The newsletter of Consumer and Business Services No Images? Click here September 2017 From the CommissionerThere will be improved protections for consumers, with national agreement to significantly increase penalties for businesses that mislead consumers or have poor business practices. Consumer affairs ministers from across Australia met last week to consider changes to the Australian Consumer Law following the review. Several areas of the legislation will be strengthened or clarified, to strike the right balance between protecting consumers and business. We'll keep you posted of the changes as they progress and in the meantime you may be interested to see the outcomes from last week’s meeting. Ticket scalping was also high on the agenda for ministers. With big name performers and major sporting events over the coming months, there is ongoing concern for consumers being over charged or ripped off with scalping. While options to address the issue of ticket on-selling are being considered, CBS is warning consumers against using secondary ticket sellers. Read more about the warning. CBS continues to follow through on new and existing Simplify Day initiatives. The changes ensure that CBS services and processes are streamlined and accessible to all customers. I encourage you to take a look at what we're doing in CBS to make your contact with us the best it can be. Dini Soulio Commissioner TenanciesLegislative changes - July saw some minor changes for tenancies. These included changes to the Form 2, how to deal with abandoned property, sale of property termination and right to entry. Read more about the tenancies changes. Residential Bonds Online (RBO) -Remember to register a new or existing bond with RBO. This process will save time and speed up the refund process. Renting with pets - With 60% of SA households having a pet, there's growing demand for pet friendly places to rent. CBS is supporting a campaign to encourage pet friendly rentals and reduce the number of animals that are euthanised each year because their owners can't find suitable accommodation. Get some tips on how to protect you and your property when renting to a pet owning tenant. Licensing and registrationNon-active partners - Exemptions are now available for plumbing, gas-fitting and electrical business partners who perform mostly administrative tasks in a business. Read more about how to apply for an exemption. Simplified plumbing categories - Plumbing licence names have been reviewed and simplified. The scope of work won't change but the licence name will. Read more about the licence category changes. Digital licence - Currently, land agents and land sales representatives can carry their registration digitally. This will be extended to builders, plumbers, gas fitters, electricians and security and investigation agents in the near future. Keep track of new developments by visiting my.sa.gov.au where you can also find out how to validate a digital licence. Fire sprinkler licensing - A new licence category is now available for those who only test and inspect fire sprinklers. More information about the fire safety initiative is available on the CBS website. Electronic notifications - Use your inbox and not your postbox! Save paper and sign up to get your renewals, updates, invoices and reminders sent electronically. Dob in an unlicensed tradie - This time of year travelling con-men can be rife, offering to do maintenance work with a 'today only' special price. We're keen to hear if you've been approached by any unlicensed tradies. Make an online report. Compliance at CBSOperation twilight - In early July, CBS officers targeted high risk licensed premises. A number of concerns were noted and CBS worked with venues to improve their practices. This is a timely reminder for venues to consider compliance particularly with regard to effective supervision of a licensed venue. Dodgy land agents - CBS is cracking down on dodgy land agents. 12 agencies are currently under scrutiny for under quoting with CBS focused on protecting buyers. See the media release for more information. Royal show - The usual showbag safety checks have been conducted by CBS. Officers checked that only safe toys and items have been included in showbags. Almost 400 bags were checked for safety and labelling requirements. Dangerous items, such as spray paint, were removed. Read more about CBS officer's findings. Second hand vehicle dealers - Changes for dealers came into effect last week. Don't forget to use the new contracts for sale, form 5 & form 6. Read more about the changes the second hand vehicle industry. Fair tradingResources for teachers - New Australian Consumer Law resources are available for teachers of years 5 - 10 students. The information has been mapped to the Australian curriculum and covers aspects of consumer and financial literacy. Teaching guides are available on the Consumer Law website. Putting money aside now for a funeral later - There are a number of ways you can pay for a funeral to ease the burden on your family later, but not all of the payments plans will be suitable for you. Get some useful tips on planning ahead for a funeral. Births, deaths and marriagesRelationships register - People over 18 years who are in a relationship may now apply to register their relationship. Applications can be made irrespective of sex or gender identity, provided at least one person resides in South Australia. Read more about how to register a relationship. Liquor and gamingEmployee online notifications - Licensees of gaming venues are reminded that they are responsible for notifying CBS of managers and employees for each venue using the BOEN system. Register gaming venue managers and employees now! Gaming machine approvals - New processes for gaming machine approvals have commenced. Read more about the recent and upcoming changes for gaming venues. ResourcesIt's about the house publication is back in stock in a new and improved coffee table style format. All the essential information you need to know about buying or selling a home is available in this revised version and is ready for you to view online or order. Energy made easy - Finding the best energy deal is now easier. Whether it's getting a better deal with your current provider or switching, Check out the Australian Energy Regulators Energy Made Easy online comparison tool to find the best deal for you. The 'buying a used car' campaign highlights the benefits of buying from a licensed dealer. The new brochure and checklist offer some helpful tips for buyers. Both resources to help you buy a used car are available on the CBS website. The short video's below provide a great summary of how to make the most of buying a used car: You are receiving this newsletter because your email address is registered with Consumer and Business Services. Click here to opt out.
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