Why talk about scams? In this week’s podcast we chat with Tom Chapman from Consumer Protection WA during Scam Awareness Week. Talking about scams can help prevent scams by making us aware of what actually is a scam – sometimes we don’t realise, or don’t want to admit we’ve been tricked. Let’s take away the taboo so that we can get help if we’ve been duped, and also help prevent future scams for ourselves and our friends and family. Listen to hear some tips about things that can catch us all out.

In this week’s podcast with Tom Chapman from Consumer Protection WA, we talk about ticket scalping and the new laws to protect us from over-priced reselling of tickets. Anyone can now sell on a ticket with a maximum of 10% mark-up. This applies no matter how many times a ticket is sold on – i.e., no more than 10% mark-up on the original ticket price. Listen to our podcast to find out more about the details, such as when ticket terms and conditions state “cannot be resold”, competition tickets, and not accepting offers of more than 10% extra!

This week’s podcast with Tom Chapman, Consumer Protection Officer in the Kimberley is back to scams because the scammers are always looking for ways to hook you in and rip you off! If you get an unexpected call, and the caller threatens or pressures you to act – don’t be panicked into responding. No legitimate caller will harass you. Take your time, have some healthy suspicion, and tell them you’re going to confirm what they’re telling you and check it out for yourself. Scammers have the means to hijack or appear to come from a genuine or named number, so don’t fooled – if they’re legitimate, they’ll be happy for you to verify the call, but if they sound dubious, they probably are. 

Our second podcast about buying a home looks at what you need to know and check around documentation. Tom Chapman, Consumer Protection Officer in the Kimberley describes the offer and acceptance process that is used for most domestic sales and purchases in WA, and the two documents involved – the contract of sale, and the joint form of general conditions. These are standard documents but clauses and variations can be agreed and written into them, so it’s most important not to sign unless both seller and purchaser are in full agreement on all the terms. There’s no cooling off period on offer and acceptance contracts! Listen to our podcast to find out more so you’re prepared when it comes to the paperwork for buying your home.

It’s not all plain sailing when you’re travelling on the road this year! With increased tourism in the Kimberley, travellers needing vehicle repairs or parts may experience delays, and that may have a domino effect on their subsequent bookings. If you run into trouble, such as overheating, suspecting bad fuel or other issues, it may be tempting to drive on but with long distances involved, it’s important to weigh up the costs if you do that and cause the problem to worsen. Plus, what to do when fuel prices don’t match FuelWatch. Listen to our podcast with Tom Chapman, Consumer Protection Officer in the Kimberley for more information about the things to consider.

In this first podcast about buying a home, Tom Chapman, Consumer Protection Officer in the Kimberley covers some of the basics. In the current tight rental market, some people are turning to buy their own home. It can be a great option but it’s important to understand both the process and the market. Don’t rush in as it can be costly to back out of a contract. Know who’s who and who they represent – the seller’s agent must act in the best interest of the vendor to get them the best price; they’re not there to act for the buyer. There is a code of conduct though, regulated by Consumer Protection, so agents must disclose material facts – listen to our podcast to find out what that means and other key information you should know before you start house hunting.

With more people shopping online these days, it’s one thing to research the goods you want to buy – it’s also important to research the seller. Be sure to buy from legitimate stores – check their reviews, don’t just go for what may be the cheapest online shop. Make sure you’re happy with the return policy before you buy. If goods are faulty or not as described, consider the time and cost of dealing with returns. And with lots of payment options, some like PayPal, eBay and credit cards have extra protection and resolution methods, while others like the “buy now pay later” services may not be as good for the shopper when things go wrong. Listen to our podcast with Tom Chapman, Consumer Protection Officer in the Kimberley for more information about all these points.

The second hand goods market is great for picking up a bargain – but do your homework because you don’t have the same consumer rights when buying from private sellers. How do you know if a seller is private or a business? It can be hard to tell, especially with online shopping. It’s good to check the seller’s reviews. Are they selling lots of the same item? Do they have proper contact information? Listen to our podcast with Tom Chapman, Consumer Protection Officer in the Kimberley for more information and more tips – and if unsure, dial before you buy. Consumer Protection can give you more advice on what to look out for.

Property tenancy laws are in place to ensure repairs are handled appropriately, but it’s good to know who’s responsible and the timeframes that are reasonable for getting repairs done. This includes urgent repairs for essential services, including when something breaks over a weekend. And consider tenants’ responsibility for reporting breakages and not letting things go un-reported, which might lead to further damage. Tom Chapman, Consumer Protection Officer in the Kimberley, talks about all these points as well as what to do if repairs don’t get dealt within that reasonable timeframe.

Consumer directed care packages enable people to purchase the things they need, including paying for services. Their consumer rights are exactly the same as if they paid using cash or card. We recap on those rights with Tom Chapman, Consumer Protection Officer in the Kimberley. If you’re not getting what you paid for under your package, or feel like you’re losing out, it’s important for you, a member of your family or your support worker to contact Consumer Protection for advice.