Top 10 consumer complaints in NSW: new government figures

By Esther Han
Updated August 1 2014 - 6:08pm, first published 2:54pm
Electrical, whitegoods and gas appliances drew the most complaints. Photo: Rob Homer
Electrical, whitegoods and gas appliances drew the most complaints. Photo: Rob Homer
Tenancy complaints made the top 10 list for the first time.
Tenancy complaints made the top 10 list for the first time.

A record number of tenancy-related complaints were made to the state’s consumer watchdog in the past year, propelling the category into the top 10 list of consumer complaints for the first time.

New data from NSW Fair Trading shows that 45,108 complaints from consumers were made in 2013-14, up by more than a thousand on the previous year.

More than 1500 complaints related to tenancy issues, such as rental increases, condition reports and inspections, were lodged. The category sits in sixth place on the list.

“The reason for the increase is the complaints service, which we introduced in December 2013 … tenants are coming to Fair Trading in larger numbers to actually access our dispute resolution opportunity," said Fair Trading Minister Matthew Mason-Cox. "We provide an alternative to going to the [NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal].

“We resolved 1362 without the need to go to the tribunal [in the past financial year]. That’s a huge result.”

Topping the list was the product category of electrical, whitegoods and gas appliances, with 2537 complaints received in the past year, followed by used cars, furniture and manchester.

Many grievances were linked with new goods failing to work and retailers refusing to provide after-sales services.

Fair Trading pinpointed the case of a customer’s refrigerator breaking down within the warranty period. She complained repeatedly for three months to the retailer and manufacturer, before lodging an official complaint with Fair Trading. She received a new fridge at no charge.

Disputes about which defects should be repaired under the warranty on used motor vehicles are also common.

In another case, a customer purchased a used car and had the tyres replaced by a professional fitter. The owner was told there were issues with the car’s front suspension.

He confronted the dealer, who insisted there was no warranty defect. But an inspection for a pink slip carried out shortly after confirmed there was a problem.

He paid for the repairs, and then made a complaint to Fair Trading. The dealer agreed to cover the repair costs.

“Australian Consumer Law offers consumers a comprehensive set of rights when purchasing goods or services, known as consumer guarantees,” Mr Mason-Cox said.

“A consumer has a right to remedy when goods don’t meet a guarantee. This may include repair, replacement and refund of a faulty product.

Product category “vouchers and coupons” and service category “parking”, which both appeared in last year’s list, dropped out.

Top 10 consumer complaints in 2013-14 were:

  1. Electrical, electronic, whitegoods and gas appliance (2537)
  2. Used cars (2221)
  3. Furniture, furnishings and Manchester (2165)
  4. Clothing, footwear, accessories and jewellery (2087)
  5. House construction (1829)
  6. Tenancy, bonds, residential parks (1522)
  7. Automotive - repairs and maintenance (1514)
  8. New cars (1338)
  9. Travel and tourism (1291)
  10. Mobile and smart phones (937)

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