Australian Consumer Law Industry Guides Released

New industry specific guides to help businesses better understand and adhere to the Australian Consumer Law (ACL) have been released today.
NSW Fair Trading Commissioner Rod Stowe said the guides provide specific information to help businesses operating in the electrical and whitegoods; travel and accommodation; personal services; motor vehicle sales and repair; and, rental car industries.
“The guides have been developed by consumer protection agencies across Australia to address issues where industry bodies have asked for more detailed guidance for business and consumers who have frequently reported problems,” he said.
“The guides contain practical advice and common examples of situations where the ACL applies, with particular reference to the legal rights and obligations created by consumer guarantees.
“The guides supplement a series of general ACL guides for business and legal practitioners, also available from Fair Trading.”
Mr Stowe said it was important for businesses to understand their responsibilities under the ACL.
“A common misunderstanding by retailers relates to their responsibilities to deal with defective goods rather than referring consumers to product manufacturers,” he said.
“Guidance is also provided about appropriate remedies when consumers suffer losses associated with a service provider’s failure to meet consumer guarantees, for example, providing a service within a specified timeframe.”
The ACL is Australia’s national consumer law, replacing previous consumer protection laws in the Commonwealth, states and territories.
The ACL applies at the Commonwealth level and in each state and territory.
The new guides are available at fairtrading.nsw.gov.au