More than $275,000 for Cairns consumers

FOLLOWING a spike in consumer complaints since the pandemic, the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) has announced it has successfully clawed back almost $280,000 for Cairns consumers in 2022.

Attorney-General and Minister for Justice Shannon Fentiman said with more Queenslanders feeling the pressure from the rising cost of living; consumers must be getting what they paid for.

“Last year, the OFT finalised more than 660 complaints from Cairns consumers,” Minister Fentiman said.

“Queensland-wide OFT finalised more than 19,300 complaints and put more than $11.2 million back in consumers’ pockets.

“In Cairns, the highest number of consumer complaints continued to be for the personal and household goods industry.

“This category includes purchases of everyday items such as white goods, appliances, hardware, clothing and footwear – so it’s no surprise this continues to be at the top of the complaints list.

“However, since the pandemic, com- plaints have soared for these types of purchases, with more than a 50 per cent increase since 2019.

“There has also been an increase of more than 80 per cent in complaints for the personal and household services industry since the pandemic – this industry includes complaints about services such as whitegoods repairs, removalist services and cleaning companies,” she said.

These issues encountered by consumers in these sectors are expected to return closer to the trend as supply chain issues resolve.

In the meantime, consumers can protect themselves by asking questions – Is the item in stock? What date will I receive it? And will you provide a full refund if I don’t have it by that date? Consumers can lodge a complaint with the OFT if they still encounter problems.

In 2022 the OFT assisted thousands of Queenslanders in getting refunds, including obtaining a full refund of $38,000 for a consumer who was sold a dodgy camper trailer and helping a consumer in getting their new vinyl flooring replaced after the freshly laid flooring started to lift and became uneven.

The top five most complained about industries in Queensland in 2022:

• Personal and household goods (e.g. furniture, whitegoods, TVs, computers) - 6,256

Personal and household services (e.g. repairs to whitegoods, removalists services, cleaning, gardening, etc.)

– 2,719

• Motor vehicle sales – 1,340

• Real estate agents (excl resident letting) -1,101

• Motor vehicle service, repairs, parts

– 1,036

In the Cairns region, a total of 660 complaints were finalised, mainly from the personal and household goods industry, personal and household services industry, motor vehicle sales industry, motor vehicle service, repairs and parts industry and real estate agents. The OFT obtained a redress of $279,732 for these consumers.

While the OFT does not have the power to direct a trader to provide redress, it can resolve the majority of disputes through conciliation.