A free smartphone application developed by Consumer Protection will help WA shoppers easily access information about their rights under the new Australian Consumer Law.
iShopWA allows users to store photos of receipts, set reminders for warranty, gift voucher or coupon expiry dates and email photos of illegal ‘no refund’ signs to Consumer Protection.
State commerce minister Simon O’Brien said this would be the first Christmas that West Australians had the protections of the new laws, and it was important they knew their rights regarding refunds, warranties and lay-bys.
“Many people still don’t know where they stand when it comes to getting problems with products fixed, or what the different types of warranties mean, but now it’s possible to always have this information at hand,” Mr O’Brien said.
The Australian Consumer Law applies nationally and includes consumer guarantees which ensure that goods sold in Australia are safe, durable, free from defects and fit for their intended purpose.
These are in addition to the different types of warranties which may be offered by retailers or manufacturers.
Consumer Protection in WA is joining the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission and other State and Territory agencies in a pre-Christmas campaign to ensure that retailers are honouring these guarantees.
The Minister stressed that West Australians could contribute to this campaign themselves, as the app allowed users to email photos of illegal ‘no refund’ shop signs directly to Consumer Protection for further action - the only one of its kind in Australia with such a capability.
The app is available for free download from both the iPhone app store and Android market.
