Your consumer rights
You have rights that protect you:
- when you shop in a store or online
- when you buy from someone who comes to your door
- when you buy from someone who calls you on the phone.
You have the right to:
- take your time and ask for what you want
- ask for a better price
- say no if you don’t want the goods or services offered
- be treated fairly
- be given all the important and correct information—businesses must not tell you things to confuse or trick you into buying their goods or services.
It doesn't matter whether you paid for the goods or services yourself, as a National Disability Insurance Scheme participant, or through Queensland’s disability support system. Your consumer rights still apply.
Casey: Hello. I'm Casey
Reece: And I'm Reece.
Casey: We're here to talk to you about your rights when you buy something.
Reece: We all have rights. And our rights look after us and protect us.
Casey: The law gives us these rights. We have rights even before we decide to buy things. The right to look around for the same item in other shops.
Reece: The right to look around for the same item in other shops.
Casey: The right to ask the person you are buying from lots of questions.
Reece: The right to ask the person you are buying from lots of questions.
Casey: And the right to take your time in deciding what you want to buy.
Reece: The right to take your time in deciding what you want to buy.
Casey: Remembering these rights is called being a smart shopper.
Reece: Smart shopper.
Casey: Do you know that we also have rights after we buy things and something goes wrong? These rights are called consumer rights.
Reece: Consumer rights.
Casey: Sometimes you buy things and they don't work.
Customer: My brand new toaster! Well, I am taking that back to the shop.
Reece: Really?
Casey: Yes. If something goes wrong, you have the right to have it fixed.
Reece: The right to get a brand new one the same.
Casey: Or the right to get your money back.
Casey and Reece: Repair. Replace. Refund.
Reece: Do you have to do anything special?
Casey: Yes. When you buy things, the seller has to give you a receipt. If they don't give you one, you have the right to ask for it.
Reece: A receipt is a piece of paper that shows where you bought something and how much you paid.
Casey: Exactly. And if something goes wrong, you can take the item back to the shop with the receipt or something else that shows you bought it there and show them.
Customer: I bought this here and it's not working.
Seller: Oh, I'm sorry about that. If you have the receipt, I'll give you a refund or replace your toaster with a new one right now. It's your choice.
Customer: I'd like a replacement toaster, please.
Seller: Here you are.
Customer: Thank you.
Casey: If you need help with buying things or returning things, do you know who to ask?
Reece: Ask someone you trust to help you like a family member, friend or another person in your support network.
Casey: That's right. Remembering all these things will make you a smart shopper.
But sometimes people will try to sell you things you don't even want.
Reece: So we have to remember other rights like the right to say no and the right to say I'll think about it.
Casey: Because some people might even come to your door to sell you something you do not want.
Reece: And you have the right to say no or to say I will think about it.
Casey: Yes. You even have the right to ask them to leave.
Door to door salesperson: Hi. I'm here to sell you this fantastic new vacuum cleaner.
Person: Sorry, I'm not interested in a new vacuum cleaner. Please leave.
Door to door salesperson: Come on. Let me in. I think you do need this new vacuum cleaner.
Person: My answer is no.
Reece: There is another way someone might try to sell you something you do not need.
Casey and Reece: The telephone.
Person: Hello?
Telemarketer: Hello. Have I got a deal for you. We are selling discount TV sets.
Person: I'm sorry. I don't need a TV. My answer is no, thank you.
Casey: I have the right to be a smart shopper.
Reece: I have the right to shop around.
Casey: I have the right to ask the seller a lot of questions.
Reece: I have the right to take my time in deciding what to buy.
Casey: I have the right to a repair, replacement or refund if something is wrong or doesn't work.
Reece: I have the right to say no.
Casey: And I have the right to ask someone I trust for help.
Reece: It's a lot to remember.
Casey: Yes, but you can watch this again or ask someone you trust about it anytime.
Reece: I've learned a lot today.
Casey: Well done Reece, and well done you. That's the end.
Reece: Let's go shopping.
Casey: Okay. As long as it's smart shopping.
Reece: Right.
Casey: If you're not sure about something, find out what your rights are. For more information about your rights, contact your local consumer protection agency, speak to your support networks or speak to someone you trust.
Repairs, replacements and refunds
When you buy goods or services, they come with automatic guarantees set out under the Australian Consumer Law (ACL). These include that:
- goods are of an acceptable quality
- goods will match their description or any sample or demonstration model
- goods and services will be fit for their usual purpose or any purpose you told the seller about, and that they said it would work for
- services will be provided with due care and skill and in a reasonable time.
If something goes wrong and the good or service does not meet a consumer guarantee, you have a right to a repair, replacement or refund for goods, or to have a service fixed.
If the failure to meet the guarantee for goods is big, you have the right to choose how the failure will be fixed. If it is small, the business chooses.
Find more information on guarantees, warranties and refunds.
It's ok to say no
When you're out looking at goods or services, or you get approached at home, you may want the seller to stop talking to you or to leave.
You never have to agree to buy something or to sign a contract.
Take your time and don't be rushed into buying or signing anything you aren't happy with or don't understand.
If you feel like a seller is forcing you to buy or sign something, you can tell them things like:
- you have changed your mind and you don't want it
- that you need to talk to someone else and take some time to think about it.
Learn more about about door-to-door and telephone selling.
More information
Find out more about your consumer rights by accessing:
- the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission's
- the Office of Fair Trading's
Find out where to go for advice or complaints, including complaints about the NDIS.