The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission has launched a new Facebook page, ACCC – Your Rights Mob – Indigenous consumers, to help inform and empower Indigenous consumers to stand up for their consumer rights.
This follows the ACCC’s pilot ‘Your Rights Mob Tiwi Islands’ Facebook page, which was launched on the Tiwi Islands, north of Darwin, in 2013.
“The new national page will promote deadly films about consumer rights, information about what some traders have done elsewhere to trick consumers, tips on how to protect your rights, local events in regional areas, news articles of interest to Indigenous consumers and weekly consumer information on scams, refunds and product safety,” NT Regional Director Derek Farrell said.
“Facebook has proven to be a very effective tool to speak directly to Indigenous consumers about their rights, spread the warning about scams and provide advice on how to deal with door-to-door sales people and telemarketers.”
“The ACCC recognises that social media is being used extensively in remote, rural and regional areas. This new Facebook page will provide timely and relevant consumer information to Indigenous consumers and we encourage anyone with consumer concerns to contact the ACCC,” Mr Farrell said.
The ACCC’s Indigenous outreach work has also helped us to detect consumer law problems involving Startel Commmunications (selling mobile phone plans), Austar (selling cable television services), Tiny Tots (selling photography services) and Titan (selling first aid kits and water coolers) in several Indigenous communities.
This work is supported by the Indigenous Consumer Assistance Network (ICAN), which provides consumer education, advocacy and financial counselling services to Indigenous consumers across the nation. ICAN is a member of the ACCC’s Consumer Consultative Committee, a forum for discussing emerging consumer issues, developing education strategies and sharing information.
“Together with community visits and working with partner government and non-government organisations, the ACCC’s Facebook page will help to detect contraventions of Australian Consumer Law at an early stage and equip Indigenous consumers to be assertive and confident enough to exercise their rights,” Mr Farrell said.
Visit ‘Your Rights Mob’ Facebook page at www.facebook.com/ACCCYourRightsMob