Fair Trading Minister Virginia Judge today urged the parents and carers of more than one million students returning to school to exercise caution when buying back to school items.

“School bags, uniforms, stationery and electronic goods are all important to a student’s academic success, but they can be expensive, especially bigger ticket items like computers and laptops,” Ms Judge said.

The following tips apply:

• Know your rights and responsibilities including refund policies
• Make sure you keep receipts
• Plan ahead
• Shop around for the best prices
• Avoid impulse purchases and
• Stick to your budget. 

Ms Judge said people should make sure they keep receipts and if any products have defects or fail to do what they claim to do, take them back to the place of purchase.

“The seller has an obligation to ensure goods are of acceptable quality,” she said.

“Make sure you buy the right product for the purpose. You aren’t entitled to a refund because you bought the wrong thing. Beware of buying expensive and unnecessary applications for technology.”

Ms Judge urged shoppers to be careful about the cost of purchases and manage debt carefully.

“Avoid putting costly purchases on the credit card and be very careful when you enter into ‘interest-free’ deals, which often slug consumers with high interest repayments once the free period expires,” she said.

“Where possible, use lay-by for expensive goods but be mindful of the expenses incurred if you cancel the lay-by.

“The seller has the right to charge all reasonable costs that incur as a result of the cancellation.”

Ms Judge said anyone experiencing difficulty meeting compulsory school expenses should speak to their school principal in confidence.

“NSW Fair Trading can help anyone who is unsure about any aspect of their consumer rights and responsibilities,” she said.

“Call Fair Trading on 13 32 20 or go to the Fair Trading website."

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