Fair Trading Minister Virginia Judge today gave some simple tips that school leavers could follow to protect them from losing their money or the roof over their head during Schoolies Week.

Ms Judge said that while it is appropriate that a lot of attention around Schoolies Week activities is focused on the effects of drugs, alcohol and behaviour, it is also important to remind school leavers of their consumer rights and responsibilities.

“For many young people this will be their first experience looking after a holiday budget and paying their way, so the following tips could help,” Ms Judge said.

• When it comes to accommodation, read the fine print! Don’t find out you’ve breached house rules you didn’t know about. You can lose all the money you paid and find yourself without a bed. These rules might be restrictions on barbeque areas, pools, noise or the number of people allowed in the rooms.
• Get what you pay for! Is the advertised price for the room or for each person? Are there any hidden charges for cleaning or linen? And be careful with the minibar!
• You break it, you buy it! You may be liable for any damage you cause to your accommodation. Inspect it when you arrive to make sure nothing’s broken or damaged. If it is, you can even take a photo or a video to make sure the owner is aware.
• If you mess it up, clean it up! A lot of accommodation providers will hit you with big cleaning charges for making a mess. Again, read the fine print.
• Get receipts! Whether it's accommodation or clothes, it’s difficult to get your money back when you can’t prove you paid for something. A receipt is the best way to protect yourself if you end up in a dispute over something you’ve purchased.
• Buyer beware! If a deal seems too good to be true you can bet it is. Be wary of anyone offering deals for accommodation, tours or tickets on the street. There are scammers in all walks of life and Schoolies is no different.

Ms Judge said Schoolies can call NSW Fair Trading on 13 32 20 for advice.

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