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Consumer Affairs Victoria logo
  • Housing and accommodation

    Renting

    • Types of rental agreements
    • Leases and notices
    • Rental bond and condition report
    • Rent and other payments
    • Standards, repairs and entry rights
    • Ending a lease or residency
    • Using a property manager
    • Tenancy databases
    • Renting a home - audio guide

    Buying and selling property

    • Buying property
    • Selling property
    • Property data
    • Compensation claims
    • Resources

    Building and renovating

    • Choosing a builder or tradesperson
    • Owner builders
    • Buying and building process
    • Building defects, delays and disputes
    • Building warranties, insurance and insolvency
    • Extensions and renovations
    • Building definitions

    Owners corporations

    • Buying into an owners corporation
    • Running an owners corporation
    • Rules and resolving disputes
    • Property maintenance
    • Finance, insurance and record keeping
    • Owners corporations definitions

    Retirement villages

    • What is a retirement village?
    • Fees and charges
    • Choosing a retirement village
    • Public register of retirement villages
    • Living in a retirement village
    • Leaving a retirement village
    • Guide for retirement village living - audio guide

    In the industry?

    Information for estate agents, conveyancers, owners corporation managers, builders and tradespeople, and retirement village operators.

  • Shopping

    Refunds and returns

    • Change of mind
    • Problems with a product
    • Problems with a service
    • Receipts
    • Sales, seconds, factory outlets, second hand
    • Online purchases
    • Store policies
    • Uncollected goods left for repair or treatment
    • When a company goes bust

    Warranties

    • Types of warranties
    • Warranty cards
    • Warranty has expired
    • Repairs and replacements
    • Store or manufacturer responsibility

    Daily deals and gift vouchers

    • Group buying and daily deals
    • Gift vouchers and gift cards

    Lay-bys

    Find out about your rights and obligations when you cancel a lay-by, if the lay-by price changes, or if you are late with a payment.

    Contracts and sales calls

    • Contracts
    • Door-to-door sales
    • Telemarketing

    Advertising and promotions

    • Cash-back and bonus offers
    • Bait advertising
    • Misleading or deceptive conduct

    Product safety for consumers

    • Curtain and blind cord safety
    • Toy and Nursery Safety Line
    • Banned products and product recalls

    Energy products and services

    • What are energy products and services?
    • Tips for buying energy products and services
    • Solar energy
    • Smart meters
    • Energy and water efficiency
    • Switching and price comparison services

    MyShopRights app

    Download our free app for information on your refund, warranty and lay-by rights - available for iphone and Android.

    In the industry?

    Find out more in our fair trading section.

  • Motor cars

    Buying a new car

    • Before you buy a new car
    • 'Cash price' and 'drive away price'
    • Additional fees and charges
    • Cooling-off period
    • Warranties
    • Rent-to-buy and novated leasing
    • Running costs and depreciation

    Buying a used car

    • Before you buy a used car
    • Additional fees and charges
    • Vehicle status check
    • Ways to buy a used car
    • Cooling-off period
    • Warranties
    • Running costs and depreciation

    Compensation claims

    • Motor Car Traders Guarantee Fund
    • Who can make a claim?
    • What claims are covered?
    • What claims are not covered?
    • How to make a claim
    • What happens when you make a claim?
    • Appeal rights
    • False information
    • Privacy

    Maintenance and repairs

    • Maintaining your car
    • Services and repairs
    • Getting your car towed after an accident

    Selling a car

    Get information on selling your car privately, with a trade-in, or at auction. We also provide details on transfer of registration and roadworthy certificates.

    Car hire

    When you hire a car, you are entitled to a number of ‘consumer guarantees’. Find out how to protect yourself when you hire a car.

    In the industry?

    Information for motor car traders.

  • Clubs and
    not-for-profits

    Incorporated associations

    • What is an incorporated association?
    • Should your club incorporate?
    • Become an incorporated association
    • Running an incorporated association
    • Search for an incorporated association
    • Fines
    • Fees, forms and online transactions

    Fundraisers

    • What is a fundraiser?
    • Search for a registered fundraiser
    • Registration
    • Responsibilities
    • Fines

    Patriotic funds

    • What are patriotic funds?
    • Establish a patriotic fund
    • Trustee responsibilities
    • Annual statement audit requirements
    • Using patriotic funds
    • Close a patriotic fund
    • How we enforce the law

    Grants

    • Victorian Property Fund grants
    • Consumer Credit Fund grants
  • Resources and education

    Other languages

    Find information about our services in 20 community languages.

    Forms and publications

    View a complete list of our forms and publications.

    Legislation

    • Legislation we administer
    • Public consultations and reviews

    Research

    Get information on current and past research papers by Consumer Affairs Victoria.

    Scams

    • Avoiding scams
    • If you are scammed
    • Travelling con men
    • Small business scams
    • Scams quiz

    Advice in a disaster

    • Business recovery
    • Buying and selling property
    • Damaged vehicles
    • Flood-damaged products
    • Fundraising scams
    • Insurance, banking and financial hardship
    • Price rip-offs
    • Renting
    • Repairs and re-building
    • Travel and holiday arrangements

    Managing debt

    Useful links and telephone numbers if you are having money problems.

    Consumers with a disability

    • Problems affecting consumers with a disability
    • How to protect your rights
    • How we can assist you
    • Easy English Factsheets
    • Organisations that can assist

    Teacher resources

    • Competitions
    • Resource books
    • Events and workshops
    • Videos

    Develop a code of conduct

    • About voluntary industry codes
    • Drafting an effective code
    • Compliance and monitoring
    • Annual review report example
    • Triennial review report example
  • Businesses

    Business names

    • Register a business name
    • Rights and responsibilities
    • Change, renew or cancel a business name
    • Find a registered business name
    • Fees and forms
    • Transition to national business names register

    Licensed businesses

    • Conveyancers
    • Debt collectors
    • Estate agents
    • Introduction agents
    • Motor car traders
    • Sex work service providers
    • Travel agents

    Registered businesses

    • Builders and tradespeople
    • Funeral providers
    • Owners corporation managers
    • Retirement village operators
    • Second-hand dealers and pawnbrokers
    • Co-operatives
    • Limited partnerships

    Fair trading

    • Guarantees, warranties and refunds
    • Vouchers, gift cards and lay-bys
    • Contracts
    • Advertising and promotions
    • Door-to-door sales and telemarketing
    • Product safety
    • Complaint handling
    • Penalties
    • Australian Consumer Law resources

    Small business

    Useful links and contact details to help you run your business.

Businesses

Information about fair trading, business licensing, registration and conduct.

Businesses

News

  • May 15
    Dean Anthony Johnson - Court action
  • May 14
    Operation Smile (Australia) Incorporated – Court action
  • May 11
    'Free money' could cost you - News alert
View all news »

Business names

  • Register a business name
  • Rights and responsibilities
  • Change, renew or cancel a business name
  • Find a registered business name
  • Fees and forms
  • Transition to national business names register

Licensed businesses

  • Conveyancers
  • Debt collectors
  • Estate agents
  • Introduction agents
  • Motor car traders
  • Sex work service providers
  • Travel agents

Registered businesses

  • Builders and tradespeople
  • Funeral providers
  • Owners corporation managers
  • Retirement village operators
  • Second-hand dealers and pawnbrokers
  • Co-operatives
  • Limited partnerships

Fair trading

  • Guarantees, warranties and refunds
  • Vouchers, gift cards and lay-bys
  • Contracts
  • Advertising and promotions
  • Door-to-door sales and telemarketing
  • Product safety
  • Complaint handling
  • Penalties
  • Australian Consumer Law resources

Small business

Useful links and contact details to help you run your business.

5.5 million consumers, 495 thousand small businesses, 1.5 million web visits in 2011.
We are Victoria's consumer affairs regulator, creating a competitive and fair marketplace.
  • More about us  »

Popular pages

  • Apply for a business name
  • Find a registered business name
  • Business names fees and forms
  • Residential Tenancies Bond Authority
  • Ending a lease or residency

Popular forms

  • Tenancy agreement (PDF, 1.5MB)
  • Condition report (PDF, 785KB)
  • Notice to landlord (PDF, 2.3MB)
  • Notice to vacate to tenant (PDF, 652KB)

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© State Government of Victoria (Consumer Affairs Victoria) 2012

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Call Consumer Affairs Victoria

1300 55 81 81

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