Aged and retirement services
Aged care in Australia covers a few different services such as retirement villages, community care and home care. Businesses have responsibilities under consumer law for home care services.
Before signing a retirement village contract, consumers should get independent legal advice and understand the purchase and payment model, costs, and the facilities and services.
Travel and transport
Under Australian law, products and services that consumers buy come with guarantees that they will work and do what they’re supposed to do. This applies to new cars.
Caravan manufacturers and suppliers have responsibilities under consumer law.
The basic consumer rights known as consumer guarantees apply to flights, including the guarantee that services are provided within a reasonable time.
There are many suppliers of foreign currency services, not just banks. To get the best price we recommend consumers compare different suppliers and be prepared to switch between them.
Other products and activities
Businesses selling funeral products and services must not mislead consumers, offer contracts with unfair terms, or take advantage of a consumer’s vulnerability.
Several government agencies administer and regulate the private health insurance industry.
Real estate agents must give consumers truthful information and must not mislead consumers to encourage higher offers.
A solar provider must not mislead or deceive consumers. The must not harass or coerce consumers to buy solar panels or sign up to an agreement, or take unfair advantage of any vulnerability or disability.
ACCC action on buying and selling products and services
Online home improvement platform hipages Group Pty Ltd (hipages) has admitted it likely engaged in misleading or deceptive conduct in breach of the Australian Consumer Law from October 2018 to January 2022 by failing to adequately disclose contract terms that allowed it to automatically renew subscriptions and charge an early termination fee.
The ACCC has accepted a court-enforceable undertaking from Universal Pharmaceuticals Pty Ltd, admitting that representations on its Wealthy Health website that a product contained squalene from sharks in Australian waters were likely misleading, in breach of the Australian Consumer Law.
The Full Federal Court today dismissed an ACCC appeal against a Federal Court judgment that Mazda did not engage in unconscionable conduct in its dealings with nine consumers.