Question: Whose responsibility is it to respond to customer complaints or a request for repair?
Answer:Consumer Guarantees under the Australian Consumer Law (ACL), Schedule 2 of the Competition and Consumer Act 2010 (Cth) apply to goods and services bought by consumers in Australia, with some exceptions. The purpose of the Consumer Guarantees is to protect consumers and provide them with remedies when there is an issue with a product or service they have received. Suppliers must provide a remedy to a consumer who purchases products from them, if the relevant goods do not meet the Consumer Guarantees. Remedies include providing a repair, replacement or refund. Suppliers are ordinarily the consumers’ first point of contact and the person from whom a consumer will seek a remedy. Manufacturers have fewer responsibilities than suppliers in respect of providing remedies to consumers. If you are a supplier you should be aware that any additional responsibilities will need to be set out in any distribution agreement you sign with a manufacturer/distributor.
