Consumer Law FAQs: Gold Coast & Queensland

If a club committee raises membership fees partway through the year, members have rights to review the constitution and committee meeting minutes. A properly constituted management committee generally has the power to change fees, but members can ask for the basis and documentation.

What evidence should I keep when hiring a rental car? Take photographs or a continuous video of the vehicle before you drive away and again immediately before return. Keep the agreement, condition report, return receipt and any emails or messages about the vehicle. Good contemporaneous evidence can be critical if a damage claim is later made. What should I record at collection? Before leaving the collection point, record: Every external panel, bumper, wheel and windscreen. Existing scratches, dents, chips and interior damage. The odometer and fuel gauge. The vehicle registration and the car-park or collection location where practical. The signed or electronic condition report. A slow, continuous video can be useful because it shows the vehicle’s condition in context. Ensure the footage is clear and backed up.

Purchasing goods at an auction in Queensland is generally conducted on an ‘as is, where is’ basis. Under the Australian Consumer Law, standard consumer guarantees (such as fitness for purpose or acceptable quality) do not apply to traditional auction sales, limiting your legal recourse.

Under the Australian Consumer Law, you have a mandatory 10 business day cooling-off period to cancel an unsolicited agreement made at your home.

Feeling uncomfortable with a lawyer partway through a legal matter is a common and entirely manageable situation. You are not locked in. Can you switch lawyers at any point? Yes. You are free to change your legal representation at any time, in any type of matter, whether that is a divorce, a will, or a commercial dispute. There is a practical benefit to staying with one firm if they already hold your files and understand your matter, but that benefit does not create any legal obligation to remain.

If a parcel you sent or bought online is stolen or damaged in transit, who has the legal standing to claim compensation from Australia Post? Andrew Bell explains default compensation, Extra Cover, and your consumer rights.

Understand your legal rights under the Australian Consumer Law if a travel operator cancels your booking and attempts to withhold your money as supplier charges or credit. Andrew Bell explains major failures, unfair terms, and how to get a full refund.

If your real estate agent’s marketing-loan contract stops you from renting your unsold property, this may be an unfair contract term under Australian Consumer Law. Learn your rights and practical next steps before taking any action.