Consumer Protection

A real estate sales representative has been disqualified by the State Administrative Tribunal from holding a certificate of registration for ten years after he misappropriated two payments totalling $21,000 into his personal bank account.

Matthew Piero Liscia of Dianella was fined $2,000 for two breaches of the relevant real estate industry Codes of Conduct and was also ordered to pay legal costs of $1,000. The ten year ban was backdated to begin from November 2017 when his employment was terminated.

Delayed deliveries has resulted in numerous complaints being lodged with Consumer Protection, the WA agency warning consumers to stay clear of a vehicle transport business.

With Commissioner for Consumer Protection Penny Lipscombe

Buying a pet is not like your average purchase. The product, which might be a puppy, dog, kitten, cat, horse or rabbit is likely to become a loved member of your family and with you for its whole life.

A Perth mother and son have admitted to illegally buying and selling motor vehicles without a dealers’ licence, resulting in each being fined $6,000 and ordered to pay $580.50 in costs by the Perth Magistrates Court.

From October 2017 to November 2018, Angela Goodwin and Stuart Goodwin of Banksia Grove bought and sold 27 motor vehicles without holding a licence, breaching the Motor Vehicles Dealers Act.

A cement business owner has been fined $4,500 by the Busselton Magistrates Court and ordered to pay $3,000 in compensation to three of his clients after pleading guilty to accepting deposit payments but failing to deliver the goods or services.

Jamie Douglas Bishop of Busselton was trading as Busselton Cement Products when the breaches of the Australian Consumer Law occurred in 2016 and 2017. The court also ordered Mr Bishop to pay the prosecution’s costs of $2,152.20.

A Queensland-based property management company was fined $80,000 by the Mandurah Magistrates Court on 11 February 2020 for failing to lodge tenancy bonds on time and for keeping records that contained false dates.

Western Australians were tricked out of more than $13.6 million by scammers in 2019, up 17 per cent from the previous year, according to figures released by WA ScamNet.

Victim numbers also increased ten per cent with 705 people reporting losses in 2019.  

There was a surge in losses to investment scams, which again topped the list of categories in 2019. Romance scams and hacking scams continued to make the list, while online shopping and classified scams also resulted in people being duped. 

A home renovations tradie with a history of ripping off WA consumers has been fined $11,000 by the Perth Magistrates Court, ordered to pay $2,500 in compensation to one consumer as well as legal costs of $1,085.50, for breaking the Australian Consumer Law.

FuelWatch reports a disruption to the usual weekly petrol price cycle in Perth.

For the past five years, the weekly cycle has been consistent, with most fuel outlets in the Perth metropolitan area hiking their regular unleaded petrol (ULP) prices every Tuesday by about 20 cents per litre (cpl) on average. Prior to June 2015, the cycle involved prices being increased on a Thursday.

A luxury car consignment company and its Director have been permanently banned by the State Administrative Tribunal (SAT) from ever holding a motor vehicle dealers’ licence in WA after the car yard closed down owing many of its clients substantial amounts of money.