Listen
- When a business sells a product or service that doesn’t meet basic rights known as consumer guarantees, it must offer the consumer a solution.
- Depending on the size of the problem, the solution may be a repair, replacement, refund, or contract cancellation.
- When a consumer suffers damage or loss because of a problem with a product or service, they are also entitled to compensation.
- Warranties are extra promises that a business makes. They apply in addition to consumer guarantees.
What the ACCC does
- We educate consumers and businesses about their rights and responsibilities under the consumer guarantees.
- We accept reports where people consider a business is doing something it shouldn’t do. We use those reports to inform our education, compliance and enforcement work.
- We can investigate, and may take some form of compliance or enforcement action if a business misleads consumers or other businesses about their rights.
What the ACCC can't do
- We don’t resolve individual disputes between consumers and businesses, or between businesses.
- We don’t provide legal advice about what consumers are entitled to, or what businesses need to do in a particular situation.
- We don't deal with stopping telemarketing calls.Register your number with theDo Not Call Registerprovided by the Australian Media and Communications Authority, or call 1300792958.
1. First, understand your rights
You have the right to expect certain things when you buy a product or service. If you have a problem with a product or service, it may mean the business hasn't met one of the basic rights known as consumer guarantees.
Consumer rights and guarantees
Consumers have the right to expect certain things when they buy a product or service. These rights are protected under consumer law and are known as consumer guarantees.
Warranties
Warranties are extra promises that a business makes about the quality of a product or how it will fix any problems with a product or service.
Repair notices
Consumer must be given a repair notice before the repair of products that can store user data and before the start of repairs that might use refurbished parts.
2. Know what remedies are available to you
If the product or service doesn’t meet a consumer guarantee, the business must offer you a solution. Depending on the size of the problem and what was bought, this may be a free repair, replacement, refundor cancellation. You may also be entitled to compensation.
Repair, replace, refund, cancel
Businesses must fix minor problems with products or services by at least giving a free repair. When consumers buy products or services that have a major problem they have certain rights.
Repair, replace, refund problem solver
The repair, replace, refund problem solver helps you understand your consumer rights and the steps you can take to resolve a problem.
Claiming compensation
When a consumer suffers damage or loss because of a problem with a product or service, they are entitled to compensation.
3. Contact the business
Always contact the business first to explain the problem and the outcome you want. Do this as soon as possible. Often, a single phone call or visit can fix the problem. You can also write a complaint letter to the business, and we have a tool to help.
Contacting a business to fix a problem
If you have a problem with a product or service, your first step is to contact the seller.
Complaint letter tool
Use this tool to create an email you can send to the business you bought the product or received the service from. If you prefer, you can print the letter and send via the post.
4. Taking a problem further
It can be confusing knowing who to contact when you can't resolve the problem. We provide information about where consumers and small businesses cango for help and advice. This includes dispute resolution and legal services. Help us spot issues by making a report.
If a business won't fix a problem
If a business won't fix a problem with a product or service, there are other steps you can take.
Report a consumer issue
Help us spot issues affecting Australians by making a report. Use this form to report a business that may be doing the wrong thing under the Competition and Consumer Act 2010.
ACCC action on problems with products and services
Broken but out of warranty? Your consumer guarantee rights may still apply
The ACCC is encouraging Australians to take advantage of their consumer guarantee rights under the Australian Consumer Law when dealing with businesses over defective products or poorly performed services, following more than 28,000 reports and enquiries to the ACCC last year about consumer guarantees or warranties.
Major car parts supplier and retailers pay penalties for alleged breaches of button battery standard
Repco, Supercheap Auto and Innovative Mechatronics Group (IMG) (an automotive electrical parts supplier), have each paid penalties after the ACCC issued them with infringement notices for supplying aftermarket car key remotes that allegedly breached warning requirements for products powered by button batteries.
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