Tree work

There may be times when you need to lop, prune, thin, fell or remove trees on your property. This work is dangerous and should be carried out by a professional tree work contractor.

Tree work contractors are qualified, know how to do the job safely, hold the correct insurances and can provide you with a written quote.

Beware of tree work scams and travelling conmen

Watch out for travelling conmen offering special deals on equipment or to work on your property.

Be suspicious of people who:

• turn up at your door unexpectedly offering special one-off or ‘today only’ deals
• ask for cash up front
• offer to drive you to the bank to get money for payment
• pressure you into accepting their offer
• disappear and leave the job unfinished or of a poor standard.

If you believe you have been approached by a travelling conman, you can:

• call the NSW Fair Trading on 13 32 30
• contact your local police station 
• refer to our scams page for more information.

Your consumer rights

Under Australian Consumer Law, most products or services bought in Australia after 1 January 2011 come with automatic consumer guarantees.

Proof of purchase and documentation

You have the right to receive proof of purchase .Businesses must give you a receipt for goods or services valued at $75 or more. You can ask for a receipt for a transaction under $75 and the business must give it to you within 7 days

If the service has a warranty, it will give you some extra protection against faults or defects. Warranties generally have terms and conditions attached and it’s your responsibility to be aware of these.

Advertising

Advertising can be a powerful means of persuasion, so it’s important it is truthful, accurate and easy to understand. Australian Consumer Law protects consumers from deceptive advertising claims and conduct.

Businesses are not allowed to make false or misleading representations about their products or services. 

The remedy if something goes wrong

The remedy when things go wrong will depend on whether the problem is major or minor.

You are entitled to an appropriate remedy from the business when the product or service you purchased does not meet one or more of the consumer guarantees.

This might be:

• a refund
• cancellation and replacement
• further service to rectify the problem
• reimbursement for damages and consequential loss in some cases.

The remedy will depend on whether the problem is:

• a major problem, or
• a minor problem.

You can find out more by visiting our repairs, replacements and refunds page.