Overview

Trade Practices Act 1974 (Cth)

Please note that on 1 January 2011 the Trade Practices Act 1974 was re-named the Competition and Consumer Act 2010 (CCA). Many of the provisions set out below have now been repealed and replaced by the Australian Consumer Law (contained in Schedule 2 of the CCA).

This page (containing select provisions only) should therefore only be used for historical reference.

View Australian Consumer Law

Preliminary

Section 4 Consumers

(1) For the purposes of this Act, unless the contrary intention appears:

(a) a person shall be taken to have acquired particular goods as a consumer if, and only if:

(i) the price of the goods did not exceed the prescribed amount; or

(ii) where that price exceeded the prescribed amount—the goods were of a kind ordinarily acquired for personal, domestic or household use or consumption or the goods consisted of a commercial road vehicle;

and the person did not acquire the goods, or hold himself or herself out as acquiring the goods, for the purpose of re supply or for the purpose of using them up or transforming them, in trade or commerce, in the course of a process of production or manufacture or of repairing or treating other goods or fixtures on land; and

(b) a person shall be taken to have acquired particular services as a consumer if, and only if:

(i) the price of the services did not exceed the prescribed amount; or

(ii) where that price exceeded the prescribed amount—the services were of a kind ordinarily acquired for personal, domestic or household use or consumption.

(2) For the purposes of subsection (1):

(a) the prescribed amount is $40,000 or, if a greater amount is prescribed for the purposes of this paragraph, that greater amount;

(b) subject to paragraph (c), the price of goods or services purchased by a person shall be taken to have been the amount paid or payable by the person for the goods or services;

(c) where a person purchased goods or services together with other property or services, or with both other property and services, and a specified price was not allocated to the goods or services in the contract under which they were purchased, the price of the goods or services shall be taken to have been:

(i) the price at which, at the time of the acquisition, the person could have purchased from the supplier the goods or services without the other property or services;

(ii) if, at the time of the acquisition, the goods or services were not available for purchase from the supplier except together with the other property or services but, at that time, goods or services of the kind acquired were available for purchase from another supplier without other property or services—the lowest price at which the person could, at that time, reasonably have purchased goods or services of that kind from another supplier; or

(iii) if, at the time of the acquisition, goods or services of the kind acquired were not available for purchase from any supplier except together with other property or services—the value of the goods or services at that time;

(d) where a person acquired goods or services otherwise than by way of purchase, the price of the goods or services shall be taken to have been:

(i) the price at which, at the time of the acquisition, the person could have purchased the goods or services from the supplier;

(ii) if, at the time of the acquisition, the goods or services were not available for purchase from the supplier or were so available only together with other property or services but, at that time, goods or services of the kind acquired were available for purchase from another supplier—the lowest price at which the person could, at that time, reasonably have purchased goods or services of that kind from another supplier; or

(iii) if goods or services of the kind acquired were not available, at the time of the acquisition, for purchase from any supplier or were not so available except together with other property or services—the value of the goods or services at that time; and

(e) without limiting by implication the meaning of the expression services in subsection 4(1), the obtaining of credit by a person in connection with the acquisition of goods or services by him or her shall be deemed to be the acquisition by him or her of a service and any amount by which the amount paid or payable by him or her for the goods or services is increased by reason of his or her so obtaining credit shall be deemed to be paid or payable by him or her for that service.

(3) Where it is alleged in any proceeding under this Act or in any other proceeding in respect of a matter arising under this Act that a person was a consumer in relation to particular goods or services, it shall be presumed, unless the contrary is established, that the person was a consumer in relation to those goods or services.

(4) In this section, commercial road vehicle means a vehicle or trailer acquired for use principally in the transport of goods on public roads.

Part V

Consumer Protection

Division 1 Unfair Practices

Section 52 Misleading or deceptive conduct

(1) A corporation shall not, in trade or commerce, engage in conduct that is misleading or deceptive or is likely to mislead or deceive.

(2) Nothing in the succeeding provisions of this Division shall be taken as limiting by implication the generality of subsection (1).

Division 2 Conditions and Warranties in Consumer Transactions

Section 69 Implied undertakings as to title, encumbrances and quiet possession

(1) In every contract for the supply of goods by a corporation to a consumer, other than a contract to which subsection (3) applies, there is:

(a) an implied condition that, in the case of a supply by way of sale, the supplier has a right to sell the goods, and, in the case of an agreement to sell or a hire purchase agreement, the supplier will have a right to sell the goods at the time when the property is to pass;

(b) an implied warranty that the consumer will enjoy quiet possession of the goods except so far as it may lawfully be disturbed by the supplier or by another person who is entitled to the benefit of any charge or encumbrance disclosed or known to the consumer before the contract is made; and

(c) in the case of a contract for the supply of goods under which the property is to pass or may pass to the consumer—an implied warranty that the goods are free, and will remain free until the time when the property passes, from any charge or encumbrance not disclosed or known to the consumer before the contract is made.

(2) A corporation is not, in relation to a contract for the supply of goods, in breach of the implied warranty referred to in paragraph (1)(c) by reason only of the existence of a floating charge over assets of the corporation unless and until the charge becomes fixed and enforceable by the person to whom the charge is given.

(3) In a contract for the supply of goods by a corporation to a consumer in the case of which there appears from the contract or is to be inferred from the circumstances of the contract an intention that the supplier should transfer only such title as he or she or a third person may have, there is:

(a) an implied warranty that all charges or encumbrances known to the supplier and not known to the consumer have been disclosed to the consumer before the contract is made; and

(b) an implied warranty that:

(i) the supplier;

(ii) in a case where the parties to the contract intend that the supplier should transfer only such title as a third person may have—that person; and

(iii) anyone claiming through or under the supplier or that third person otherwise than under a charge or encumbrance disclosed or known to the consumer before the contract is made;

will not disturb the consumer’s quiet possession of the goods.

Section 70 Supply by description

(1) Where there is a contract for the supply (otherwise than by way of sale by auction) by a corporation in the course of a business of goods to a consumer by description, there is an implied condition that the goods will correspond with the description, and, if the supply is by reference to a sample as well as by description, it is not sufficient that the bulk of the goods corresponds with the sample if the goods do not also correspond with the description.

(2) A supply of goods is not prevented from being a supply by description for the purposes of subsection (1) by reason only that, being exposed for sale or hire, they are selected by the consumer.

Section 71 Implied undertakings as to quality or fitness

(1) Where a corporation supplies (otherwise than by way of sale by auction) goods to a consumer in the course of a business, there is an implied condition that the goods supplied under the contract for the supply of the goods are of merchantable quality, except that there is no such condition by virtue only of this section:

(a) as regards defects specifically drawn to the consumer’s attention before the contract is made; or

(b) if the consumer examines the goods before the contract is made, as regards defects which that examination ought to reveal.

(2) Where a corporation supplies (otherwise than by way of sale by auction) goods to a consumer in the course of a business and the consumer, expressly or by implication, makes known to the corporation or to the person by whom any antecedent negotiations are conducted any particular purpose for which the goods are being acquired, there is an implied condition that the goods supplied under the contract for the supply of the goods are reasonably fit for that purpose, whether or not that is a purpose for which such goods are commonly supplied, except where the circumstances show that the consumer does not rely, or that it is unreasonable for him or her to rely, on the skill or judgment of the corporation or of that person.

(3) Subsections (1) and (2) apply to a contract for the supply of goods made by a person who in the course of a business is acting as agent for a corporation as they apply to a contract for the supply of goods made by a corporation in the course of a business, except where that corporation is not supplying in the course of a business and either the consumer knows that fact or reasonable steps are taken to bring it to the notice of the consumer before the contract is made.

Section 72 Supply by sample

Where in a contract for the supply (otherwise than by way of sale by auction) by a corporation in the course of a business of goods to a consumer there is a term in the contract, expressed or implied, to the effect that the goods are supplied by reference to a sample:

(a) there is an implied condition that the bulk will correspond with the sample in quality;

(b) there is an implied condition that the consumer will have a reasonable opportunity of comparing the bulk with the sample; and

(c) there is an implied condition that the goods will be free from any defect, rendering them unmerchantable, that would not be apparent on reasonable examination of the sample.

Section 73 Liability for loss or damage from breach of certain contracts

(1) Where:

(a) a corporation (in this section referred to as the supplier) supplies goods, or causes goods to be supplied, to a linked credit provider of the supplier and a consumer enters into a contract with the linked credit provider for the provision of credit in respect of the supply by way of sale, lease, hire or hire purchase of the goods to the consumer; or

(b) a consumer enters into a contract with a linked credit provider of a corporation (in this section also referred to as the supplier) for the provision of credit in respect of the supply by the supplier of goods or services, or goods and services, to the consumer;

and the consumer suffers loss or damage as a result of misrepresentation, breach of contract, or failure of consideration in relation to the contract, or as a result of a breach of a condition that is implied in the contract by virtue of section 70, 71 or 72 or of a warranty that is implied in the contract by virtue of section 74 of this Act or section 12ED of the Australian Securities and Investments Commission Act 2001, the supplier and the linked credit provider are, subject to this section, jointly and severally liable to the consumer for the amount of the loss or damage, and the consumer may recover that amount by action in accordance with this section in a court of competent jurisdiction.

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Section 74 Warranties in relation to the supply of services

(1) In every contract for the supply by a corporation in the course of a business of services to a consumer there is an implied warranty that the services will be rendered with due care and skill and that any materials supplied in connexion with those services will be reasonably fit for the purpose for which they are supplied.

(2) Where a corporation supplies services (other than services of a professional nature provided by a qualified architect or engineer) to a consumer in the course of a business and the consumer, expressly or by implication, makes known to the corporation any particular purpose for which the services are required or the result that he or she desires the services to achieve, there is an implied warranty that the services supplied under the contract for the supply of the services and any materials supplied in connexion with those services will be reasonably fit for that purpose or are of such a nature and quality that they might reasonably be expected to achieve that result, except where the circumstances show that the consumer does not rely, or that it is unreasonable for him or her to rely, on the corporation’s skill or judgment. …

(3) A reference in this section to services does not include a reference to services that are, or are to be, provided, granted or conferred under:

(a) a contract for or in relation to the transportation or storage of goods for the purposes of a business, trade, profession or occupation carried on or engaged in by the person for whom the goods are transported or stored; or

(b) a contract of insurance.