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Consumer advice
brought to order
The Commissioner for Consumer Affairs has reminded Consumers they do not have to put up with faulty goods and services.
The Commissioner, Paul White said the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) had launched a national education campaign If it’s not right, use your rights which was supported by the South Australian Government and featured a series of advertisements on radio, digital media and display panels in some shopping centres.
Mr White said the campaign followed an extensive study of consumer complaints.
| Commission reminds on rights |
“In 2009 fair trading agencies across Australia commissioned research into consumers’ experiences with white goods, electronic goods and mobile phones - all known as problem areas,” Mr White said.
“More than half of the survey respondents had experienced problems with these goods in the previous two years.”
He said when consumers went back to the trader, more than a third were denied any sort of remedy and almost one in five were ‘fobbed off’.
He said a pre-Christmas audit of South Australia’s retailers had been conducted by Consumer and Business Services (CBS) to see if retailers were complying with Australian Consumer Law.
“CBS officers were checking on consumer guarantees, refund and lay-by rights and product safety,” Mr White said.
“The audit showed a big jump in the level of compliance, which was extremely gratifying.
“But consumers need to be vigilant and this latest ACCC campaign puts the message out there again.”
He said the ACCC campaign outlined four steps unsatisfied consumers should take when there was a problem.
He these were to go back to or contact the business; explain the problem and state that you want them to fix it; if the business refuses to fix the problem, ask to speak to the manager or write a complaint letter; and finally if the business still refuses to help, contact your local consumer protection agency or the ACCC.
He said more information was available from this PS News link.
Edition 152, 9 February 2012
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