Consumer complaints continue to add value

The latest snapshot of consumer complaints to the Commerce Commission shows little variation in the number of complaints, down just 22 from 9,892 in the year to 30 June 2020 to 9,870 in the year to 30 June 2021.

The Commission releases the annual snapshot to give consumers and businesses insight into consumer complaints during the year.

Commission Chair Anna Rawlings said every complaint the Commission receives matters.

“While we are not able to investigate every complaint, the information we receive through complaints is very valuable. We focus on issues that are likely to have the most impact on consumers and markets, and complaints help us to better understand where to focus our efforts. They also show us where consumers need better information about their rights, and where businesses need more information to help them to comply with the law.”

Complaints inform the guidance and resources the Commission develops to help consumers and businesses, and the advice it gives to policy makers about the laws it enforces.

“We want consumers to know that we want to hear from them and we value what they tell us. We also hope our complaints snapshot is useful to businesses looking to assess their own compliance,” said Ms Rawlings.

As in previous years, most of the complaints received last year related to the Fair Trading Act. There were 8,792 complaints relating to the Fair Trading Act, 331 relating to the Commerce Act and 273 relating to the Credit Contracts and Consumer Finance Act.

Of the Fair Trading Act complaints, appliance and electronics retailers attracted a large number of complaints – 579 – with motor vehicle retailers attracting 564 complaints and supermarkets/grocery stores attracting 517 complaints.

A complaint does not necessarily mean the law has been broken and larger industries are likely to generate more complaints because they have many more customers.

The Commission’s website provides a wide range of resources for both consumers and businesses about their rights and obligations under the laws it enforces.

/Public Release. View in full here.