Covered on this page:

Examples of your rights 

The Consumer protection website has detailed information on your rights when buying a product or service from a New Zealand business. Note that these rights do not apply to private sales, such as purchasing something from another user on Facebook, where the nature of the sale is discussed and agreed upon by you and the seller.

Here are some examples of what you are entitled to if your consumer rights are breached:

What to do if things go wrong

Decide if you have grounds for complaining and trying to sort out the problem. Note that it helps to have relevant records and documentation to support your case, such as receipts, invoices, or bank statements. The Consumer protection website includes the key things to consider when deciding whether you have a case to make a complaint. See Know your rights to a refund, replacement or repair.

If you decide you do have a case, then you should contact the business or service provider as soon as possible and explain the problem and what you would like done about it. Referring to any relevant consumer laws that cover you, such as the Consumer Guarantees Act or the Fair Trading Act, would help support your case.

If you are unable to reach agreement on a complaint then you have the option of making a claim to the Disputes Tribunal, which is a quick, easy, and inexpensive way to resolve disputes. You can use the tribunal to settle small claims up to $30,000.

Scams

There are many ways people can try to scam you out of your money.

Common scams include:

 

To avoid getting scammed online, you can:

  • Get a second opinion, for example from a trusted adult or teacher, before handing over any money
  • Check the source to make sure it’s real
  • Keep your computer virus protection up to date
  • Never open attachments or click on links in emails and texts if you feel unsure about the sender.

If you have been scammed then you should stop all contact with the scammer, not make any more payments and contact the bank or service you sent money through. The sooner your bank knows about it, the likelier it is that you’ll get your money back. If you have given financial details to a scammer, such as your credit card number, then you should cancel your credit card and change your online banking password.

The Consumer protection website has detailed information on scamming, including how to recognise, avoid and act against scams.

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