Aboriginal consumer advice

At NT Consumer Affairs, we work to protect the consumer rights of Aboriginal people across the Northern Territory. We aim to teach all Territorians, particularly Aboriginal people to understand their consumer rights and responsibilities. We want you to be able to talk to businesses about your rights and make sure they treat you fairly.

If you are Aboriginal it can be harder to get fair treatment.  Some businesses try to take advantage of Aboriginal Territorians.  If you live in a remote area, it could be even harder. This might be because there are less choices of shops or businesses to go to.

To see what you need to know when buying things, including cars, check out this booklet: Be Smart Buy Smart PDF (1.7 MB)

If you don’t speak English at home, you might need extra help to understand what we want to tell you about your rights.

We have an Outreach Officer who travels to remote communities. They go to your communities to give you information and advice about your rights under the Australian Consumer Law (ACL).

Our Outreach Officer also listens to local community members. You can tell them about any problems when you buy things in your area. They will make sure that our call centre staff (the staff back at the office) know about the problems in your area, too. Common problems we hear about include the following:

  • Bad quality of second hand vehicles purchased
  • Getting vehicle repairs done after purchasing
  • Signing contracts without a full understanding of their terms and conditions (what they mean)
  • A wide variety of phone based scams
  • Issues with understanding loan and bill repayments
  • Travelling salespeople, particularly family photos and other payment plan purchases
  • Getting repairs done and getting refunds on goods purchased

These are some things that we want you to know about, as an Aboriginal Territorian.

It's Ok to walk away

You don't have to keep talking to someone who comes to your door to try to sell you something.

You can hang up on someone who phones you to try to sell you something.

If you are at the shop and the salesperson is being pushy, you can walk away.

You can say ‘no’ if you don't want what the person is trying to sell. It is OK to do that.

Have a look at this video in English or Yolngu Matha. The Arnhem Land Progress Aboriginal Corporation and Consumer Affairs made it to explain it is OK.

If you don't want people to pester you at home, you can put up a "do not knock" sticker or sign. Then if someone does come to try to sell you something, you can ask them to leave. If they don't leave and you have your sign up, they are breaking the law.

If you want to print the sign or a postcard to remind you of your rights, you can download them, save them and print them. – click on the links below:

If you want a sticker sent to you, please call us on free-call 1800 019 319 and we will post one out to you.  Maybe you can give some to your friends and family too, so sales people don’t annoy them if they don’t want to buy something either.

We’ve got more videos on our YouTube channel that you can watch.

Buying cars

If you drive long distances, a reliable, road worthy car is a must. Even around town, you need a car that runs well. Some people target Aboriginal people to sell them cars with problems. That can happen when someone wants to sell their car as a private sale. Sometimes it can also happen at second hand car businesses in major towns.

It is very important to look around and check out different car businesses to see the best deal for you. Avoid those businesses that do not display the price on the car. You don’t want the business to decide to charge you more because they think you have enough money. Don’t tell them how much money you have.

It’s also very important to get a mechanic from another different business to check out the car you want to buy. Some cars can have things wrong with them that most people cannot easily notice. DO NOT sign anything before you are completely sure the car is road worthy and it is good value for money. Don't let a pushy salesperson pressure you to buy something if you're not sure.

Purchasing a car is an expensive decision. We have a webpage on the NT Consumer Affairs web site, with information that will help you to make a wise decision. Read more about motor vehicles.

If you are having problems with a new or used car, or need some advice please call NT Consumer Affairs on free-call 1800 019 319.

Signing contracts

Signing a contract is an important decision. You must be able to fully understand what you are signing. If you are unsure, talk to someone in your community that has more experience with money and with understanding English.  It’s always OK to ask for help.

Do not sign anything until you have talked to someone who can explain how much you have to pay and if the deal is good for you. The North Australian Aboriginal Justice Agency (NAAJA) will be able to help give you some advice. Call any of the NAAJA offices on these free-call numbers (in the NT only):

  • Darwin: 1800 898 251
  • Katherine: 1800 897 728
  • Tennant Creek/Alice Springs: 1800 636 079

If you need some advice please call NT Consumer Affairs on free-call 1800 019 319.

Scams

Many Australians lose millions of dollars to scams very year. During 2020 we know that almost 180 million dollars was lost to these criminal scammers. The real amount would be much more than this, because many people get embarrassed or feel shame and do not report their loss to NT Consumer Affairs or to Scamwatch.

Scammers can contact you by phone, by email or even through an app like WhatsApp. They are usually super friendly, but their only plan is to rip you off and steal your money. There are many ways that scammers can convince you to send them your money. They may even try to pretend to be from the government and say that you owe money.

It is most important to never send money to someone that contacts you and puts pressure on you. It is also important to NOT click on any links in a phone message a stranger has sent to you.  If you do it, it may break your phone or computer.

Sometimes they will say you can win a big prize like a new car or lots of money if you buy gift cards and tell them the code on the card. You will NEVER win any prize. They trick you into believing you will. They just use the card that you just bought from the store for them to steal your money!

Before you do anything, please talk to a community elder or someone from your local council. They may be able to help you work out if it’s a scam. If you think you have been scammed, or need some advice please call NT Consumer Affairs on free-call 1800 019 319.

NT Consumer Affairs receives many calls from people who have been scammed. We have written about the long list of scams and how you can protect yourself, your friends and your family. Please find our scams section on our website.

It is also important to report any scams to Scamwatch. When you do, it helps other people to not get scammed.

Scamwatch keeps track of new scams in Australia.  They also help to educate Australians about the risk of scams.

Understanding your consumer rights

We know that not everyone speaks English at home. We have some Easy English fact sheets on our website that are easy to read and gives your information. There are different ones to tell you about different rights. They tell you about your rights and your responsibilities. Check out the Easy English fact sheets.

When you buy a product or a service in Australia you have rights that protect you. If there is a problem with the things you have bought, the store may have to give you a replacement, repair it or give your money back.  What the trader has to do, will depend on the problem you have.

If you buy a big item or an expensive item, always ask for a receipt. Keep it in a safe place at home. You may need it later if something goes wrong with what you bought.

Have a careful read of Your Shopping Rights Fact Sheet PDF (369.6 KB). It tells you when you can get a refund and when you cannot.

Sometimes it’s hard to work out if you are allowed to get a refund. Our Fair Trading Officers, in our call centre, will be able to help you. Please give them a call on free-call 1800 019 319.

If you ask for a refund or a replacement product and the business refuses, please call us and we can work out if you can get either of them. We can also advise you of what to do next.

Other organisations may be able to help you as well.

NT Consumer Affairs enforces a variety of NT laws, as well as the Australian Consumer Law (ACL) in the NT. When we cannot help you, we will help you to work out who is the best organisation to help. We can give you their contact details. Some of the other organisations can be found on our Complaints and Disputes webpage.

Please contact us

If you have any questions about your consumer rights please contact us by calling 1800 019 319. You can also call us if someone in your family wants to know about their rights. You can email us at: consumer@nt.gov.au.

Please connect with us

We only find out about consumer problems in the community if you call us. Sometimes people speak to our Outreach Officer or to our Fair Trading staff in our call centre. We use this information to make decisions about teaching people about their rights. If you talk to us about an issue, you help us know what kind of information we need to give to people in the communities. From talking to people over a long time, we have made this website as one way to help other people. You can have a look at lots of information on different subjects if you start here.

Sometimes it is easier for you to talk to us. You can talk to our Fair Trading Officers on free-call 1800 019 319. Our call centre is open from 8:30am to 4:00pm during business days.

Another important way that we share information is via our Facebook page. We post stories, warnings, advice and information. This can be about consumer problems or scam warnings in the Territory. To keep connected to us please follow our Facebook page.


Last Updated:
27 Oct 2023

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