Consumer

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Unsolicited agreements

An agreement is considered to be unsolicited when: a supplier/salesperson approaches or telephones a consumer without that consumer having invited this contact; negotiations take place over the phone, or in person at a location other than the supplier’s premises; and the total value of the...
Door-to-door and telephone selling
05 Mar 2014

Unsolicited goods and services

Unsolicited supplies occur when goods or services are supplied to a person who has not agreed to purchase or receive them. There is no obligation by the consumer to pay for these. It is an offence for a supplier to: demand payment for goods or services if the recipient has not ordered them; or bill...
Door-to-door and telephone selling
05 Mar 2014

Online vouchers

Are you considering signing up with a group buying website to sell vouchers for your business offering goods or services at a discount online? Or have you already signed up and have customers seeking to redeem their vouchers now? If so, there are some things you may wish to consider. Websites...
Lay-by and gift vouchers
05 Mar 2014

Outdoor gas appliances

Portable outdoor appliances such as gas heaters and barbecues are ideal for use outdoors. However, these appliances can present a danger of carbon monoxide poisoning if used indoors or in semi-enclosed areas. Safe locations for using gas barbecues and gas patio heaters This brochure is designed to...
Gas appliances
05 Mar 2014

Responsibility for fixing a problem with a good

When goods fail to meet a guarantee , a consumer has a right to a ‘remedy’ – an attempt to put the situation right. Common remedies include repair , replacement or refund , and can involve action for compensation or damages . Suppliers The supplier has to provide the remedy when goods do not meet...
Returns and cancellations
05 Mar 2014

Change of mind

You do not have to give a refund when a consumer simply changes their mind about the goods. But you can have a store policy to offer a refund, replacement or credit note when this happens. If so, you must abide by this policy. Also see our cancelling a service page.
Returns and cancellations
05 Mar 2014

Returned goods

Whether you have to provide a refund , repair , replacement or compensation to a consumer for problems with goods or services depends on whether you have met consumer guarantees set by Australian law. You are responsible for understanding your legal obligations. Australia’s consumer protection...
Returns and cancellations
05 Mar 2014

Servicing gas appliances

Gas appliances, after installation, become part of the house and tend to be neglected and forgotten until something goes wrong or they stop working as they should. Like other machines, gas appliances become inefficient, unreliable and may even pose a safety hazard if not serviced regularly. ' For...
Gas appliances
05 Mar 2014

Car jack safety

WATCH
Around 120 Australians have died as a result of do it yourself (DIY) car maintenance accidents since 2000, while many hundreds have been hospitalised due to injuries and Consumer Protection is keen to see a dramatic drop in these incidents. Research undertaken by the Australian Competition and...
Product safety for consumers
04 Mar 2014

Reporting a product

Product safety regulation in Australia is a shared responsibility between the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) and the states and territories. In Western Australia, Consumer Protection are the regulators of product safety and have a dedicated Product Safety Unit that deals with...
Product safety for consumers
04 Mar 2014

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Publications

Electrical safety of grid-connected solar installations in Western Australia - December 2011

READ
Escalation in demand for solar photo-voltaic (PV) systems underpins a need to ensure and monitor that solar PV installations are being properly installed.
Reports
03 Jun 2014

Western Power Service Connect Audit Report February 2012

READ
An audit has been conducted on Western Power's Service Connect Scheme. The report includes the audit conclusions and recommendations.
Reports
30 Apr 2014

Approved electrical appliances register

READ
This register identifies those electrical appliances that have been approved by for sale or hire, or that may be made available for sale or hire, or that may be advertised for sale or hire under section 33B(1A) of the Electricity Act 1945.
Building and Energy
Register
19 Jul 2019

Prescribed electrical appliances register

READ
Prescribed electrical appliances must not be sold, hired or exposed for sale or hire or advertised for sale or hire unles the electrical appliance of that class or type is approved and is stamped or labelled if and as prescribed in the regulations.
Building and Energy
Register
11 Nov 2021

Pins on plug tops - insulated pin requirements

READ
This information sheet explains why pins on electrical plugs must be insulated. All electrical appliances and equipment incorporating three-pin plugs being offered for sale or hire must comply with...
Building and Energy
Fact sheet
19 Jul 2019

Electrical appliances and equipment - Selling, hiring or advertising

READWATCH
The community expects the electrical appliances they use to be safe. This fact sheet summarises electrical safety laws for importing, selling or hiring out electrical appliances and equipment in...
Building and Energy
Fact sheet
07 Jun 2024

Advisory letter

READ
This advisory letter is issued by the electrical contractor or electrician to the owner or occupier to inform them that unenclosed joints were found and remedial work is to be carried out.
Building and Energy
Advisory note
14 May 2020

Electrical safety certificate

READ
This is what an electrical safety certificate looks like. You should receive one from your electrical contractor within 28 days of the electrical work (other than repairs) being done.
Information
02 May 2014

Termites and your home

READ
Termites, often referred to as ‘white ants’, serve an important function in nature by feeding off dead trees and converting them into organic matter. Unfortunately for us, the wood in buildings and...
Building and Energy
Fact sheet
04 Dec 2023

Powering your new house for less – sustainable housing

READ
This fact sheet is a guide to making your new home is sustainable, energy efficient and easy to run. What is an energy efficient house? An energy efficient house uses less energy than an existing...
Building and Energy
Fact sheet
22 Jan 2019

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Announcements

Online shopping and trading scams hit record WA victims in 2022

Record scam losses of $16 million in 2022 impact record number of victims Almost half of all WA scam victims last year fell for online shopping or trading scams People chasing high investment returns or looking for love lost the most money Western Australians urged to protect themselves from increasingly sophisticated scams Scam losses and the number of reports and victims in Western Australia...
Consumer Protection
Media release
31 Jan 2023

Commissioner's Blog: Stay safe this Australia Day

This Australia Day, many families and friends are planning to get together to make the most of the warm summer day. We all want to have a safe Australia Day, but many summer products can be unsafe if left unattended, not used or stored correctly, particularly with the hot weather expected. For those backyard BBQ gatherings, a portable or in-ground pool may be used to keep cool but they hold...
Consumer Protection
Media release
25 Jan 2023

Alert to Perth motorists - fill up now to beat the petrol price rise

Motorists in Perth and Mandurah are advised to fill up now if they need to, with petrol prices set to rise tomorrow. After today motorists will likely have to wait a week before petrol prices are again at the bottom of the price cycle. FuelWatch reports that, from 6am tomorrow (Wednesday 25 January 2023), the average price of regular unleaded petrol (ULP) will increase by 25 cents per litre (cpl...
Consumer Protection
Media release
24 Jan 2023

Electrical safety warning for heat press machine

Vevor 5-in-1 heat press is used to prints designs on clothing and mugs Electrical defects could put users at risk of electric shock Building and Energy has banned the machine’s use, sale or hire in WA Users of a heat press machine could be at risk of electric shock due to defects uncovered by WA’s energy safety regulator. Due to safety concerns, Building and Energy has banned the use, sale or...
Building and Energy
Media release
24 Jan 2023

More scams target Kimberley flood victims via social media

Kimberley flood victims being targeted by fake offers of financial relief from scammers Bogus charities popping up on social media to steal funds from intended recipients People urged to be on high alert and not respond impulsively to random messages People in flood-affected communities in the Kimberley are being warned by the McGowan Government to be on high alert as social media scams promising...
Consumer Protection
Media release
24 Jan 2023

Consumer alert about Perth hotel owner who allegedly incorrectly keeps security bonds (Eddie Kamil / Perth City Apartment Hotel)

Guests claim the hotel incorrectly retains their security bonds 17 consumer complaints against the hotel and its proprietor remain unresolved Consumers advised to consider this alert before making a booking Consumer Protection is raising a consumer alert about a Perth hotel proprietor who allegedly incorrectly retains security bond payments from guests, either wholly or partially. According to a...
Consumer Protection
Media release
19 Jan 2023

Scammers pose as real charity raising funds for flood victims

Scammers have set up fake Instagram account leedal_foundation_limited The real Leedal Foundation Limited is raising funds for flood victims in Fitzoy Crossing on their Facebook fundraiser page Consumers urged to only donate to licensed charities or official fundraisers and not to respond to private messages Consumer Protection is warning consumers about scammers who are posing as a legitimate...
Consumer Protection
Media release
18 Jan 2023

Alert to Perth motorists - fill up now to beat the petrol price rise

Motorists in Perth and Mandurah are advised to fill up now if they need to, with petrol prices set to rise tomorrow. After today, motorists will likely have to wait a week before petrol prices are again at the bottom of the price cycle. FuelWatch reports that, from 6am tomorrow (Wednesday 18 January 2023), the average price of regular unleaded petrol (ULP) will increase by over 26 cents per litre...
Consumer Protection
Media release
17 Jan 2023

Motor vehicle seller fined for unlicensed dealing (Van Vinh Tran)

Unlicensed motor vehicle dealer to pay $5,000 fine and $638 in costs 36 vehicles were sold between January and November 2021 Consumers urged to report unlicensed motor vehicle dealers A Beechboro man has been fined $5,000 by the Perth Magistrates Court for buying and selling motor vehicles without a valid motor vehicle dealer licence. Van Vinh Tran was also ordered to pay costs of $638 when...
Consumer Protection
Media release
16 Jan 2023

Commissioner's Blog: Post-Christmas gift returns and gift card rules

With the season of giving now over, many consumers will be considering returning their unwanted Christmas gifts or putting their new gift card in a drawer to spend later. Under the Australian Consumer Law (ACL), consumers have certain rights when it comes to gifts that are faulty, unsafe, not as described or were not delivered in time. If a gift is faulty, unsafe or not as described, Australian...
Consumer Protection
Media release
12 Jan 2023

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