Consumer Protection

People who receive paper bills in the mail should check to see if it is costing them extra, and if it is, look into how to avoid the extra charge.

Commissioner for Consumer Protection David Hillyard said consumers may not realise that many bills they receive in the post could cost them an extra fee.

“The fee could be a couple of dollars for some service providers but, for those receiving multiple paper bills over the course of a year, it’s an added cost people don’t need – particularly those who are on a low income,” Mr Hillyard said.

Thousands of dollars are being lost by WA victims who are led into falling for grant or lottery prize scams by Facebook friends who have had their profiles cloned.

The victims get contacted by the cloned friend’s profile via Messenger asking if they had received their money, as their name is on a list of recipients who have won money either from a grant scheme or a lottery. The victims are usually directed to a fake Facebook page or website that confirms their name on a list of winners.

A motor vehicle repairer has been banned from holding a licence for three years, fined $3,000 and reprimanded by the State Administrative Tribunal (SAT) after he admitted being involved in corrupt activities related to vehicle examinations.

Peter William Horn of Bibra Lake had breached the Motor Vehicle Repairers Act by engaging in conduct which renders him unfit to be a licensee both as an individual motor vehicle repairer and as a business operator.

A Balga man has been fined $4,000 by the Perth Magistrates Court on 5 July 2019 after pleading guilty to operating a large car dealing operation without a licence.

Wesam Mohammed had bought and sold more than 80 vehicles from June 2017 to August 2018. He was also ordered to pay $426 in costs.

In considering the penalty, Magistrate Young took into account the guilty plea and the fact that Mr Mohammed now has a licence, but said it was important the Court impose a penalty to ensure a culture of compliance in the community.

Four mobile phone businesses in Perth have had their identities stolen as part of a Facebook scam which is claiming many victims around Australia.

The logos, ABNs, contacts and other details of the companies are being used in bogus Facebook Marketplace ads which feature mobile phones for sale at heavily discounted prices.

Buyers who respond to the ads are directed to a fake Facebook page and then communicate directly with the scammers who demand payment upfront, but the phones are never delivered.

Two men who have admitted being involved in corrupt activities related to vehicle examinations have been reprimanded, fined and disqualified from holding motor vehicle repairer licences by the State Administrative Tribunal (SAT).

Alfonso Berardis, a former Director of IPM Enterprises Pty Ltd of Spearwood, was disqualified from holding or obtaining a motor vehicle repairer’s business licence for ten years and a repairer’s certificate for four years. He was fined $1,500 and ordered to pay $500 in costs.

A photographic business that specialises in taking photos of new-born babies is the subject of a Consumer Protection public warning following complaints about unacceptable delays in supplying the images to parents.

Nine complaints have been lodged against Melissa Sheed Photography of Aubin Grove with some of the parents waiting for more than a year to receive the photos of their babies. The consumers paid at least $1,500 for a package of photos with delivery promised within three months.

Two Perth seniors have lost money to scammers, claiming to be from the NBN or a telco, who have adopted tactics aimed at accessing their computers and bank accounts while preventing them from making calls to their family or their bank.

An 81 year old man received a call from someone claiming to be from the NBN and, as he had been connected to the NBN just the day before, he thought it was a genuine call. He was told there were infected files on his computer and they needed access it, so he followed their instructions.

A decorative alcohol-fuelled (ethanol) burner exploded in a suburban backyard in Perth’s southern suburbs at the weekend, prompting a reminder to consumers that certain table-top models have been banned.

The explosion on Saturday evening 27 April 2019 is believed to have been sparked by a burner being re-fuelled while still lit and injured four people, including a child, who were taken to hospital. The device was purchased about ten years ago prior to the ban being in place.

Consumer Protection and the WA Police Force are alarmed at the high number of incidents of home owners utilising the services of unlicensed security installers, and may be unknowingly inviting criminals into their home.

These possibly dodgy businesses and individuals advertise their services on websites such as Gumtree as well as on social media, offering to install alarm systems, CCTV cameras, security doors and locks, often at below market prices.