Fair Trading Minister Virginia Judge today announced the top ten complaints made by consumers in 2010.

Ms Judge said residential building work complaints topped the 2010 list with 2,754 complaints, followed closely by whitegoods with 2,707 complaints.

“Fair Trading received a total of 41,811 complaints in 2010, compared to 39,970 in 2009 which is an increase of 4.6 per cent,” Ms Judge said.

“The good news is that the majority of complaints are resolved quickly, after Fair Trading intervention.

“More than 3,500 complaints were referred to the Consumer, Trader and Tenancy Tribunal (CTTT) and more than 4,000 were examined by Fair Trading investigators.

“A small number of complaints (648) were withdrawn and in 190 cases, the trader was in liquidation.”

Ms Judge said the top ten consumer complaints of 2010 were:

1. Residential Building Work, including major renovations.
2. Household Electrical and Whitegoods.
3. Automotive – used cars and motorcycles.
4. Goods, including furniture, furnishings and Manchester.
5. Automotive repairs and servicing.
6. Travel and Tourism.
7. Goods, including clothing, footwear and accessories.
8. Computer technology and hardware.
9. Professional Services.
10. Automotive – new cars and motorcycles.

Ms Judge said the key to consumer success was homework.

“It is important for consumers to know their entitlements when it comes to refunds, returns and consumer guarantees,” Ms Judge said.

“Every consumer should feel confident they are getting what they pay for.” Ms Judge said the new Australian Consumer Law which commenced on 1 January had created a clearer set of statutory consumer guarantees so that consumers better understand their rights.

She encouraged consumers to use the following tips to prevent problems in the marketplace:

• Know your rights and responsibilities.
• Keep your receipts as proof of purchase.
• Keep all documents, such as warranty information, repair or service information and instructions.
• First always try and negotiate with the seller, in person and/or in writing.
• Contact the seller regarding any concerns as soon as possible.
• Remain calm, cool-headed and polite.
• Be reasonable.
• If you encounter difficulties with a salesperson, ask to speak to someone more senior such as the store manager.
• Remind them of your statutory rights, and
• If you encounter any difficulties in negotiating with the seller contact Fair Trading on 13 32 20 for help and advice.

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