Our main aim with any serious complaint is to stop it happening again.
We may be able to gain an outcome for you, but this is a secondary issue for us.
When a business has broken the law, we can:
- notify them and seek their help to fix the problem
- get the business to follow the law in the future
- formally warn them
- publicly warn consumers not to trade with them
- issue them with a fine
- take the business to court
- seek a court order to ban the business from operating.
When deciding what action to take we consider:
- if the breach was deliberate
- if they tried to fix the problem
- how many consumers were affected
- how long it has been going on for and if it is likely to continue
- if the business has done this before.
Interstate businesses
If a Tasmanian consumer or business has a problem with an item bought in another state or territory, we can:
- tell you whether the business may have acted illegally
- advise whether you can lodge a complaint with us
- attempt to resolve the issue with the business
- refer you to the fair trading agency in the businesses state or territory.