Consumer Protection

Commerce Minister Dr Tony Buti has released the following media statement: Halloween sweep exposes button battery danger in online buys

Key points: 

You might have seen those beautiful ads floating around social media promising a magical night where hundreds of glowing lanterns drift into the sky above Perth. It might have been promoted as part of a seasonal event such as Halloween or Christmas with all-inclusive tickets including food trucks, entertainment and rides.

Sounds lovely, right? Unfortunately, it’s all a scam.

Motorists in Perth and Mandurah are advised to fill up now if they need to, with petrol prices set to rise tomorrow. After today motorists will likely have to wait a week before petrol prices are again at the bottom of the price cycle.

If you have a bad experience with a business or landlord, sharing your story on social media and elsewhere online might seem like a good way to warn others to steer clear, but it may not be the most effective way to have your voice heard and issue resolved.

Motorists in Perth and Mandurah are advised to fill up now if they need to, with petrol prices set to rise tomorrow. After today motorists will likely have to wait a week before petrol prices are again at the bottom of the price cycle.

FuelWatch reports that, from 6am tomorrow (Wednesday 15 October 2025), the average price of Perth’s regular unleaded petrol (ULP) will increase by 21 cents per litre (cpl) to 183.8 cpl with BP and Caltex hiking up to 209.9 cpl; Ampol up to 201.9 cpl; United and 7-Eleven up to 199.9 cpl; Vibe up to 199.7 cpl; and EG Ampol up to 179.9 cpl.

• Bicton agency, director fined $18,000 for audit failures over three years
• Auditor cited repeated delays and lack of cooperation in audit materials
• 166 instances of late trust money recording also contributed to disciplinary action

Failing to ensure timely audits of its trust account over a three-year period has led to a real estate agency and its director being reprimanded and fined a total of $18,000 by the State Administrative Tribunal.

Pyramid schemes can be tricky to spot, but they all work in the same way. People are asked to pay money to join, with the promise of earning more by bringing in new members. At first it may look like an easy way to make money, but in reality only a few people at the very top ever benefit.

You may wonder if they are the same as multi-level marketing schemes. They’re not. In legitimate multi-level marketing, people make money by selling real products or services, not just by recruiting others.

Motorists in Perth and Mandurah are advised to fill up now if they need to, with petrol prices set to rise tomorrow. After today motorists will likely have to wait a week before petrol prices are again at the bottom of the price cycle.

FuelWatch reports that, from 6am tomorrow (Wednesday 8 October 2025), the average price of Perth’s regular unleaded petrol (ULP) will increase by 16 cents per litre (cpl) to 181.5 cpl with BP hiking up to 209.9 cpl; 7-Eleven, Ampol and United up to 199.9 cpl; Vibe up to 199.3 cpl; and EG Ampol up to 189.9 cpl.

• Scalping alert ahead of WWE events at RAC Arena
• Caution urged for fans without tickets to three nearly sold-out shows
• Buy only through Ticketek or Ticketek Marketplace to avoid disappointment

With WWE wrestling set to take centre-stage at Perth’s RAC Area this month, Consumer Protection is urging fans to be cautious when chasing last-minute tickets.

As the October 10, 11 and 13 events near sell-out, there are concerns scalpers may attempt to exploit demand by selling tickets above the legal resale limit of 10 per cent over face value.

Have you ever come across an online store selling a wide range of products, only to find out later that the business doesn’t actually keep any of those items in stock itself? This setup is known as dropshipping.

The business acts as a kind of middle person, taking your order and then passing it on to another supplier who delivers the product directly to you.

Dropshipping often keeps costs down for the retailer as it removes the need for things like warehouse storage, which can then mean lower prices for shoppers.