Indian Ocean Territories - Consumer Protection WA

🌴 Live on Christmas Island or the Cocos Keeling Islands? Our Senior Regional Officer Joan will be visiting from 9th-19th September along with Ombudsman WA & Health and Disability Services Complaints Office (HaDSCO).

You can come and chat to us about renting, scams or problems with a service or product. We'd love to meet you 🥰

Keep an eye out for details of the group’s community events to be held on West, Home & Christmas Islands.

❓ Consumer Protection provides the islands with the same service provided to every other region in WA. It's funded by the Federal Government.

Don’t get stranded in the wrong side of an investment!

Imagine the devastation of losing your life savings or superannuation to a very convincing investment or crypto scam?

Starting with a small payment and personal identification details for ‘account setup’, scammers gained the victim’s trust through some financial returns and gifts. They then aggressively demanded larger and larger payments in a combination of cryptocurrency and direct bank transfers to pay for fictitious ‘fees’ and ‘taxes.’

Crypto scammers thrive on market complexity, using confusion and fake ‘insider knowledge’ to trick you.

Read more about what you need to look out for: https://www.consumerprotection.wa.gov.au/announcements/celebrity-fakes-and-crypto-cons-drive-30m-loss-investment-scams

Close up and personal is great – but sometimes we need the big picture to really know what’s going on.

We'd love you to follow Consumer Protection WA main page and become part of the action.

You'll get daily updates on topics such as product safety, scams, renting, motor vehicles and of course Australian Consumer Law.

Each year Consumer Protection WA visits the Indian Ocean Territories providing tailored community outreach and education to the local communities.

This year Senior Regional Officer Indian Ocean Territories Coordinator, Joan Susinetti (right) and Principal Product Safety Officer Maree Barry (left) are visiting Christmas and Cocos (Keeling) Islands to work with the community and organisations like the Women’s Association and meet with community groups about product safety and for them to learn more about their rights and responsibilities.

🏡NEW RENT REFORMS BEGIN THIS MONTH

From Monday 29 July:
✅Pets will be mostly allowed, with the landlord only able to refuse if written laws, local laws or by-laws prevent them, or if a good reason can be provided to the Commissioner for Consumer Protection. Tenants will need to seek permission from the landlord to keep a pet and landlords can impose reasonable conditions.

✅Rent increases will only be allowed to occur once every 12 months, down from every six months previously. The minimum 12-month timeframe will begin from 29 July for periodic tenancies, while for fixed-term tenancies it will start once the current term of the lease agreement ends.

✅Minor modifications - such as hanging pictures on a wall, putting up flyscreens or installing a water-saving shower head - are also now allowed in most cases. The tenant will need to get the permission of the landlord.

✅Disputes about pets and minor modifications will be considered by the Commissioner for Consumer Protection, who will hear from both sides before making an independent ruling. This removes the need to go to Court.

For more detailed information & a link to some helpful FAQs : https://www.commerce.wa.gov.au/announcements/new-rental-reforms-move-month

FROM TODAY:
🏡Rent bidding banned in WA
🏡Tenants can fight back against retaliatory action by landlords

Read more: https://www.commerce.wa.gov.au/announcements/rent-reforms-begin-ban-bidding-wars

Need help to clean up your debt, control your spending, paying off your credit card or get your finances under control? 2023 has been hard, but fortunately for those of us living in the IOT or on the mainland Moneysmart has some answers.

Visit https://moneysmart.gov.au/ -my-debt to find out more.

Did you use your phone to grab a bargain during the Black Friday or Cyber Monday sales? Without virus protection you run the risk of downloading not only your order confirmation and shipping details - but malware and other nasties as well. Get strong virus protection – it might be your best buy for 2023.

𝐒𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞𝐬 𝐰𝐞 𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐚 𝐛𝐢𝐭 𝐭𝐨𝐨 𝐦𝐮𝐜𝐡 𝐢𝐧𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐠 𝐩𝐞𝐨𝐩𝐥𝐞 ⚠

Scammers are always willing to chat, in fact they’re very good at it. When it comes to getting personal info, bank passwords and credit card details they are the best.

If you think you’ve spoken to the wrong person and possibly been scammed contact ScamnetWA for help and advice:
📞1300 304 054
🖥 www.scamnet.wa.gov.au/scamnet/Contact_Us.htm

𝐒𝐮𝐫𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐞! 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐩𝐮𝐫𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐬𝐞 𝐡𝐚𝐬 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐝 𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐢𝐬𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐝 ⚠

But hold on, it looks like you’ve been sold a lemon! If this happens, remember you automatically have consumer guarantees.

All goods and services sold, leased or hired in Australia must match their description, work properly and have spare parts available for a reasonable time to enable repairs.

ℹ Need more info?
👉 Visit www.commerce.wa.gov.au/consumer-protection/guarantees-and-warranties-0
📞 Call 1300 304 054