Consumer Affairs

Refunds, warranties, faulty goods, scams and disputes under Australian Consumer Law.

1. 1
   Used-Car Trouble: Consumer Guarantees, Major Failure and Getting a Refund

   🎧 Practice dialogue · 14 min

   A Tamil-speaking buyer visits a consumer affairs officer after a licensed dealer's used car developed a serious transmission fault a week after purchase, and the officer explains the consumer guarantees, the major-failure test, keeping records, and how to escalate to the state Consumer Affairs/Fair Trading body if the dealer refuses.

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2. 2
   Telco Complaint: Unresolved Faults, Overcharging and Escalating to the TIO

   🎧 Practice dialogue · 14 min

   A Tamil-speaking customer phones a telco's complaints line about a home internet and mobile fault that has gone unfixed for three months while they were charged the full amount, seeks a refund and repair, and is told how to escalate free of charge to the Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman.

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3. 3
   Returning a Faulty Winter Coat

   🎧 Practice dialogue · 14 min

   A Tamil-speaking shopper tries to return a $220 winter coat with a broken zip ten days after purchase, and the store returns manager explains that the "store credit only" sign covers only change of mind, while a faulty product carries a consumer guarantee entitling them to a refund, a replacement, or compensation for the coat's reduced value.

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4. 4
   Losing Forty-Seven Thousand Dollars to a Fake Investment Platform

   🎧 Practice dialogue · 14 min

   A Tamil-speaking man tells a financial counsellor he lost $47,000 over three months to a fake investment platform, 'MetaTrade Global', and is guided on urgent bank recovery, reporting to Scamwatch and ReportCyber, and avoiding a second 'money-recovery' scam.

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5. 5
   Disputing Unauthorised Card Transactions With AFCA

   🎧 Practice dialogue · 14 min

   A Tamil-speaking bank customer brings a complaint to an AFCA case manager after her bank refused to refund four unauthorised card transactions totalling $3,180, because she read a one-time SMS code to a caller impersonating the bank's fraud team.

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6. 6
   Electricity Catch-Up Bill And Back-Billing Rules

   🎧 Practice dialogue · 14 min

   A Tamil-speaking customer contacts the Energy and Water Ombudsman after receiving a $2,400 catch-up electricity bill following fifteen months of estimated meter reads, and the officer explains the nine-month back-billing limit, arranges an actual read, and sets up an interest-free hardship payment plan.

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7. 7
   Disputing a Bond Deduction for Cleaning and Carpet Stains

   🎧 Practice dialogue · 14 min

   A Tamil-speaking tenant disputes $1,150 the agent wants to deduct from her $2,400 bond for end-of-lease cleaning and carpet stains she says were already there when she moved in, and a Fair Trading officer explains proving the loss, the entry condition report, fair wear and tear, and the 14-day tribunal deadline.

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8. 8
   Arranging a Prepaid Funeral Plan

   🎧 Practice dialogue · 14 min

   A Tamil-speaking woman meets a funeral director to set up an $8,500 prepaid funeral plan and needs the inclusions, exclusions, cooling-off rights, trust protection, CPI indexing and interstate transfer explained.

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9. 9
   Cancelling A Gym Membership After Injury

   🎧 Practice dialogue · 14 min

   A Tamil-speaking member with a shoulder injury tries to cancel a 12-month lock-in gym membership four months before the minimum term ends, and the consultant explains the medical-cancellation clause, the $79 exit fee, the Ezidebit debits, and the default-listing risk.

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10. 10
    Cancelling A Door-To-Door Solar Contract

    🎧 Practice dialogue · 14 min

    A Tamil-speaking homeowner calls a solar company to cancel a $9,900 rooftop solar agreement signed under sales pressure two days ago, and the officer explains the unsolicited-agreement cooling-off rights and refund.

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11. 11
    Gas Heater Safety Recall

    🎧 Practice dialogue · 14 min

    A product recall officer phones a Tamil-speaking customer whose portable gas heater is recalled for a carbon-monoxide leak, checks the batch and serial number, and arranges a free replacement or a $349 refund.

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12. 12
    Chasing a Statute-Barred Credit Card Debt

    🎧 Practice dialogue · 14 min

    A Tamil-speaking man harassed by a collection agency over a $6,700 credit-card debt from 2017 sees a community legal centre solicitor about the six-year limitation period, reviving the debt, and contact limits.

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