With Commissioner for Consumer Protection David Hillyard
Imagine waiting four years for money owed to you after leaving a retirement village. In extreme cases it’s the shocking reality for former retirement village residents who are left in serious financial hardship and distress and unable to pay for alternative accommodation. We know seniors in this position may have urgent needs to move into aged care.
With Commissioner for Consumer Protection David Hillyard
Do sales items tick guarantee boxes?
Australians are set to spend billions in post-Christmas sales and well into the New Year. Consumer Protection WA, and consumer affairs regulators across Australia, want to remind everyone that automatic guarantees apply when you hit the sales.
Whether you buy in-store or online, from any business trading in Australia, you are protected by the Australian Consumer Law (ACL).
The great outdoors is the place to be this summer – and the same goes for portable gas-fuelled appliances such as cookers, heaters, barbecues and fridges.
WA’s gas safety regulator, Building and Energy, is warning that this equipment must never be used inside tents, caravans or other enclosed spaces. Even if the doors or windows are open, you could be exposed to potentially lethal levels of a toxic gas: carbon monoxide.
More financial assistance is being offered by the McGowan Government to tenants and landlords with the aim of securing current tenancies when the moratorium on evictions and rent increases ends on March 28, 2021.
With Commissioner for Consumer Protection Lanie Chopping
It’s hard to believe that until 10 years ago there were 17 different national, state and territory laws covering consumer issues in Australia.
They were all replaced on 1 January 2011 with one law – the Australian Consumer Law (ACL), which meant that no matter where they are in this country, consumers can know their rights and traders their obligations.
Your home is your most important asset, so you’ll naturally want to protect it from unwanted pests like termites and rodents.
While most people will undertake some form of simple pest control on their property, sometimes they may need to call in an expert.
In the past two years, Consumer Protection has received 203 enquiries and 48 complaints about pest control providers, mostly related to the operator not using due care and skill.
Renters who have been doing it tough due to COVID-19 may have been worried about what happens when the moratorium on evictions and rent increases comes to an end on 28 March 2021.
In some good news for those tenants and their landlords, the State Government has agreed to pay up to $4,000 off their rental debt under an expanded Residential Rent Relief Grant Scheme that is also aimed at keeping tenants in their rental properties.
Online classified sites are a popular and convenient way for car-hunters to scour listings of second-hand vehicles, but this also makes them a target for scammers.
WA ScamNet has received multiple reports from consumers who have enquired about vehicles being ‘sold’ online at very low prices via Facebook Marketplace and Gumtree, only to receive a convoluted backstory by the supposed seller about the sale.
When it comes to booking holidays or buying presents online, the terms and conditions (t&cs) matter now more than ever.
This is because some businesses may now have extra policies in place as a result of the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic that could include how they respond to a ‘change of mind’ purchase or booking.
Your consumer rights apply if the product or service is faulty or not as described, regardless of whether it is on sale or occurs during a pandemic.
Gone are the days where a gym is the only destination available for fitness lovers looking for a structured work-out.
Nowadays, you can find boot-camps in local parks, employ a personal trainer or even stream ‘virtual’ work-out sessions online from the comfort of home.
Whichever exercise method best suits your lifestyle, there’s little doubt Western Australia’s fitness industry has undergone a major revolution in recent years and the legislation is now catching up to provide better consumer protection for all involved.
