Consumer Lawyers
Consumer law disputes, from either side
A business won't fix a faulty car, refund a product or finish the job. Or a customer is making a claim against your business. I review your documents, tell you where you stand, and put your position in writing for a fixed fee.
For consumers and businessesNever both sides of the same dispute.
A fixed fee for the first stepFrom $990, including GST.
A written quoteBefore anything more.
Anywhere in VictoriaFrankston office, phone and video.
For consumers
Faulty goods and refunds
Goods that break, don’t work or aren’t what you paid for, and a business that says “no refunds”.
Services not done properly
Work done without due care and skill, or not done in a reasonable time.
Cars and car dealers
New and used cars with defects, dealer warranties, cooling-off and the Guarantee Fund.
Home building and renovation
Defective or unfinished work, and the steps before VCAT.
Misleading conduct
You were told something that wasn’t true and it cost you.
Unfair contract terms
Terms in a standard contract that are void because they are unfair.
For businesses
Customer complaints and claims
What you must offer, what you can refuse, and how to reply.
A customer has taken you to VCAT
What happens next and how to respond.
Terms, refund policies and warranties
A legal check before a regulator or a customer finds the problem.
Letters from the ACCC or Consumer Affairs Victoria
What to do first.
How it works
Fixed fees for the first step
VCAT, Building and Plumbing Commission conciliation and court work are quoted in writing before I start. See Fees.
- Consumer: review and a letter to the business $990
- Cars: review and a letter to the dealer or manufacturer $1,320
- Building: review and a letter to the builder or owner $1,650
- Business: review of a customer’s complaint or claim and a letter in reply $990
- Business: check of terms, refund policy and warranty wording $1,980
All fees include GST.
When a lawyer is worth it
- The amount at stake is significant: a car, building work, a business contract.
- The business has refused, or keeps promising and doing nothing.
- You need to file a claim, or a claim has been filed against you.
- You are a business and a customer, a regulator or a competitor says you have broken the law.
Questions
Have another question? Phone 1800 776 529 or send me a message.
No. I act for consumers and for businesses, including car dealers and builders. Under the Australian Consumer Law, a person is a “consumer” if the goods or services cost $100,000 or less, or are of a kind normally bought for personal or household use, whatever the price.1
A business does not have to refund a change of mind. But it cannot take away your rights when goods or services fail, and a sign or statement suggesting otherwise can itself be a breach of the law.2 See Faulty goods and refunds.
In VCAT a lawyer may appear only in some cases or with the Tribunal’s permission, and the rules are stricter for claims of $15,000 or less.3 I prepare your application, evidence and submissions, and appear where VCAT allows it. Larger or more complex claims can go to the Magistrates’ Court. See VCAT consumer claims.
Most claims under the Australian Consumer Law must be started within six years.4 Building actions have a 10-year outer limit.5 Don’t leave it late: evidence fades and some remedies are lost with time. See Time limits.
Guides
Plain-English guides to the rules behind consumer disputes in Victoria.
Guide
Consumer guarantees explained
The rights that come with almost everything a consumer buys from a business in Australia, in plain English.
Guide
Major and minor failures: repair, replace or refund
Whether you can insist on a refund depends on one question: is the failure major?
Guide
Warranties, refunds and "no refund" signs
A warranty adds to your rights. It never replaces them.
Guide
VCAT consumer claims: how they work
Most consumer disputes in Victoria that cannot be settled end up at VCAT. Here is how it works, for consumers and businesses.
Guide
Time limits for consumer claims
Most consumer claims have a six-year limit. Some deadlines are much shorter.
The law
- Competition and Consumer Act 2010 (Cth) sch 2 (“ACL”) s 3; Competition and Consumer Regulations 2010 (Cth) reg 77A.
- ACL s 29(1)(m).
- Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal Act 1998 (Vic) s 62, sch 1 cl 4D; Australian Consumer Law and Fair Trading Act 2012 (Vic) s 183.
- ACL ss 236(2), 237(3); Limitation of Actions Act 1958 (Vic) s 5(1)(a).
- Building Act 1993 (Vic) s 134.
Last reviewed: November 2026. This page is general information about Victorian and Commonwealth law as at November 2026. It is not legal advice about your circumstances.
Tell me what happened
I reply within one business day. [CHECK the reply time]
To send documents, use the Start online form.
Phone: 1800 776 529
Email: info@consumerlawyers.com.au
Hours: Monday to Friday, 9 am to 5:30 pm
Office: 435 Nepean Highway, Frankston VIC 3199 (by appointment)
I act for consumers and for businesses, but never for both sides of the same dispute. Before I start, I check that I have not acted for the other party.