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The Fair Trading Act (FTA) protects you against being misled or treated unfairly by traders or shops. The Act prohibits misleading and deceptive conduct, unsubstantiated claims, false representations, unfair terms in standard consumer contracts and certain unfair practices.
It also sets out when information about certain products must be disclosed to consumers, and helps ensure products are safe.
The FTA applies to everyone in trade. As well as traders and shops, the Act covers government agencies and state-owned enterprises. The FTA does not generally apply to private sales.
The difference between the FTA and the Consumer Guarantees Act (CGA) is that, in general, the FTA covers claims about products and services before they’re bought and the CGA covers the quality of those products and services after they have been bought.
If you’re told things by a retailer that give you a false impression about goods or services you’re buying, then you have been misled or deceived. For example, if you discover that bags advertised as leather are actually vinyl, or if you buy faulty goods and the shopkeeper incorrectly tells you that you’re not legally entitled to a refund, replacement or repair.
Retailers can’t make unsubstantiated representations about a good or service: they must have reasonable grounds for making any claim. For example, if you’re told a product is 30% more energy efficient than another, the retailer should have good evidence to back this up.
When information given to you about goods and services is not true, then a false claim has been made. For example, if you buy a shirt with a “Made in Italy” label and find it actually came from Korea.
The word “representations” covers any situation where a trader claims something about their product or services, either verbally or in writing. It can even cover cases where a trader omits information. For example, neglecting to mention that prices exclude GST.
Unfair practices are selling methods that mislead you. Unfair practices are illegal under the FTA and include:
The FTA also bans unfair terms in standard-form consumer contracts. A term is unfair if it:
For example, a term that permits one party to vary the price payable under the contract without giving the consumer the chance to end the contract would be unfair.
The FTA makes it mandatory for traders to give you specific information about uninvited direct sales (door to door marketing), extended warranties, laybuy sales and auctions. The information must be in writing, in plain language, legible, presented clearly, and contain the required following information:
The FTA also includes provisions for “consumer information standards” which set out information that must be disclosed about specific products. These standards are made as regulations and are enforced by the Commerce Commission.
Currently there are 6 consumer information standards.
Got a problem with a faulty product, received shoddy service or been misled by a retailer? Our expert advisers can provide clear, practical advice that you can trust.
The FTA gives the Minister of Commerce and Consumer Affairs the power to ban unsafe products or order their recall. A trader can also be instructed to inform the public why and how the goods are unsafe, offer to repair or replace the goods, or provide refunds. When a trader voluntarily recalls a product, they must report the recall to the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment within 2 working days. The ministry is responsible for publishing the recall notice on its website.
A supplier must be careful when providing quotes or estimates and customers are entitled to rely on the prices given. A quote is an offer to do a job for a set price. If a quote is accepted, the work must be done for that price, unless the parties agree to change it.
An estimate is the closest price or range of prices that can be given, based on past experience. If the final price is going to be significantly different from the estimate then the business should make this very clear to the customer. In our opinion, anything more than 20 percent is significant.
If a business is going to charge you for giving a quote or estimate they must tell you this before agreeing to provide it.
If GST is not included in a quote or advertised price, this must be made clear. If it isn’t, you can argue that you should just pay the figure quoted. Companies can be prosecuted and fined for advertising GST exclusive prices and failing to make it clear the prices didn’t include GST. It is still common for tradespeople to exclude GST. When you first ask for a quote, check the GST status.
You see an ad saying “was $199, now just $99 - save $100!” But you bought one before the sale started and the price was only $129. Price comparisons like this must be based on actual market prices. In this case, the item should have been $199 for a reasonable time before reduction. If the earlier price was regularly $129 then the comparison may be misleading and a breach of the FTA.
If you couldn’t pay a bill on time and the debt collectors have been called in, you don’t have to pay a debt collection fee on top of what you owe unless you were made aware of this charge before you incurred the debt. However, if you are subsequently taken to court for continued non-payment of your debt, the court can order you to pay extra costs.
Packaging must not be misleading or deceive you about the nature, quantity or size of the product.
The price of an “interest free” or “free credit” offer should be the same as the cash price. If there’s going to be any additional cost, this must be made clear. For example, an ad may say “interest free, but credit insurance applies”.
The Act recognises a “reasonable mistake”.
If an item is advertised for sale at a particular price, but you get to the shop only to be told that there has been a mistake and the item is actually more expensive, the trader doesn’t have to sell you the item for the advertised price. However, if a particular trader is always advertising products at the wrong price, they may be in breach of the FTA.
In the past, a supermarket has been convicted and fined for charging higher prices at the checkout than were on display.
Telling a story in fine print at the bottom of an ad, or by way of a small notice inside a store, won’t save an ad from breaking the FTA. As a general rule, fine print can elaborate on the main selling message, but it should not be used to contradict it. Traders are also at risk if they advertise a “price” in TV promotions, together with an 0800 telephone number, but flash extra delivery or insurance charges only briefly on the screen. This is misleading, since the product can’t be bought unless you pay these charges, which may have been overlooked.
The FTA applies to all traders who operate in New Zealand, including organisations based overseas that advertise here. But enforcing the FTA could be difficult with a company that has no physical presence or representatives here. It can be very difficult to prosecute or get redress from rogue traders not based in New Zealand.
If a business can’t supply goods or services within a specified time or a reasonable time then they must not accept payment. What is reasonable depends on the circumstances. Generally, what is normal practice for that industry or situation is considered to be the reasonable standard.
If you’ve been misled about a product or service, first try to sort it out with the trader. But if you can’t make headway, you can take action under the FTA.
You can also apply to the High Court for an injunction to stop the FTA being breached.
The best option for consumers with small claims is civil action, most often through a Disputes Tribunal. They can hear cases for claims up to $30,000. A tribunal can award civil damages, which could include getting compensation or your money back. But only the courts can impose fines.
You could also make a complaint to the Commerce Commission.
