Have you ever felt like you had to buy something just to get away from a pushy sales person?
Or have you had someone knock at your door selling something that you didn’t want and you didn’t know how to ask them to leave?
Well don’t worry as you are not alone and the law is on your side.
If you encounter salespeople operating in places other than stores selling goods or services or door to door, be aware of your rights.
Also, if the goods being offered are being offered at a price ‘too good to be true’, do your research and shop around to find out what the true market price is so that you don’t get tricked into paying a higher price.
Another way to compare prices is to ask someone who may have just bought the same or similar product to the one being offered or you are considering.
There are many cases of companies and salespeople targeting Aboriginal consumers who are disadvantaged by geographical isolation, limited choice and competition, English as a second language and low financial literacy skills.
Federal and State government agencies in the past have taken action against suppliers and sellers of training courses, mobile phone services, electronic goods, photography packages – even water coolers and first aid kits using high-pressure sales tactics.
We say that ‘It’s OK to walk away’ to avoid being pressured by salespeople into a purchase that you might regret later.
One way to avoid being pressured if you don’t want salespeople coming to your home is to put up a ‘Do Not Knock’ sticker on your front door, as salespeople who ignore this request by the consumer are breaking the law and may face a fine of up to $50,000.
If you do agree to a deal with a door to door salesperson, you get a 10 business day cooling off period.
The cooling off period also applies when a person comes just to provide you a quote, but a contract is signed on the spot. It’s illegal for money to be taken during those 10 days, work must not be done and goods that cost more than $500 cannot be supplied.
So, if you have second thoughts about a deal you agreed to, perhaps under pressure, you can cancel the contract within the 10 business days after signing the contract. If they won’t let you, come to ICAN for help or give us a call on 1300 369 878 or email info@ican.org.au.
Shout out to Bryte MC (feat Ms Shea) for this cool new campaign rap and watch this space for the video coming soon.