A new Government-endorsed Point-of-Sale sign will give consumers clear information about their rights to refunds and replacements, said Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasurer, David Bradbury.
Mr Bradbury launched the sign at the Consumers 2011 Conference in Sydney today.
"The new national Point-of-Sale sign will be available to all retailers in Australia and clearly identifies consumers' rights to refunds and returns at the location they are most likely to be thinking about them – the cash register," said Mr Bradbury.
"The new sign is part of the range of information materials that have been developed by Australian Governments and regulators to raise awareness of consumers' rights and obligations under the new Australian Consumer Law (ACL).
"A consumers' right to a repair, replacement or refund is often the source of many disputes between consumers and traders.
"The ACL, which came into effect on 1 January this year, new consumer guarantees mean that businesses dealing with defective goods must provide a repair, replacement or refund, and if there is a major failure with an item, the consumer has the right to chose the remedy, including requesting a refund.
"The new Point-of-Sale sign clearly outlines what a consumers' rights are, making it easier for consumers and businesses to deal with defective goods and services.
"The new sign complements other consumer rights information material, like the Your Shopping Rights information sheet, which has been published in 29 community languages, and the MyShopRights iPhone app that lets consumers find relevant parts of the law in plain English while they are on the go.
"If consumers encounter any problems when dealing with goods and services supplied by a business they should contact their State or Territory's fair trading office, or the ACCC on 1300 302 502."
For a copy of the new Point-of-Sale sign and any other ACL information, go to www.consumerlaw.gov.au.
7 June 2011