Consumer Protection

Are you a consumer champion or do you know one? If so, then I would urge you to consider nominating for the Consumer Protection Awards 2021.

Every day across Western Australia there are many individuals, organisations, businesses and media professionals working tirelessly to advocate for the consumer rights of others, many of whom are considered vulnerable. 

These unsung heroes often receive little recognition, which is why the annual Consumer Protection Awards are an important opportunity to highlight their incredible achievements.  

The McGowan Government has announced a new package to support tenants, landlords and the construction industry in the COVID-19 pandemic.

The package adds to the McGowan Government's $1.7 billion stimulus and relief package for businesses and households impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

It complements the introduction of a six-month freeze on rent increases, the moratorium on evictions from March 30, 2020, and the $25 million small business rent relief package announced last month. 

We all know that clean hands are one of the best ways to guard against viruses, so it’s little surprise that hand sanitiser has become a must-have item during the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic.

With many households and schools now using hand sanitiser as part of their daily routines, it’s important to remember these products should be treated with extra caution especially around children. 

Most alcohol-based sanitisers contain upwards of 60 per cent alcohol content, meaning just a couple of mouthfuls can be enough to poison a child.

Winter has officially arrived and many of us have already dragged out the winter woollies, electric blankets and hot water bottles, but it’s important to make sure we are using these items safely.

Electric blankets, hot water bottles, heat (or wheat) packs and children’s sleepwear are just some of the winter items that can pose an injury risk if they are old, worn or not used properly.

As with any product – but particularly products that can cause scalds, burns or fires – consumers should always follow user guides.

• Framework for rent relief negotiations between commercial tenants and landlords
• Code applies to small businesses with turnover of less than $50 million a year
• Landlords required to respond to written requests from tenants in 14 days

The McGowan Government has introduced a new code of conduct to help commercial tenants and landlords reach agreements about rent during the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic.

Heating appliances will soon be emerging from hibernation as cooler weather sets in, particularly with many of us working from home this winter.

If you are using a gas heater, our colleagues at Building and Energy have issued a timely warning about the dangers of exposure to carbon monoxide, which can leak from faulty, poorly maintained or misused gas appliances.

If you’re a tenant who’s lost their job in the coronavirus crunch, you may be wondering how to afford what’s likely the household’s biggest weekly expense – the rent.

To relieve some of the burden, the State Government has announced a $30 million residential rental relief scheme, which will see payments equivalent of four weeks’ rent up to a maximum of $2000 granted to landlords on behalf of tenants in financial strife due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Tenants can apply for the grant online, however there are some things they should know before taking that step.

Keeping a roof over everyone’s head has never been more important as thousands of people suffer job losses due to the economic fall-out of COVID-19 coronavirus restrictions.

New laws are now in place to ensure renters can stay in their homes and businesses won’t have to leave their premises, while recognising that landlords shouldn’t be unnecessarily burdened.  

The emergency residential tenancy laws aim to provide some certainty during these uncertain times for those in private and public housing, residential long stay parks, as well as boarders and lodgers.

With Commissioner for Consumer Protection Lanie Chopping

Consumer Protection welcomes new safety requirements for miniature motorbikes, which strengthen consumer protection for young riders.

Miniature motorbikes are often copies of popular road motorcycles, such as grand prix race bikes or ‘chopper’ motorbikes and are usually about half the size of a full-size motorcycle.

With Commissioner for Consumer Protection Lanie Chopping

When it comes to email scams, many of us think of unsolicited and badly-spelt requests for money landing in our inboxes from dodgy email accounts. 

But the reality is that email scams are now so sophisticated and believable they’re almost impossible to tell apart from the real thing.

One such ruse is the payment redirection or ‘man in the middle’ scam, which involves a scammer pretending to be a legitimate company seeking payment to a bank account they control.