Western Australia’s (WA) solar industry is on notice with regard to the pending WA Battery Scheme, following reports of a trader unlawfully using the government’s logo and falsely claiming the schemes registration is open.
Under false pretences, the trader is also reported to have used online questionnaires to collect personal information.
Letters from the commissioner for consumer protection have been sent to around 1,300 solar system retailers, promoters and installers, reminding them of their Australian Consumer Law (ACL) obligations when promoting the WA Residential Battery Scheme, or related agreements, and are to be consistent with official government information.
WA Commissioner for Consumer Protection Owen Kelly said the letter emphasises a duty to not mislead consumers by falsely suggesting their company is approved or accredited under the scheme, or that registering with them offers any special eligibility or preference.
“I further instructed these businesses to fully comply with the ACL rules on unsolicited sales, which grants consumers a 10-day cooling off period before any payment or work can occur if contracts are entered into on an unsolicited basis, such as via door- knocking or cold calls,” Kelly said.
The letter also says workloads procured must be realistic to ensure timely completion and to allow consumers to exit contracts without penalty if the business fails to meet its promises if the business ends up not being an approved retailer or supplier for the purposes of the scheme.
Consumers have also been warned about sharing information online when dealing with unsolicited communications about the rebate scheme.
“Promotions using ‘solar postcode eligibility’ are a red flag as this is not a real criterion, and any ads requesting your postal address could be an attempt to collect your personal information,” Kelly said.
“If you get a call and you don’t remember specifically asking a solar company to contact you, they may have bought your information as a lead from a third party. Before committing to anything, check the information on the Energy Policy WA website”.
The WA Residential Battery Scheme is currently in an ‘expression of interest’ phase through the official wa.gov.au website. As no providers or products are yet shortlisted and/or approved, consumers signing up before the scheme officially opens risk ineligibility for rebates, as it won’t apply retrospectively.
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