Consumer Protection, a division of the Department of Energy, Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety, promotes fair trading and consumer protection in Western Australia. From the simple act of purchasing the weekly groceries at the supermarket to the complexities of signing a contract to buy a house, we are all consumers almost every day. Being a consumer can be a risky business. It’s important that we get what we pay for, that whatever we purchase does what it is supposed to do and that if something goes wrong we know what remedy to seek.
All consumers and traders in Australia have rights and responsibilities under the Australian Consumer Law (ACL) and need to consider those carefully when buying, selling, or agreeing to contracts. Those rights and responsibilities extend to after-sales services such as guarantees, quality issues, maintenance and repairs. Some matters may arise well after a contract has been signed or a purchase has been made, so knowing your rights is important. Some areas, like residential tenancy or buying real estate, have additional laws in place to further protect your interests.
Consumer Protection is here to help you by:
- providing information and advice to consumers, shops and businesses about their rights and responsibilities;
- helping consumers resolve disputes with shops and businesses;
- investigating complaints about unfair trading practices;
- prosecuting unscrupulous traders;
- regulating and licensing some business activities; and
- developing legislation, codes of practice and guidelines that protect consumers.
For further information call the Consumer Protection Contact Centre on 1300 30 40 54 from anywhere in Western Australia for the cost of a local call, or email us.
The Consumer Protection supporting fair and safe trading in WA guide has contact details of other agencies who can assist if you are in a dispute with a business.