Consumer Protection Understand your rights and responsibilities

Protected 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.