Whitegoods, electronics, furniture and homewares

Find out what automatic consumer guarantees come with your purchase of whitegoods, electronics and furniture.

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Whitegoods, electronics, furniture and homewares that you buy after 1 January 2011 come with automatic consumer guarantees and are covered by Australian Consumer Law.

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.

The remedy if something goes wrong with my purchase

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.

Credit instead of a refund

If you are entitled to a repair, replacement or refund, a business can only offer you a credit voucher after they have:

offered a repair or replacement for a minor problem, or
offered a full refund for a major defect.

Example of not accepting a credit voucher

A consumer has a major problem with a gaming console and is entitled to a refund. When they return the product to the store, they offer the consumer the equivalent value of the refund in the form of a gift card they can spend in the store instead. The consumer insists they want a refund and not the gift card, so the store gives the consumer their money back.

Claiming compensation for your purchase

You can claim compensation if you or your belongings are damaged by a problem with a product.

A business should not claim you have no right to compensation or deny responsibility for foreseeable losses you suffered from using their product.

Make sure you take reasonable steps to limit any loss or damage.

Follow these steps if you are seeking compensation:

Consider the amount of compensation required to return you to the financial position you were in before the problem happened.
Gather a receipt or proof of purchase.
Contact the business or manufacturer, verbally or in writing, to explain the problem and ask for compensation.
You may also consider a refund, replacement or repair of the defective product.

Example of compensation when buying whitegoods

A person bought a fridge and within 4 weeks of the purchase date, the fridge stopped working while the consumer was at work.

The manufacturer arranged for a replacement fridge which arrived 3 days later. But the consumer had just purchased a bulk order of meat and put it in the freezer. The consumer was unable to store this while waiting for the new fridge.

As a result, most of the meat had to be thrown away. The consumer was entitled to seek compensation to replace the disposed meat, and they had kept the receipt and taken photos to prove loss.

Buying whitegoods, electronics, furniture or homewares from a private seller

Australian Consumer Law does not apply when you buy from a private seller, for example, buying a secondhand item from an individual on eBay, because they are not a registered business like a normal retailer.

When you buy from a private seller, it is called a consumer-to-consumer transaction and contract law applies. However, you are entitled to expect full ownership of the goods, including the title, after purchase. The goods should be free from any security interests or charges unless you were informed of these before the sale.

We recommend seeking independent legal advice if you have a problem with a consumer-to-consumer transaction.

If the product 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. 

What to do if you have a delivery issue with your purchase

If you have concerns with the delivery of a product, you should speak to the business first to try and resolve the issue.

The delivery of the product is taking too long

What is a ‘reasonable’ amount of time to wait will depend on the type of product and what you were told when you purchased it.

If you believe the amount of time you have waited for your product has become unreasonable, speak to the business first and see if you can come to an agreement.

If the business does not offer a solution, you may be entitled to a refund.

Your product has been lost in the post

A business that has accepted payment for products must deliver them within any timeframe they have indicated, or within a reasonable time.

If you think you have been waiting an unreasonable time for delivery, contact the business for an explanation in writing.

If the business cannot resolve the issue or fails to deliver the product, you are entitled to a refund or replacement.

The business is responsible for resolving any issues with post or courier companies they have engaged.

You have received the wrong product

Contact the business and arrange to return the product. This should be done at no cost to you. If the product is large, the business is responsible for arranging for a pick-up within a reasonable time.

Your product is meant to be delivered in 2 packages, and 1 is missing

You must give the business an opportunity to deliver the second package within the timeframe they have indicated, or within a reasonable time.

If the business still does not deliver the product, you can ask for a refund and to arrange collection or return of the first package.

Making a complaint

When making a complaint, you should include:

details of the issues you are experiencing
copies of any correspondence that shows how you have tried to resolve the matter.

How Fair Trading will handle your complaint

Your complaint will be reviewed to determine the most appropriate resolution. This may include:

providing you with information to help resolve your complaint
recording the complaint issues to assist in future compliance programs, or
contacting the other party to try and resolve the dispute.

You can lodge a complaint:

Online

If you cannot resolve your matter, submit your complaint by using our form.

Make a complaint

By mail

Post your complaint form and documentation to:

NSW Fair Trading

PO Box 972

Parramatta NSW 2124

Ask a question

If you are unable to find the information you need, you can call us between 8:30am to 5pm on Monday to Friday. You can also use our form to make an enquiry.

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