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Beauty and cosmetics consumers rights given Fair Trading facelift

BEAUTY AND COSMETICS CONSUMER RIGHTS GIVEN FAIR TRADING FACELIFT

The increasing popularity of cosmetic services as well as recent complaints to Fair Trading about poor quality beauticians has prompted a new Fair Trading education campaign.

Minister for Better Regulation Matt Kean said Fair Trading received 287 complaints about beauty services in 2017 alone, with almost half relating to defective or unsatisfactory services.

“It’s not good enough when shady beauticians perform botched procedures on people, who think they are being treated by reputable operators,” Mr Kean said.

“This education campaign will warn people of the risks and potential consequences that can come from reckless operators.”

Mr Kean said recent data had also revealed how common non-surgical beauty procedures had become.

“In 2016, there were more than 43,000 anti-wrinkle injections, 15,000 laser hair removal procedures, and 11,000 chemical peels performed across Australia,” Mr Kean said.

“That same year, the Australian Consumer Survey reported 7 per cent of consumers had experienced a problem with a beauty service in the previous two years.”

Mr Kean said businesses offering beauty and cosmetic services must abide by obligations under the Australian Consumer Law (ACL).

Fair Trading’s tips for consumers include:

  •          Always shop around and do your research to make sure the procedure you are looking at is right for you;
  •          Always check the staff are properly qualified to undertake your treatment;
  •          Don’t be pressured into buying hot deals for procedures or treatments you may not want;
  •          Ask about cancellation and refund policies before buying anything; and,
  •          Check the Fair Trading website for relevant ACL information on the industry (which is available for both consumers and businesses, in multiple languages).

For more information about the campaign visit fairtrading.nsw.gov.au or call 13 32 20.