Making a complaint or an enquiry
Steps to help resolve your problem with a trader or business
Consumer Protection provides a service to help you to resolve your complaints with traders or business in Western Australia.Additionally, if you have a problem with a product or service you purchased in another state or territory of Australia, please discuss it with us. If we believe the trader has acted inappropriately, you can lodge a complaint with us and we will follow our normal complaint handling processes to try to resolve the complaint. If we are unable to resolve the matter for you, we will contact the fair trading agency in the state or territory where the transaction took place for assistance. We will let you know if the complaint is then transferred to that agency for conciliation.
Consumer Complaint Checklist
You may find the Consumer Complaint Checklist useful for checking off what records you need to keep and for useful tips on getting you through each step. Please contact us if you just want to make an enquiry or you need any assistance.
These four steps may help you resolve your problem with a shop or business:
1. Know your rights and responsibilities
Find out about your rights and responsibilities. Before you go back to the shop or business, it’s helpful to know where you stand legally. You may have more rights than you think or the shop or business may be within their rights. Knowing where you stand can help you argue your case.
2. Talk to the shop or business involved
Sometimes a problem can be sorted out most effectively and efficiently just by sitting down together and talking things over. Keep a list of the phone calls you have made and the people you have spoken to.
3. Put it in writing
If talking it over doesn’t work, put it in writing. This will be useful if you need to take further action. The sample letters section has some useful information about how to go about it.
4. Make a formal complaint
If your problem still isn’t resolved after following steps 1,2 and 3, you can contact Consumer Protection to make a formal complaint (find out what happens when you make a complaint). You may also be able to take your complaint to the Magistrates Court.