Contact Consumer Protection
Tel: 1300 30 40 54
consumer@demirs.wa.gov.au
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Book-up is short term credit offered by a shop owner that lets you buy goods or services and pay for them later. Some shop owners will charge a fee for allowing you to use book-up. Generally, when shop owners charge fees for book-up, they need to follow the credit laws. This means they need to have a special credit licence and they are not allowed to offer credit if you can’t afford to repay them. In remote areas, book-up is often the only or most convenient way to buy goods on credit or get a cash advance.
A good book-up service is one where:
There are disadvantages in using book-up, including:
Shop owners will sometimes take a form of security from you. Shop owners do this to make sure they receive payment for the goods and services bought using bookup. The problem with this type of security is that it is easy for shop owners to stop you getting access to your own money.
Some examples of security are:
To avoid problems when using book-up, you should make sure you:
If there is a problem with your book-up account, it is important to try to work it out with the shop owner by showing the shop owner copies of the receipts you have kept as proof of purchase.
If you and the shop owner can’t come to an agreement, you should contact ASIC on its Indigenous Help Line number 1300 365 957 or visit MoneySmart or alternatively contact Consumer Protection. We have Indigenous officers who can help you make a formal complaint.
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