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Know your consumer rights

CHOICE helps you understand the law so you can fight for your rights as a consumer.

Consumer rights guides

What to do when a company collapses Our guide to your rights for unreceived goods when a business goes bust.

Problems with a product: how to use your consumer guarantees A step-by-step guide to identifying and resolving issues.

Problems with services: how to use your consumer guarantees A step-by-step guide to identifying and resolving service issues.

What to do with a faulty product Our expert guide to your rights when something goes wrong.

Common consumer problems Learn from the recent consumer wins of other CHOICE members.

Do you need an extended warranty? Is extra protection worth it? Here are the questions to ask.

Are you being harassed? There are rules against overly aggressive sales tactics.

Faded receipts and proof of purchase Thermal receipts fade, but that doesn't mean your rights do.

Pyramid schemes They seem too good to be true - because they are.

Telemarketers and door-to-door sales What can you do to discourage unwanted telephone and door-to-door sales?

Your rights when it comes to unfair contracts Australian Consumer Law deals with unfair contract terms.

How to deal with stuff you didn't ask for You don't have to pay if you didn't order it.

Articles

Consumer law and third-party sellers Can businesses trading online dodge their legal obligation to provide a refund, repair or replacement?

10 ways to protect yourself from buying unsafe products How to avoid being stuck with a dangerous dud.

Refund, repair or replacement rights should be tightly enforced, consumer groups say CHOICE joins forces with consumer groups to call for stronger consumer guarantees under the Australian Consumer Law.

Product recalls and safety Is Australia's product recall system good enough?

ACCC raises alarm as RAT price gouging continues Regulator says it has significant concerns about the retail price of rapid antigen tests.

Price gouging: COVID-19 rapid antigen test prices soar Stronger protections needed for consumers as some businesses take advantage of demand for 'RAT' kits.

Just two in five Australians have asked for a repair, refund or replacement We're reminding people to exercise their consumer rights in the Boxing Day sales and beyond to avoid buyer's regret.

'An incredible difference' – here are the top CHOICE wins of 2021 From kissing goodbye to bank marketing in schools to protecting renters from insurance 'robodebt', it's been a year of big wins.

Shonky success stories How the Shonky Awards have led to some amazing wins for consumers.

Help! I have a Shonky! We explain your options if you're stuck with one of this year's Shonky products or services.

Get involved with the Shonky Awards Sign up to stay updated on the dud products of 2021.

Australians push for stronger protections and repair rights for household products Our survey has found that most people want greater longevity for household products and stronger rights when it comes to repairs.

9 things every consumer should know about their rights What you need to know to exercise your rights under the Australian Consumer Law.

Can we fix it? Building a meaningful right to repair for Australia When it comes to product repair, Australia lags behind the US and Europe. It's time we found a big-picture solution.

Customers still buying extended warranties they don't need – survey Our research shows that one in five customers buy an extended warranty, despite existing warranty rights under consumer law.

Rather than recalling unsafe products, why not ensure they're safe in the first place? Businesses, not consumers, should be responsible for managing product safety risks

5 product safety battles we're still fighting CHOICE is still pushing for reforms on these five issues to protect consumers against unsafe products.

Five product safety wins CHOICE helped deliver As we continue to celebrate 60 years of CHOICE, we look back at some of our biggest wins.

COVID-19 lockdown and suspicious price hikes on big ticket items We tracked whitegoods retailers' daily prices and pinpointed some very timely price increases.

CHOICE Shiny Award winners Recognising kindness during the COVID-19 pandemic.

How to ask for a refund due to coronavirus cancellation Not sure if you're entitled to a refund for an event or service? Here's what you need to know.

5 ways to take control of your consumer rights Here are our top five things you can do right now to take control of your consumer rights, from getting the best deal to using your voice.

CHOICE CEO calls out businesses taking advantage of the COVID-19 coronavirus Op-ed: Alan Kirkland says watch out for misleading advertising, price gouging and shonky health claims.

Top tips for sales season Avoid sales fails with our top tips for the sales season.

Consumer product safety in the UK The head of consumer protection policy at our UK sister organisation explains how general safety laws help protect UK citizens.

Best and worst electronics stores Our survey results reveal the best shops and online stores for electrical appliances.

Should you buy electronic appliances online? CHOICE members share pros and cons of shopping with Australia's biggest online retailers.

Australia's weak product safety laws Businesses are not legally required to ensure the products they sell are safe.

When goods aren't fit for purpose It pays to know your legal rights when it comes to products that don't do what they should.

Fines, product safety and refunds targeted in final consumer law report Review recommends 19 legislative changes.

Refunds and returns – your rights If you need to return a purchase or get a refund, know your rights.

What do I do if my new car turns out to be a lemon? We explain your rights if something goes wrong with your new car.

Can you trust online reviews? Review sites can be a great source of information, but what happens when the review is just advertising in disguise?

CHOICE calls for a general safety provision New laws would make it illegal for Australian businesses to sell unsafe products.

Kogan refunds and returns policy shows room for improvement Is the online retailer playing fast and loose with Australian consumer guarantees?

How to handle a pushy salesperson What to do when salespeople try to stop you from walking away from a sale.

Are you owed a refund or compensation? If you've bought a dodgy product or been misled, check here to see if you're entitled to a court-ordered compensation or refund.

How long should your household appliances last? We look at the lifespan of washers, fridges, TVs, phones and more, and when you should repair vs replace.

Faulty cabling puts thousands of homes at risk of fire There's still 2000km worth of defective Infinity cabling in Australian households.

Beware the hidden conditions in your user agreement You may be clicking away your consumer rights when you're forced to agree to terms and conditions for most digital services.

Calls for product safety reporting to be made public How safe are your products? CHOICE has submitted a freedom of information request to find out.

Consumers could soon save by accessing their own data New government proposals around big data give consumers the power to unlock big savings.

NSW Fair Trading launches complaints register Real estate agencies LJ Hooker and Ray White top the list for customer complaints.

Non-disclosure agreements Can gag orders from the likes of Thermomix, Ford and Holden prevent you from criticising their products?

No refund in sight for Dick Smith gift card holders Administrator calls for liquidation, says company will have $260m shortfall.

CHOICE calls for Consumer Law changes CHOICE weighs in on the Australian Consumer Law Review suggesting six key changes to protect consumers.

Parents warned about kids casting scams Beware big promises for little return.

AGL fined for misleading marketing Mid-contract price changes coming under increasing scrutiny.

Consumer law and extended warranties 2013 Our shadow shop showed salespeople have a lot to learn about consumer law.

Do salespeople understand consumer law? Our shadow shop of Harvey Norman, JB Hi-Fi and the Good Guys found that salespeople are still struggling to understand consumer guarantees.

Why you should care about the TPP Access to cheap medicines, clear food labelling and public interest laws is under threat.

Customer service shadow shop We check up on Australia's retail service standards.

Dick Smith announces closure Embattled electronic retailer Dick Smith is set to close following an unsuccessful attempt to find a buyer.

Consumer organisations Fighting for consumers behind the scenes.

Dick Smith: every extended warranty will be honoured Extended warranties are okay, but manufacturer's warranties may be another matter.

Energy and mobile phone contracts rife with unfair contract terms Despite the ACL, unfair terms don't seem hard to come by.

Competition Policy Review delivers consumer reforms CHOICE supports competition policy recommendations, albeit with concerns in the area of human services.

Having trouble paying your electricity, gas or water bill? As power and water bills continue to rise, it's more important than ever to know your rights about disconnection.

In the dark on interest-free deals Be wary of interest-free finance offers – they could cost more than you expect.

Big business and penalties for bad behaviour Do big companies just treat monetary penalties as the cost of doing dodgy business?

Interest-free shopping offers Read the fine print before committing to a 'buy now, pay later' shopping scheme.

Nuisance calls CHOICE research shows that Australians are hounded by fundraising phone calls, with a quarter fielding requests for cash every week.

Signed TPP deal leaves Australians in the dark CHOICE calls for an independent inquiry of the benefits of the TPP.

The pros and cons of lay-by Lay-by can be a cheap and convenient way to manage your buying budget, but you should be aware of the pitfalls.

Trans-Pacific Partnership text revealed The TPP has been brought out into the light, but consumers are still in the dark.

Trans-Pacific Partnership: experts take on the intellectual property With the final intellectual property chapter recently leaked, CHOICE spoke to experts to find out how the TPP will affect Australians.

TPP secretly trading away your rights Negotiated behind closed doors, what effect will the Trans-Pacific Partnership have on consumer rights and privacy?

Trans-Pacific Partnership: what does it mean for you? With the final text presented to a Parliamentary inquiry, find out how the TPP will affect Australians.

Why you should care about the TPP Access to cheap medicines, clear food labelling and public interest laws is under threat.

Epic product fails: your top picks World Without Choice competition finds plenty to work with, but there can only be one winner.

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Know your consumer rights

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