A Dalyellup tradie who took deposits from consumers but did nothing or very little in return has been fined and ordered to pay compensation by the Bunbury Magistrates Court. Blake Ball , trading as Balls Walls Constuction (sic), was fined $5,000 on 21 May 2018 after pleading guilty to three charges under the Australian Consumer Law for wrongly accepting payment from two consumers who had provided...

Western Australians are being urged to be on the lookout for threat-based impersonation scams by taking a moment to ‘Stop and check: is this for real?’ This is the theme for this year’s Scams Awareness Week, which runs from 21–25 May 2018. Commissioner for Consumer Protection David Hillyard said scammers might call or email you and pretend to be from a government agency or well-known, trusted...

The average cost of unleaded petrol is set to increase by around 17 cents per litre (cpl) to 153.1 cpl tomorrow, so FuelWatch is encouraging Perth drivers to fill up today to save money. FuelWatch advises that on Tuesday 15 May 2018, most Puma, 7-Eleven, Caltex, Caltex Woolworths and Coles Express sites are hiking their ULP price to 159.9 cpl (an increase of between 22 and 27 cpl). Most Vibe...

WA landlords are still being duped into renting their properties to crime gangs who turn their investment homes into cannabis grow-houses, causing extensive damage to the property. Consumer Protection and WA Police have renewed their warning to landlords to be extra vigilant with the incidents of cannabis grow-houses in rentals continuing to be a major concern for authorities. The joint warning...

Many consumers may not realise that some companies charge extra fees to send bills by mail to cover their printing and postage costs, but there are ways to avoid paying these charges. F or many consumers, the simplest option is to receive your bills electronically – by email or via the company’s app. Check the company’s website or contact the company directly to find out how you can change to...

Consumer Protection regularly reminds consumers in Western Australia about their rights and the regulations in place to protect them, but what happens when you actually need to make a formal complaint about a retailer or business? The first step in the process is always to approach the trader and attempt to get a remedy for the issue. We have a handy checklist on our website to guide you through...

Consumer Protection has been advised by the promoters that this Sunday’s “Earthcore in the Park” event at Mulberry on Swan near Perth has been cancelled, so ticketholders should be offered a refund. Ticketholders who purchased tickets via credit card should immediately contact their credit card provider or bank to apply for a charge back . Those who purchased tickets via PayPal should contact...

With Acting Commissioner for Consumer Protection David Hillyard Consumer Protection WA is a proud supporter of Fraud Week, which this year starts on the 15 th of May and aims to help social media users learn how to spot a scam. Social media profiles often display a lot of personal information, such as your photos, where you have been lately, a record of life events, who you’re connected to and...

With Acting Commissioner for Consumer Protection David Hillyard Puppy scammers have been getting their claws into the money of pet-buyers in Western Australia for years. The scammers also use kittens, birds and other popular animals as bait. Sadly the animal never arrives and Consumer Protection has received reports of monetary loss from many heartbroken would-be pet owners. Advertisements can be...

With Acting Commissioner for Consumer Protection David Hillyard A number of residential building companies have collapsed in WA in recent months prompting Consumer Protection to reissue advice to off-the-plan property buyers. One of the biggest risks for anyone purchasing a home and land package or a yet-to-be-built house, unit or apartment within a development, is the prospect of it not going...

With Acting Consumer Protection Commissioner David Hillyard Air-filled loungers were one of the must-have Christmas presents for 2016 and had been heavily promoted via social media and at pop-up stalls in shopping centres. Photos or videos indicate the products are able to be used in water BUT two near-misses in Australian home swimming pools during the festive period prompted drowning risk...