With the Boxing Day sales now here, a new survey from CHOICE has revealed that young Australians are most likely to ask for a refund, replacement or repair compared to other age groups.
The survey found that 49 per cent of respondents aged 18 to 34 have asked for a refund, replacement or repair in the last five years because a product did not work or was not what they asked for.
Only 24 per cent of respondents aged 65 to 75 had asked for a refund, replacement or repair in the same situation.
“While we’re happy to see 49 per cent of young Australians leading the charge when asking for a refund, replacement or repair, we want all Australians to feel just as confident in exercising their consumer rights when they need to,” CHOICE Director of Campaigns and Communications Erin Turner said.
CHOICE has released its top tips for exercising your consumer rights at any time of the year.
1. Know your rights
“Australian businesses are bound by the Australian Consumer Law,” Ms Turner said.
“The Australian Consumer Law was designed to be easy to understand and use. Getting familiar with your rights will give you the confidence to assert them if something goes wrong.
“If a product doesn’t work properly or breaks before it reasonably should, you can get a free fix. Depending on the issue, you’ll be owed either a refund, replacement or repair.”
Change of mind purchases aren’t covered by Australian Consumer Law.
2. Don’t pay for rights you already have
“Avoid extended warranties,” Ms Turner said.
“Businesses will sometimes try to sell you an extended warranty, saying that it’s necessary for extra protection. However, in most cases, extended warranties are not worth purchasing.
“This is because the Australian Consumer Law provides you with consumer guarantees that the products you buy will do what you expect them to do. These consumer guarantees apply even if the product’s warranty suggests otherwise.
“If a salesperson is pushing an extended warranty, ask them ‘what does this provide me that I don’t already get under the Australian Consumer Law?'”
3. Keep your receipts
“Keeping a record of your purchase is always important, especially for high value purchases,” Ms Turner said.
“In the worst case scenario, a company or manufacturer might not respect your consumer rights and you may need to go to a court or a tribunal. If this happens, good record keeping will increase your chances of a good result.
“If you’ve lost your receipt, don’t panic. The ACCC says proof of purchase can include a credit or debit card statement, a lay-by agreement, and even a serial or production number linked with the purchase on the supplier’s or manufacturer’s database.”
4. What to do if something goes wrong
“If you’ve purchased a shonky product or service, you’ll want to get in contact with the company to let them know – the sooner the better,” Ms Turner said.
“While this should be enough to get help with a faulty product or service, some companies might be resistant to help.
“We’ve seen companies play legal games for months or years over a consumer issue, only to fold the moment you say you’ll go public. Some companies show they value their customers by being quick to respond, others wait for a more formal complaint and some will respond to an authority like a regulator.
“The key is to know what your rights are, to be assertive and confident.”
