Consumer complaints electrify in July

Electronic gadget retailers have dominated the July NSW Fair Trading Complaints Register, with a total of nine electronic companies featuring on the monthly list.

Kogan and Samsung took out the top two spots, with 42 and 33 complaints, followed by Harvey Norman with 31.

Minister for Better Regulation Matt Kean said the majority of complaints against electronic retailers were around defective products and poor quality goods.

“Consumers reported issues with a range of electronic gadgets, including laptops, mobiles phones, cameras, and even drones,” Mr Kean said.

“The complaints were mainly focused on poor quality products that weren’t up to scratch, and defective products that didn’t work properly. That’s just not good enough.”

Other electronic retailers to make this month’s list include Apple (17 complaints), JB Hi Fi (14), The Good Guys (14), LG Electronics (12), Ebay (10) and Grays Online (10).

“Consumers should always shop around for the best price, but a great deal can quickly become a nightmare if you’ve bought a dodgy product,” Mr Kean said.

“The Complaints Register is a great tool to help consumers make informed decisions before they spend their hard earned cash.

“And it also encourages companies to pull up their socks and do the right thing by their customers.”

Two Sydney travel agencies also appeared on the July Register, with city-based Goway Travel receiving 16 complaints, and Bankstown-based Monte Carlo Travel receiving 13 complaints. The complaints were largely related to people not getting refunds.

18 companies appeared on the July list, with a combined total of 314 complaints.

For more information on the Complaints Register, visit www.fairtrading.nsw.gov.au.