Consumers expect to purchase products that work, and when they don't work people should be easily able to enforce their consumer guarantee rights. Unfortunately, the Australian Consumer Law (ACL) doesn't currently penalise traders who don't give consumers what they are legally due.
This is why CHOICE along with Consumer Action, Consumer Credit Legal Service WA and WEstjustice made a submission to the federal Treasury as part of their consultation on improving the effectiveness of the consumer guarantee and supplier indemnification provisions in the Australian Consumer Law (ACL).
Our submission highlights that the status quo means that people are paying for their own repairs or replacements, others continue to use faulty goods, while others have no option but to dispose of their faulty goods earlier than they should have to.
We strongly argued for the ACCC and other consumer regulators, to be given the power to impose penalties for businesses that don't give people the remedy they are entitled to.
Download submission (PDF)
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