Consumers in Australia are reminded that they are protected under the Australia Consumer Law (ACL) when they purchase from virtual platforms such as Airbnb, Uber, and Airtasker. 

When consumers purchase services online, hire goods or trade products, they have the same rights as those who buy from a shop in-person or online. 

If problem arises, consumers can speak to the seller or the service provider, contact the platform’s internal dispute resolution process, and write factual customer reviews and rate the trader. 

In more serious cases, they can lodge a complaint with NSW Fair Trading. 

Internal dispute resolution processes are usually available under the platform’s terms and conditions. 

Moreover, under the Australian Consumer Law, sellers in these platforms also have same rights and responsibilities as they would in-store. 

Minister for Better Regulation, Matt Kean said it was important that traders knew their obligations, and complied with consumer law. 

He added that misleading or deceptive conduct was unacceptable. 

“This includes writing a fake review, asking or paying someone to write a review, writing false review about a competitor or hiding negative customer reviews,” Mr Kean said. 

In addition, traders must comply with product safety obligations under the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC). 

More information on consumer’s and trader’s rights and obligations are available here: http://consumerlaw.gov.au/business-and-the-acl/sharing-economy-platforms/