The Australian Government provides information on consumer rights to ensure that consumers are aware of their rights when purchasing products or services during their visit to Australia.
If you believe you have been treated unfairly by a business while in Australia, you can lodge a complaint with a consumer protection agency in Australia.
Australian Consumer Law
Recent changes to The Australian Consumer Law (ACL) came into effect on 1 January 2011. The ACL appears in Schedule 2 Chapter 1 of the Competition and Consumer Act 2010 (formerly known as the Trade Practices Act 1974). The fundamental changes to the ACL are:
- ACL is now a single national law, replacing separate state and territory based consumer laws in the country;
- Consumers will now be covered by the same consumer law everywhere in Australia; and
- ACL will be applied as a law of the Commonwealth and will be enforced by all Australian courts and tribunals, including the courts and tribunals of the States and Territories.
Consumer Guarantees
Under the ACL, there are consumer guarantees that a consumer can expect when buying goods or services, these include:
- the supplier has the right to sell the goods;
- the goods are of acceptable quality;
- the goods match their description;
- the goods are fit for any purpose that the consumer makes known to the supplier;
- the repairs and spare parts are reasonably available;
- the services are carried out with reasonable care and skill; and
- the services are completed within a reasonable time.
Please visit Australian Consumer Law for further information on consumer guarantees.
Factsheets for visitors to Australia are available in different languages for consumers.