AutoWatchdog.au is dedicated to advocating for the rights of consumers in the automotive industry.

 

We are advocating for the implementation of an Australian Automotive Ombudsman to protect the rights of consumers and remove all the hurdles that prevent so many of us from seeing any justice or fair redress.

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We plan to use our platform to provide a voice for consumers who have been victims of dishonest and unjust sales and service from businesses within the automotive industry. We welcome any submissions from consumers and will work to highlight issues until there is a fairer system in place.

 

Join us in creating a more compassionate, professional, and safer automotive market.

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SUMMARY

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Our aim is to create a single, independent, well-resourced Australian Automotive Ombudsman (AAO) to deliver fast, free, and binding redress to vehicle buyers and owners, and to use systemic enforcement powers to remedy market failures (misleading conduct, unsafe vehicles, repossession abuse, unfair warranties, dealer insolvency harms).

 

The ideal Ombudsman system would act to prevent consumer detriment, reduce court load, stabilise consumer confidence in the automotive market, and establish an accountable, transparent remedy regime that balances consumer protection with predictable, fair outcomes for business.

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We are focused on outlining an effective Australian Automotive Ombudsman system, based on equitable examples currently in operation across the world.

 

Our commitment to creating a viable model for the Australian automotive market is rooted in compassion and ethical responsibility for the consumer. For too long, industry members have been relatively free to do as they please, as there is no realistic enforcement of Australian Consumer Law.

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The Australian automotive industry operates in a fragmented and burdensome system, that varies widely between states. The only option for recourse is state based Consumer Tribunals, or the ACCC.

 

The ACCC doesn't investigate individual matters, so they only see the extreme breaches of law, as there is no system in place to obtain useful data to identify trends prior to them developing into serious issues.

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An Australian Automotive Ombudsman would provide a beneficial system for monitoring any worrying trends, that could then be passed on to the ACCC for preventative action to be taken.