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Sign the petition for stronger rights to a repair, refund or replacement

To the Federal Government: 

I call on you to introduce tough penalties for businesses that unfairly refuse consumers their right to a refund, repair or replacement.

 

Sign the petition now:

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Tough fines for businesses that deny your right to a refund

Right now, it's illegal for businesses to unfairly refuse a refund, repair and replacement for a faulty product for a reasonable period of time after purchase, or to refuse a refund or replacement for a service that doesn’t deliver. These are called your consumer guarantee rights. But did you know that businesses can't be penalised if they break this law?

Your consumer guarantee rights require products to be of reasonable quality, last for a reasonable period of time, fit any description provided to you and have spare parts and repair facilities available for a reasonable time. Services, such as flights, are required to be provided with due skill and care, be fit for purpose and be provided within a reasonable amount of time.

People should be able to shop with peace of mind knowing that they’re protected if something goes wrong with a product or service. But because businesses can't be penalised for breaking this law, they can get away with denying consumers their rights – leaving people to pay out-of-pocket for repairs or replacements or continue to use faulty goods, while others have no option but to dispose of their faulty goods earlier than they should have to.

Introducing penalties for breaking this law will create a disincentive for businesses that flaunt consumer laws and unfairly deny people a refund, repair or replacement. This change will support businesses that are already doing the right thing and deter others from doing the wrong thing to consumers.

Sign the petition calling on the government to strengthen your consumer guarantee rights now

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Without penalties, too many businesses are getting away with denying consumers their right to a repair, refund or replacement when something goes wrong with a product or service.

Unless businesses face strong fines for doing the wrong thing, they’ll continue to shirk important consumer protections. This change will support businesses that are already doing the right thing, and mean businesses that refuse to honour consumer guarantee rights can be held to account.

The Australian Consumer Law defines several statutory rights you are entitled to as a consumer. These consumer guarantees require goods to: 

  • Be of reasonable quality.
  • Last a reasonable period.
  • Fit any description provided to you (from the box, salespeople, ads etc).
  • Come with full title (you own the product outright).
  • Not come with any hidden debts or charges.
  • Have spare parts and repair facilities available for a reasonable time.

Services are required to:

  • Be provided with skill and care.
  • Be fit for purpose.
  • Be provided in a reasonable amount of time.

You may be entitled to a repair, replacement or refund if the good or service doesn't meet these standards. 

If your product is faulty, there are a few different ways you can seek a remedy: 

  • If your product has a major fault, you are entitled to a refund or replacement. 
  • If your product has a minor fault the business must provide you with a free repair. 
  • If your product has several minor faults, you may be entitled to a full replacement, as multiple minor faults can amount to a major fault. 
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