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Complaints about goods & services

There are laws to protect consumers when they are buying goods. This includes buying things online or door-to-door, buying goods on lay-by and getting refunds.

The law also covers services, such as work by tradespeople and utility company services (like gas and electricity suppliers).

Consumer Affairs Victoria

Consumer Affairs Victoria (CAV) deals with complaints about the supply of goods and services by a trader. A trader can be a corporation (a company), a small business or an individual.

CAV can give advice about how your complaint should be handled and information about your consumer rights. CAV also offers a dispute resolution service.

You can contact CAV if you are dissatisfied with a trader’s response to your complaint about goods or services that have been misrepresented or do not work.

Common complaints that CAV deals with include:

  • car and motorbike issues, including contracts, refusal to carry out warranty work and poor-quality repair work
  • issues with credit providers and finance brokers relating to a contract for the provision of credit
  • disputes with tradespeople about contracts, failure to meet completion dates and other complaints related to domestic building
  • issues with electricity, gas and water providers
  • false or misleading advertising.

See the CAV website (link below) for contact details and information about their services.

Other organisations

  • The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) deals with consumer complaints about misleading or deceptive conduct in the provision of goods and services by companies trading in Victoria and interstate. A complaint form is available on the ACCC website (link below).

  • VicRoads (link below) handles complaints about the accuracy of roadworthiness certificates for used cars and motorbikes bought privately or from a used car or motorbike dealer. 

  • The Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal's (VCAT) Civil Claims List hears disputes about the sale, supply or hire of goods and services of any value, including debt recovery. You can make a claim under laws relating to fair trading, domestic building contracts, motor car trading, retail leases or small claims.

    VCAT's Domestic Building List (link below) hears disputes about building, renovating, extending or repairing a home, including landscaping and paving. Most of the disputes heard are about money owing, defective work or appeals against decisions by insurers. Parties making claims to VCAT pay their own legal costs whether they win or lose.

  • The Energy and Water Ombudsman (Victoria) (EWOV) can help if you can't sort out problems with your electricity, gas (natural or LPG) or water provider. EWOV's services are free. See the EWOV website (link below) for more information.

    Common issues that EWOV handles include:
    • billing
    • disconnections and restrictions
    • supply interruptions
    • credit and payment services
    • refundable advances – security deposits
    • issues to do with changing electricity or gas retailer
    • land and property issues about electricity, gas and water services
  • The Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman (link below) offers free help to anyone who can’t resolve a complaint directly with their telephone company or internet provider.

More information

Credit

Debt

Related websites

Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (new window)

Consumer Affairs Victoria (new window)

Energy and Water Ombudsman (new window)

VicRoads (new window)

VCAT Civil Disputes – Small Claims (new window)

VCAT – Domestic Building List (new window)

Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman (new window)

How we can help

Victoria Legal Aid doesn’t give legal advice about consumer complaints, but our free Legal Information Service may be able to give you some information over the phone. We may also be able to refer you to another organisation that can help you. You can speak to a legal information officer in English or ask for an interpreter.

Phone (03) 9269 0120 or 1800 677 402 (country callers), Monday to Friday from 8.45 am to 5.15 pm.

To find out more about any of our legal services see What we do.

Who else can help?

The Consumer Action Law Centre (new window) gives free legal advice and representation to vulnerable and disadvantaged consumers across Victoria. If you are an individual consumer in a dispute with a credit provider, the centre can give you free advice on your rights and obligations.