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Contacts for Consumer Affairs/Fair Trading/Consumer Protection departments and Tribunals and Small Claims courts

Matters covered vary a bit from from agency to agency, but generally
you can get help with complaints about:

• property and tenancy matters
• secondhand dealers
• false advertising
• a small business
• product safety - dangerous products
• home building, renovation, repairs
• fundraising groups
• product packaging and labelling
• refunds and laybys
• door-to-door selling
• credit matters
• motor vehicle traders and salespersons
• trade measurement
• solar panel installation companies
  
  

Consumer Affairs / Fair Trading / Consumer Protection departments

take complaints from private consumers about goods or services that

have been purchased, or are to be purchased in that state or territory.
They can negotiate on your behalf and maybe arrange mediation, but
they don't have the power to force the person or business you're
complaining about to fix the problem. They may take a complaint from
a trader, under certain circumstances. The web sites of these agencies
contain some very useful consumer information.

If the agency cannot sort it out, or if you are not satisfied with the
outcome, you can take your complaint to the appropriate Tribunal or
Court in your state or territory. The Tribunal / Court has the
power to, for example, make a trader (or you) pay money or return
goods, repair faulty goods or rectify services, deliver goods or excuse
you from having to pay the full amount.

You may also have rights under the Australian Consumer Law introduced in January 2011.
This is a single, uniform consumer law for fair trading and consumer protection.
The Australian Consumer Law replaced provisions in 20 national, state and territory consumer laws.
It applies to all businesses and includes:

• a national unfair contract terms law covering standard form contracts
• a national law guaranteeing consumer rights when buying goods and services, which replaces
  existing laws on conditions and warranties
• a national product safety law and enforcement system
• a national law for unsolicited consumer agreements, which replaces existing State and
  Territory laws on door-to-door sales and other direct marketing
• simple national rules for lay-by agreements
• penalties, enforcement powers and consumer redress.

You may also be able to lodge a complaint with the appropriate industry association
or you can engage a solicitor.

Click on your state or territory.

VIC	NSW	QLD	SA	WA	TAS	ACT	NT

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VICTORIA

(1) Consumer Affairs Victoria (CAV)

121 Exhibition St Melbourne 3000
GPO Box 123A Melbourne 3000

Website

Phone numbers - CONSUMERS

Renting, shopping and the conduct of Victorian traders
Consumer Helpline 1300 55 81 81

Advice & help to indigenous consumers

1300 66 15 11

Domestic building disputes, inc building insurance and standard of work

1300 55 75 59

Residential real estate matters, inc conduct of estate agents

1300 73 70 30

Lodgement, claims and transfer of bonds

1300 13 71 64

Accurate calculating and labelling of goods sold by measurement in Victoria

1300 36 55 00

 

How to complain

Have a look at this page on the CAV site first, for some direction about how to lodge your complaint,
depending what it's about.
You will need to complete a CAV Complaint Form also (available on that page)

and send it in with any supporting documentation you may have.

You can ring for advice.

(2) Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal

Anyone can apply to the Tribunal to have a claim or dispute resolved.

There is no limit to the amount you may claim

(unless you are a trader claiming over $10, 000 because of an unjust contract).

There is a lodgement fee.
For further information -

If you are a private individual, ring your local consumer advisory service
or CAV (see numbers above).

If you are a business, contact your trade or employer association or
Small Business Victoria on 132 215 or for country Victoria Freecall™1800 136 034.

VCAT website
Useful info:

• Consumer Action Law Centre's fact sheet
  'Taking your dispute to VCAT'
  
  

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NEW SOUTH WALES

(1) NSW Fair Trading

1 Fitzwilliam Street Parramatta 2150

PO Box 972 Parramatta 2124

Phone - General consumer enquiries 133 220
If you are unable to call a 13 number, you can ring (02) 9895 0111

Fax - (02) 9895 0222

Fair Trading home page
How to lodge a complaint

(2) Consumer, Trader & Tenancy Tribunal (CTTT)

Level 12 Stockland House

175 Castlereagh St Sydney 2000
Phone - (02) 9641 6477

Freecall - 1300 135 399

Fax - 1300 135 247

The Fair Trading Tribunal and the Residential Tribunal merged on 25 February 2002

to form the Consumer, Trader & Tenancy Tribunal (CTTT) - a specialist dispute resolution forum

for consumer, trader and tenancy based matters.

It deals with matters under the following 8 Divisions:

• home building
• residential parks
• motor vehicle
• retirement villages
• tenancy
• general
• strata and community schemes
• commercial
  

Further information from the CTTT website.

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QUEENSLAND

(1) Office of Fair Trading (OFT)

Queensland Government Service Centre
Upper Plaza Terrace, 33 Charlotte St Brisbane 4000

GPO Box 3111 Brisbane 4001

Phone - 13 74 68
Fax - (07) 3008 5946

National Relay Service - 133 677 (hearing impaired)
OFT home page

Useful information

• OFT's information about making complaints
• OFT's online complaint form
• OFT's consumer information
• Legislation the OFT is responsible for

(2) Queensland Civil and Administrative Tribunal (QCAT)
(incorporating the former Small Claims Tribunal)

QCAT can deal with a range of matters, including:

• residential tenancy disputes
• debt disputes
• consumer disputes
• minor civil disputes
• other civil disputes
• guardianship for adults matters
• administration for adults matters
• building disputes
• children and young people matters
• anti-discrimination matters
• occupational regulation matters
• retail shop lease disputes
• administrative decisions

QCAT contact information

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SOUTH AUSTRALIA

(1) Consumer and Business Services (CBS)

Can assist with complaints about goods or services advertised and purchased in South Australia only

Chesser House 91-97 Grenfell Street Adelaide 5000
GPO Box 1719 Adelaide 5001
Phone – 131 882
Fax – (08) 8204 9769
Website

Information to help you lodge your complaint:

• CBS consumer advice
• Making a complaint to CBS
• Residential tenancies
• Retail tenancies

(2) Magistrates Court - Small Claims

Deals with disputes of up to $5,000.

You will need to fill out a claim form and pay a small fee.

260 - 280 Victoria Square Adelaide 5000
Phone - (08) 8204 2444
More info on the Magistrate's Court

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WESTERN AUSTRALIA

(1) Consumer Protection
(in Department of Commerce)

Consumer Protection administers the Fair Trading Act 1987.

Click to go to the Act (click on arrow beside Consumer Protection).

219 St Georges Terrace Perth 6000

Locked Bag 14 Cloisters Square WA 6850

Phone (Advice & complaints) - 1300 30 40 54 (cost of a local call)

TTY - (08) 9282 0800 (deaf and hearing impaired)

Administration - (08) 9282 0777

Fax - (08) 9282 0850

Email Consumer Protection

Consumer Protection's Consumer page

How to make a complaint

(2) Magistrates Court (incorporating the previous Small Claims Tribunal)
The Magistrates Court deals with civil matters involving claims for debt or damages, consumer/trader claims
(over the sale, supply or hire of goods or services) and residential tenancy matters.
More information and fact sheets
Fact sheets

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TASMANIA

(1) Office of Consumer Affairs and Fair Trading (CAFT)

GPO Box 1244 Hobart 7001

Phone - 1300 654 499 (cost of local call)

Fax - (03) 6233 4882

Email CAFT

CAFT's home page

Useful information

• CAFT advice on making a complaint
• CAFT's sample letter for a complaint about a good you've bought
• CAFT's sample letter for a complaint about unsatisfactory service
• CAFT's telephone advisory service
• Legislation CAFT is responsible for

(2) Magistrates Court - Minor Civil Claims Division
For:

• How to lodge a claim, the fees payable and how to prepare your case

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ACT

(1) ACT Office of Fair Trading

Level 2 GIO House City Walk Canberra City 2600
GPO Box 158 Canberra 2601
Phone - (02) 6207 0400

Fax - (02) 6207 0424

Fair Trading website

Email Fair Trading

(2) ACT Civil & Administrative Tribunal (ACAT)
Disputes ACAT can deal with include neighbour disagreements; finance agreement disputes; property damage;
landlord, tenant & strata management disputes; contractual disputes; issues with utility services..

Address: ACT Health Building, Level 4, 1 Moore Street, Canberra City ACT
Postal: GPO Box 370 Canberra ACT 2601
Phone: (02) 62071740

• Fees
• What to expect at ACAT
• ACAT's frequently asked questions
  
  

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NORTHERN TERRITORY

(1) Consumer Affairs

Consumer Affairs website

Phone - (08) 8999 1999 or 1800 019 319
SMS : 040 111 6801

Fax - (08) 8935 7738

Darwin - 1st floor, The Met Building, 13 Scaturchio St, Casuarina NT 0810
PO Box 40946 Casuarina NT 081

Alice Springs - Level 1, Belvedere House, Parsons Street, Alice Springs NT 0870
PO Box 1745 Alice Springs NT 0871

Useful info:

• About complaints and disputes
• About consumer rights
• About legislation Consumer Affairs is responsible for
  
  

(2) Local Court (Small Claims Division)

Civil cases involving debts, damages or other actions to a maximum of $100, 000 are heard in the Local Court.
Website

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