What the ACCC does

  • We educate consumers and businesses about their rights and responsibilities under the consumer guarantees.
  • We accept reports where people consider a business is doing something it shouldn’t do. We use those reports to inform our education, compliance and enforcement work.
  • We can investigate, and may take some form of compliance or enforcement action if a business misleads consumers or other businesses about their rights.

What the ACCC can't do

  • We don’t resolve individual disputes between consumers and businesses, or between businesses.
  • We don’t provide legal advice about what consumers are entitled to, or what businesses need to do in a particular situation.
  • We don't deal with stopping telemarketing calls. Register your number with the Do Not Call Register provided by the Australian Media and Communications Authority, or call 1300 792 958.

Know your rights

You have the right to expect certain things when you buy a product or service. If you have a problem with a product or service, it may mean the business hasn't met one of the basic rights known as consumer guarantees.

Understand the remedies available to you

If the product or service doesn’t meet a consumer guarantee, the business must offer you a solution. Depending on the size of the problem and what was bought, this may be a free repair, replacement, refund or cancellation. You may also be entitled to compensation.

Contact the business

Always contact the business first to explain the problem and the outcome you want. Do this as soon as possible. Often, a single phone call or visit can fix the problem. You can also write a complaint letter to the business, and we have a tool to help.

Taking a problem further

It can be confusing knowing who to contact when you can't resolve the problem. We provide information about where consumers and small businesses can go for help and advice. This includes dispute resolution and legal services. Help us spot issues by making a report.

ACCC action on problems with products and services

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