Senior Australians are house proud, with research by Australia Post showing that Australians aged over 60 spent $3.6 billion on house and garden purchases online in 2024, which is more than they spent online on any other product category.
See the following advice from Consumer and Business Services (CBS) to help you make savvy decisions when purchasing products and services to improve and maintain your home.
Homewares
Whether your home has traditional character, coastal vibes or eclectic décor, there are homewares aplenty to help you style and cosy-up your home. It’s always a good idea to shop around to compare prices and quality and remember to check independent reviews of retailers and products.
You can use an online search engine to look for reviews using the name of a particular retailer, and you can add extra search terms such as quality, customer service and delivery timeframes. Reviews usually show the highest rating and associated comments first so compare these with the number of low ratings and see the common concerns people have raised and how the retailer dealt with any issues.
Household appliances and garden tools
Many companies promote how their appliances and garden tools make your life easier – e.g. by claiming to speed up tasks or reducing the need to bend low or reach high. But some products deliver on these claims better than others, so read the product description and specifications carefully, and of course check independent reviews, to help you decide which item will suit you best.
If a product you buy doesn’t match the description or claimed benefits, and you’ve followed the correct instructions for assembly and use, you should contact the retailer. There could be a fault with the item in which case you’d be entitled to a remedy such as a refund, repair or replacement item. You have the automatic right to a remedy under the Australian Consumer Law if a consumer guarantee - like acceptable quality - hasn’t been met.
It if turns out that the business has made statements that are clearly false or misleading about an item, then in addition to contacting the retailer to request a remedy you could also report this to CBS. This will help CBS be aware of concerning conduct by a business and observe any trends with the nature of the issue and the number of consumers affected. It’s against the law for a business to make false or misleading claims.
Gardening and maintenance services
If you own your home there will always be outdoor tasks to be done like having your lawns mowed, shrubs pruned, weeds removed and gutters cleaned. Before choosing a service provider, ask advice from friends and family about who they would recommend. You’ll want to choose someone who does a good job, is reliable and pleasant to deal with.
Regardless of whether you pay for the services yourself or use funds from a home care package, you have the same rights and protections under consumer law.
You have the right to:
- be treated fairly and not be pressured into signing anything
- be given accurate information about the price and services to be provided
- cancel a faulty service
- receive a refund or have a service redone if something goes wrong.
Getting a remedy
If a contract isn’t met or a faulty product or service has been provided, contact the business to explain the problem and ask for a remedy. For a minor problem, ask the business to fix it. For a major problem, or a problem that can’t be fixed at all or within a reasonable time, you have the right to ask for a refund or replacement. You may need to show proof of purchase when requesting a remedy.
Further information
Read more information about contracts and your rights with refunds and returns, and contact Consumer and Business Services (CBS) if you need further advice or wish to report concerns about a business.