Case studies - international students
Ben’s faulty laptop
Ben bought a laptop from a discount shop. It worked for a day and broke down so the store sent it to a repairer. The laptop worked for 2 more weeks and broke down again. Ben called Fair Trading who explained the consumer guarantees law. If a product has a serious fault Ben can reject it and get a refund or a replacement. Ben returned to the shop and told the owner the repair did not solve the problem and he wanted a new laptop. When the shop owner refused, Ben explained about consumer guarantees and got a new laptop.
Top of pageDanica's ringtone disaster
Danica recently updated her phone to the latest model and wanted to add a unique ringtone to it. She found the ringtone she wanted on the internet and downloaded it but did not read the conditions in the small print. Soon after Danica started receiving text messages and discovered she was being charged for a service she did not want. She called the phone company to disconnect from the service but was unsuccessful and still continued to receive messages and was charged for them. Danica then called the Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman who helped her to resolve the issue.
Fatima's bond money
Fatima had been renting a unit for a few years and when she moved out the real estate agent inspected the unit without asking her to be there. When she asked about getting the bond money back, the agent told her that she would not be getting her bond back because she damaged the kitchen counter top and they would have to use the bond money to buy a new one. Fatima did not agree with it as there were just a few scratches on the counter, nothing big. Fatima called Fair Trading for help. Fair Trading helped negotiate with the agent to get Fatima’s money back as the scratches were from normal wear and tear.
Pradeep's gym sessions
Pradeep heard about an offer for a 2-week ‘obligation free’ trial for a gym and decided to try it out. To get the free trial the gym staff asked him to fill out a form with his credit card details. Pradeep was assured that he would not be charged if he decided not to join the gym after the 2-week trial ended. Two weeks later Pradeep decided not to join the gym. Later he noticed on his credit card statement that the gym still charged him a $60 monthly membership fee. He spoke to the gym manager asking for his money back but the manager refused, saying the form he signed was a membership contract and could not be cancelled. Pradeep called Fair Trading, who explained his rights and helped him to get the gym to refund his money.