In Australia, the Competition and Consumer Act of 2010 (which was formerly known as the Trade Practices Act of 1974), provides many protections for consumers. The national body also regulates consumer affairs for the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission.
In many instances, the Australian Consumer Law (ACL) provides very specific protections. For example, it safeguards against misleading and deception conduct or misrepresentation. As such, if someone has sold you a product or service that did not do what it was promised to, you could be able to recover damages.
The ACL also provides general protections in that it requires traders to act in good faith when interacting with customers. This means you may also be entitled to recover damages if a merchant imposed unconscionable conduct on you or subjected you to unfair contract proceedings.
If you are a consumer looking for advice or a business that is likely to be affected by the Competition and Consumer Act, we invite you to contact us.