As we all celebrated into the New Year, it also meant that the changes to the Australian Consumer Law (ACL) came into effect on 1 January, 2011.
For retailers, dealers and distributors, this means that they will be required to notify the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) within two days of learning that a consumer product or service has caused or may cause serious injury, illness or death.
When the announcement about the amendments was first announced last August, ACCC deputy chief Peter Kell told Retailbiz the changes will enable product safety hazards to be more quickly addressed.
“This will allow processes in place to track and take action on consumer complaints, making business more readily to deal with requirements if knowledge about the issue is reported,” he said.
The ACCC also held a seminar and webinar in November that enabled retailers to learn about the changes