CHOICE response to the Productivity Commission's Right To Repair report, released today.
Quotes attributable to Erin Turner, Director of Campaigns, CHOICE.
"This report provides a road map to create a strong and useful right to repair in Australia."
"Most Australians want stronger repair rights. Less than a quarter of people access their repair rights when a product they own breaks. The Australian Government should adopt all of the recommendations made by the Productivity Commission. Implementing these strong recommendations will remove the significant barriers that people face when trying to get their products repaired."
"The major change with the final report is a new recommendation to develop a labelling scheme to help people find durable and repairable products. A durability label will give people the information they need at the time they need it most - when they are buying a product. When we asked consumers what would help them access repairs, 88% of people called for a star rating system to indicate how long a product should last.
"A durability label will make it easier for people to know how long their product can be repaired and how long their consumer rights apply. It will also drive businesses to make longer lasting products. We've seen improvements to the energy and water efficiency of products through mandatory labelling schemes addressing those issues and we expect the same for the durability of products.
"The super complaints scheme recommended by the Productivity Commission will mean that big consumer problems will be identified earlier and better quality information will be provided to help regulators act quickly. A similar super complaints scheme in the UK has helped to identify problems from transport compensation through to the loyalty penalty people pay when they stay with a company for years."
Background:
CHOICE submission to the Productivity Commission - August 2021
Australians push for stronger protections and repair rights for household products - CHOICE.com.au - August 2021
Erin Turner - Op-Ed - March 2021
Media contact: Katelyn Cameron, 0430 172 669, media@choice.com.au
