Consumer Protection WA

Have you been thinking about joining that gym you’ve been walking past, signing up for a fitness challenge with friends, trying pilates or an outdoor boot camp, or booking a few sessions with a personal trainer? The good news is that in WA fitness service providers must follow the mandatory Fitness Industry Code of Practice. It applies to much more than traditional gyms, it also covers personal trainers, group exercise and any other fitness services. It means: 💪 no high pressure sales tactics 💪 a seven-day cooling off period after you sign up 💪 no requirement to use a particular form or see them face to face to cancel Learn more about your rights before you spring into fitness: https://lnkd.in/guSGbKXV

Driving to the MCG for the big dance? Check fuelwatch.wa.gov.au for prices and availability along the way.

⚓🦁 Ticket scammers and scalpers know how to prey on fans desperate to see the grand final. Tips to avoid event ticket scams: 🏉 avoid online ads and unauthorised ticket resale platforms 🏉 tickets can't be transferred until 48 hours before the game, be wary of any seller who claims otherwise 🏉 if buying from a private seller, pay via PayPal rather than bank transfer, as it offers buyer protection. Do not use the 'friends and family' function - this offers no protection 🏉 be suspicious of anyone offering tickets at too-good-to-be-true prices 🏉 avoid new social media profiles with no seller history. And just like WA, Victoria has strong ticket scalping laws. This means it's illegal to resell tickets for more than 10% above their original value. Help protect others from scams by reporting to WA ScamNet - scamnet.wa.gov.au Read more about Victoria's Ticket scalping laws ahead of bounce down - https://lnkd.in/gHSfFndB

Did you know we have regional officers all over the state? Part of their role is community education and a great way to do that is through radio. Here's Ange, our regional officer for the Kimberley, in studio at 6DBY in Derby chatting to the legendary OJ from The Brekky Wrap. Ange is a regular guest on the program where she discusses everything from the latest scam warnings, product safety, tips for buying second-hand cars and consumer law and tenancy issues. Thanks for having us on the program OJ!

Soon it'll be easier to compare fuel prices, locate nearby retailers and report price discrepancies on FuelWatch. Supported through a $485,000 State Government investment, the upgraded platform will include enhanced geolocation functionality to identify a user’s location, will help users more easily identify nearby fuel retailers and compare fuel prices in their area. The improvements will also strengthen FuelWatch's ability to analyse fuel pricing, support compliance and investigative activities, and respond more effectively during periods of market disruption. Spend 30secs to save - visit fuelwatch.wa.gov.au for cheapest prices near you. Read more about the upgrades and extension to the State Government's emergency fuel powers: https://lnkd.in/g2etD_Kc

We're warning fans about fake ticket scams, with criminals targeting Western Australians on social media and online marketplaces. The scammers create fake ads to sell tickets to events with payment requested by bank transfer or Pay ID. New social media profiles with little to no seller history is another red flag. Once payment is received, communication is blocked and the victim realises their money has been stolen. In other cases, victims don't realise they've been deceived until they try to enter the event only to find out their ticket is fake. Tips to avoid event ticket scams: 🎟️ avoid online ads and unauthorised ticket resale platforms 🎟️where possible purchase tickets from verified resellers 🎟️if buying from a private seller, pay via PayPal rather than bank transfer, as it offers buyer protection. Do not use the 'friends and family' function - this offers no protection 🎟️be suspicious of anyone offering tickets at too-good-to-be-true prices 🎟️avoid new social media profiles with no seller history. Commissioner Patricia Blake also urged consumers to trust their instincts, “If something doesn’t look right, don’t go ahead with the payment. Reporting suspected scams to WA ScamNet also helps protect other Western Australians from becoming victims of this crime.” 👉 Report scams to scamnet.wa.gov.au Read more about this scam: https://lnkd.in/g-ff4rMB

Imagine paying a business hundreds of dollars in cash to do an end-of-lease clean only to later realise the job hasn't been done to the standard you expected. You contact the business, but they dispute what was done and say they have no record of the job or your payment. This is exactly what a consumer who contacted us recently for assistance told us happened - they realised that without a receipt, proving what they paid for was difficult. Under the Australian Consumer Law, businesses must provide a proof of purchase for transactions over $75, regardless of whether you paid by cash, card or another method. Learn more about the importance of receipts: https://lnkd.in/gNNkPuSV

Consumer Protection can help, no matter how 'ruff' the issue! This week our team have been out at BIDYADANGA ABORIGINAL COMMUNITY LA GRANGE INC and Djarindjin Aboriginal Corporation communities as part of the Financial Wellness outreach events. A couple of the main issues we've been helping consumers with are faulty used cars and understanding consumer rights when it comes to refunds and repairs... oh and tennis balls not lasting as long as they should! Thank you for having us on Karajarri and Goollargoon country

Van Vinh Tran and Clinton Trong Tin Tran have pleaded guilty to unlicensed car dealing and have been fined $145,000. A person is deemed to be a dealer if they hold themselves out as carrying on the business of buying or selling vehicles, or if they sell or exchange four or more vehicles with anyone who is not a dealer within a 12-month period. In less than 11 months, Van Vinh Tran sold 18 vehicles and Clinton Trong Tin Tran sold 22 vehicles. “Consumers who buy vehicles from unlicensed dealers can be left vulnerable if problems arise, including difficulties obtaining remedies and missing out on important consumer protections such as statutory warranty rights, with some vehicles sold in an unsafe or unroadworthy condition," Commissioner Patricia Blake said. Consumers can check whether a motor vehicle dealer is licensed by conducting a search here 👉 https://lnkd.in/gSQi96m7 Read more about this prosecution - https://lnkd.in/gRaGXcXU

𝐖𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐊𝐢𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫𝐥𝐞𝐲 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐲! Our team will be heading north this month to the West Kimberley to talk with agencies, organisations and community members between 14 and 19 September. This is part of the Regional Awareness and Accessibility Program, to increase knowledge of our services and ways we can help regional and Aboriginal Western Australians. Working together with other complaint handling agencies during the visit benefits the local community by having all the complaint services in one place. We will be attending community events where people can speak to us in Broome, Derby, and the Bidyadanga and Djarindjin Aboriginal communities. We are also co-hosting events for organisations. For more details: https://lnkd.in/gkRkZk8F The agencies joining this visit include: - Ombudsman WA which is also the Energy and Water Ombudsman and WA Charitable Trusts Commission - Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman - Australian Financial Complaints Authority - Consumer Protection WA (Department of Local Government, Industry Regulation and Safety) - Equal Opportunity Commission WA - Office of the Information Commissioner Western Australia #WestKimberley #outreach #ombudsman