If a retailer won't honour a repair or refund and you're not looking to fund a court case, you don't need a lawyer or a civil claim to force the issue. Every Australian state and territory runs its own free consumer mediation agency, and that — not the ACCC, not a courtroom — is where individual disputes actually get resolved.
Your state's agency
| State / Territory | Agency | Website |
|---|---|---|
| New South Wales | NSW Fair Trading | fairtrading.nsw.gov.au |
| Victoria | Consumer Affairs Victoria (CAV) | consumer.vic.gov.au |
| Queensland | Office of Fair Trading | qld.gov.au/law/fair-trading |
| Western Australia | Consumer Protection (Dept. of Local Government, Industry Regulation and Safety) | consumerprotection.wa.gov.au |
| South Australia | Consumer and Business Services (CBS) | cbs.sa.gov.au |
Note: Western Australia's consumer agency now sits under the Department of Local Government, Industry Regulation and Safety, with its own dedicated site — not the old "commerce.wa.gov.au" address some older guides still reference.
Before you lodge a complaint
Fair Trading agencies generally expect you to have already tried to resolve the issue directly with the business in writing. Keep that email or letter — it's part of what you'll submit.
Building your case file
Gather your proof of purchase, a record of your (ignored) attempts to contact the retailer, photos of the fault, and a clear statement of the remedy you're seeking — full refund, repair, or replacement.
What happens next
A Fair Trading officer contacts the business on your behalf to mediate. Retailers generally don't want to ignore these agencies, since several publish complaint statistics that name repeat offenders publicly. If mediation fails, the officer's closing report lets you escalate directly to your state's civil/administrative tribunal — NCAT in NSW, VCAT in Victoria, and equivalents elsewhere — for an enforceable order.