The Office of Fair Trading has successfully returned over $11 million to Queensland consumers after a spike of consumer complaints during the pandemic and subsequent cost-of-living crisis. Source: Nick Youngson/Alpha Stock Images
$11.2 million has been successfully clawed back by the Office of Fair Trading (OFT), following a spike in consumer complaints across a range of industries due to trends caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
In a press release by the Queensland Government, Attorney-General and Minister for Justice Shannon Fentiman noted the importance of the win during the current cost-of-living crisis due to the importance for consumers to get what they paid for, along with value for money.
In the press release, Minister Fentiman says, “Last year the OFT finalised more than 19,300 complaints from Queensland consumers.”
“And the highest number of consumer complaints continued to be for the personal and household goods industry – with the OFT finalising more than 6,200 complaints.
“This category includes purchases of everyday items such as whitegoods, appliances, hardware, clothing and footwear – so it’s no surprise this continues to be at the top of the complaints list.
“However, since the pandemic, complaints have soared for these types of purchases, with more than a 50 per cent increase since 2019.
“There has also been an increase of more than 80 per cent in complaints for the personal and household services industry since the pandemic – this industry includes complaints about services such as whitegoods repairs, removalist services and cleaning companies.”
The OTF is closely monitoring issues related to pent-up demand and supply chain issues caused the COVID-19 pandemic, which typically lead to an increase of consumer complaints.
The OTF has won refunds across a wide range of products, including $3,400 for a cancelled airline flight, to $38,000 for a consumer that was sold a dodgy camper trailer that needed new flooring. The largest win was $46,000 for a vehicle that had been mis-advertised.
According to the OTF, the top five industries that received the most complaints in Queensland in 2022 were:
- Personal and household goods (e.g. furniture, whitegoods, TVs, computers) — 6,256
- Personal and household services (e.g. repairs to whitegoods, removalists services, cleaning, gardening, etc) — 2,719
- Motor vehicle sales — 1,340
- Real estate agents (excluding resident letting) — 1,101
- Motor vehicle service, repairs, and parts — 1,036
The OTF recommends that consumers protect themselves by doing their homework and asking questions such as, “Is the item in stock? What date will I receive it? And will you provide a full refund if I don’t have it by that date?” This advice is particularly important now due to the significant increase in the cost-of-living.
Consumers who believe they have been poorly treated and are unable to achieve a resolution with a trader can lodge a complaint with the OFT at www.qld.gov.au/law/fair-trading or by calling 13 QGOV (13 74 68).
