Consumer ProtectionUnderstand your rights and responsibilities

Consumer RightsProtected by legislation and government agencies

Consumer Responsibilities•Protect your rights and the rights of others by:

▫ Question the price and quality of a product before you buy.

Judge the quality and value before accepting the goods.

Remember the principle “let the buyer beware (caveat emptor)”

▫ Thinking about how your purchase and consumption of this good

may affect others eg. Environmental impact, fair trade, child

labour.

▫ Use products correctly to avoid injury to yourself or others, or to

void any product warranty.

Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC)

▫ Trade Practises Act 1974 (Cwlth) Promote competition, fair trade and consumer protection

Deals with anti-competitive and unfair practises, product safety,

conditions and warranties, actions against manufacturers and

importers

▫ Price Surveillance Act 1983 (Cwlth)

Protect consumers against unfair price increases

Monitors prices, costs and profits

Public inquiry into pricing to determine whether companies

dominating certain industries eg. Petrol, supermarkets are in

breach of the Act.

The NSW Office of Fair Trading ▫Uphold the rights of NSW consumers:

A consumer has the right to purchase goods that are safe to

use, of reasonable quality and fit for the purpose for which

they were bought.

You have the right to be protected from misleading and

deceptive practises such as false advertising and high-

pressure selling.

Information provided with goods and services should be

accurate with details of price, content, care instructions and

safe use instructions and cautions against any potential

dangers.