Consumer Protection

If you’ve ever left a shop wondering whether you have been charged the right amount, then it’s worth knowing that price scanning is an area monitored by Consumer Protection.

Each week our team of compliance officers visit shops across the Perth metropolitan area to investigate whether prices advertised on store shelves match the amounts customers are charged when the goods are scanned at the checkout.

Known as ‘price scanning audits’, these checks are also done by our officers in country towns to ensure regional consumers are paying the advertised shelf price for goods.

With discussion in the community about possible inflation and interest rate rises, many people will be looking at ways to save money to balance the family budget.

One way to save money while grocery shopping is using unit pricing, which shows consumers not just the cost of a product, but what the value of that product is as a cost per standard unit of measurement.

• Seeking feedback on proposed funeral pricing rules for WA
• Price to be displayed upfront, clearer and more transparent for funeral organisers
• Aim is to stamp out misleading practices at a distressing time for those who have lost a loved one

Confusion over the true cost of funerals will be targeted by proposed regulations being put forward by the McGowan Government as part of the current reform of funeral industry pricing practices.

• Strong community support for reforming the tow truck industry to protect vulnerable traffic accident victims
• Reforms include licensing of tow truck operators and criminal checks
• Regulatory strategy to be developed to ensure a fair and safe towing industry in WA
• Reform options to be presented to State Government for consideration by mid-2022 

The McGowan Government is reforming the tow truck industry in Western Australia to protect people involved in traffic accidents and combat bad behaviour and price gouging.

Solar energy storage systems can be an attractive option for households looking to capture and store their own renewable energy.

However, around 450 WA home-owners that have installed several models of LG-branded home energy storage batteries are being urged to check if their device is on a national recall list due to fears they may overheat and ignite.

Babies can spend up to 17 hours a day sleeping, so it’s vital to ensure the place where they spend all this time resting is as safe as possible.  

As the range of infant sleeping products available in the Australian market continues to grow, leading medical and injury prevention experts, industry and regulators have developed a new best practice guide for the design of safe infant sleeping environments.

Online shopping has revolutionised the way many of us buy goods, but it has also meant navigating additional challenges not faced by traditional in-store shoppers.

Given online purchasers are required to pay for their items upfront before waiting to receive them, a common complaint we hear about is goods taking a long time to arrive, or perhaps never arriving at all.

Please visit the official NAIDOC Week website to download logos and other resources to help celebrate NAIDOC Week.

Consumer Protection WA celebrates NAIDOC Week 2022

Consumer Protection WA and Ask Us

Keeping warm and safe during the colder months of the year also means being alert to the hazards created by commonly used heating products within the home.

Consumer protection authorities are urging Australians to stay safe this winter by knowing the risks associated with items like hot water bottles, wheat/heat packs, electric blankets and heaters.

Friday, 10 June 2022

• Commercial tenancy laws covering retail shops now under review
• Various emerging issues to be canvassed during consultation phase
• Lease rights regarding rents, operating costs and duration of tenancy explored

The laws which govern commercial tenancy agreements between small retailers and landlords, including shopping centre owners, are being reviewed by the McGowan Government with the aim of improving the fairness and transparency of commercial lease arrangements.