Where to go for more support Community Law Your local Community Law Centre can provide you with free initial legal advice. Find your local Community Law Centre online: www.communitylaw.org.nz/our-law-centres Ministry of Social Development – Work and Income (WINZ) See Work and Income’s…
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Consumer protection Your rights when you buy goods and services What this chapter covers Automatic guarantees when buying from a business The automatic guarantees you have under the Consumer Guarantees Act if you buy goods or services from a shop or other…
Automatic guarantees when buying from a business Introduction The Consumer Guarantees Act 1993 gives you some automatic guarantees whenever you buy goods or services from a business for personal or household purposes. Who is a consumer? You are a “consumer” when you…
Automatic guarantees when buying from a business Buying goods – Automatic guarantees Which goods are covered by the Consumer Guarantees Act? What’s considered a “good” under the Act? Consumer Guarantees Act 1993, ss 2, 41, 43 A good is a piece of…
Automatic guarantees when buying from a business Buying services – Automatic guarantees What services are covered? Consumer Guarantees Act 1993, ss 2, 41 Services include: trade services (for example, plumbers and builders, including tradespeople who work by themselves) insurance, banking and lending…
Automatic guarantees when buying from a business What you can do if there’s a problem with the goods or services Consumer Guarantees Act 1993, ss 16–24 If the goods or services fail to meet any of the automatic guarantees under the Consumer…
Fair Trading Act: Protections against misleading or unfair trading What does the Fair Trading Act do? The Fair Trading Act 1986 protects consumers by prohibiting traders from: behaving in a way that is misleading or deceptive, making false, misleading, or unproven (“unsubstantiated”)…
Protections against misleading or unfair trading Enforcing the rules against misleading or unfair trading What can I do if a trader has engaged in misleading or unfair trading? Fair Trading Act 1986, ss 37–46; Fair Trading (Infringement Offences) Regulations 2014 You can…
Buying and selling privately Overview What to know before you buy goods privately If you buy goods privately (rather than from a shop or other business), you’re not protected by the Consumer Guarantees Act 1993 or the Fair Trading Act 1986. For…
Buying and selling privately Issues with the goods in a private sale What if the private seller made false or misleading statements about the goods? Contract and Commercial Law Act 2017, ss 35, 37 You might be able to get compensation (“damages”)…
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