Perth Magistrates Court for unlawfully transferring funds from the agency’s trust account that were later deposited into his personal accounts.

• $5,682 fine and costs for trading in motor vehicles without a licence
• 19 vehicles bought and 18 sold during an almost two year period
• Public urged to dob in unlicensed backyard dealers

The Perth Magistrates Court has imposed a $5,000 fine on a backyard motor vehicle dealer who operated without a licence for almost two years.

• 14 further complaints received after first public warning issued last year.
• Consumers now claim to be owed a total of $62,000 for incomplete or no work.
• Warning not to do business with the air conditioning installer and custom trailer builder.

Despite a public warning being issued last year, a Perth air conditioning installer and builder of custom vehicle trailers continues to attract more consumer complaints for failing to begin or complete his work and not carrying out repairs.

• Scammers have set up fake Instagram account leedal_foundation_limited
• The real Leedal Foundation Limited is raising funds for flood victims in Fitzoy Crossing on their Facebook fundraiser page
• Consumers urged to only donate to licensed charities or official fundraisers and not to respond to private messages  

Consumer Protection is warning consumers about scammers who are posing as a legitimate registered charity in Fitzroy Crossing, and using a fake Instagram account - leedal_foundation_limited - asking donors to buy Amazon ecards.

• Guests claim the hotel incorrectly retains their security bonds
• 17 consumer complaints against the hotel and its proprietor remain unresolved
• Consumers advised to consider this alert before making a booking

Consumer Protection is raising a consumer alert about a Perth hotel proprietor who allegedly incorrectly retains security bond payments from guests, either wholly or partially.

• Record scam losses of $16 million in 2022 impact record number of victims
• Almost half of all WA scam victims last year fell for online shopping or trading scams
• People chasing high investment returns or looking for love lost the most money
• Western Australians urged to protect themselves from increasingly sophisticated scams

Scam losses and the number of reports and victims in Western Australia broke records in 2022, with 1,203 people losing a combined $15,988,513 - a seven per cent increase on 2021's record losses.