16 September 2024

Dodgy businesses hiding in plain sight: New research

CONSUMER REGULATORS SHOULD RELEASE DATA TO NAME BUSINESSES WITH HIGH COMPLAINTS 

The majority of Australia’s consumer regulators are missing the opportunity to act as an early warning system for dodgy businesses, according to new research from the Consumer Policy Research Centre (CPRC).

The Am I The Only One? report, released today, finds that most Australian consumer regulators do not publish regular complaints data in an accessible way.

“Most Australians are being left in the dark about which businesses are driving up complaints and causing consumer harm in their state” CPRC CEO Erin Turner said.

“In New South Wales, there is a clear register where everyone can see any business that is behind ten or more complaints to the fair trading regulator each month. They also show the reasons behind complaints to help everyone understand what challenges they may face from certain businesses” Turner said.

“When Australians make complaints about businesses that have failed them, they expect action, but without regulators regularly publishing useable data on the complaints they receive, the community is left in the dark and dodgy businesses are left hiding in plain sight.”

The report found:

• New South Wales Fair Trading, Queensland Fair Trading, the ACCC and ASIC are leading the pack for complaints transparency – with some minor recommendations for improvement.
• Western Australia Consumer Protection, Northern Territory Consumer Affairs, Consumer and Business Services South Australia, Consumer Affairs Victoria, Consumer and Business Services Tasmania and Access Canberra need to increase or start publishing data about consumer complaints.

“Problems with businesses, services and products can have a major impact on people’s lives. Consumer complaints act as an early warning system for Australians – failing to publish regular, usable complaints data is akin to publishing weather forecasts after a natural disaster hits. Australians need consumer regulators to act as an early warning system for dodgy businesses, products and services” Turner said.

The CPRC is recommending that all consumer regulators:

• Publish complaints monthly (quarterly at a minimum)
• Publish high quality data in accessible and consistent formats
• Make data easy to use for lawmakers, researchers and industry to act on emerging issues

More information, including the full report, is available at: cprc.org.au/report/Am-I-The-Only-One

Erin Turner is available for comment on request. Contact CPRC media@cprc.org.au or ph: 0493 539 466.

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Media contact:  Liliana Campos, CPRC Communication Manager 0493 539 466