0372—DOOR-TO-DOOR SALES COMPLAINTS—ELECTRICITY

Mr Richard Amery to the Minister for Western Sydney, Minister for Fair Trading, and Minister Assisting the Minister for Commerce—

Are electricity supply companies signing up consumers via door-to-door sales techniques?

Has this resulted in an increase in the number of complaints to the Department of Fair Trading?

If so, how many complaints have been lodged over the past 12 months?

How does this figure compare to the previous twelve month period? Is there any evidence to suggest that elderly people are being targeted by these companies to sign electricity supply contracts?

Which companies have been the subject of the complaints referred to in (3) above?

What has been the result of investigation by the Department of Fair Trading into these complaints?

Answer—

Yes.

Only marginally, complaints about door-to-door sales represent approximately 0.001% of all complaints received by the Office of Fair Trading

Seven.

The previous twelve month figure was two.
Whilst there is no evidence to suggest that elderly people are being particularly targeted, between 1 June 2005 and 31 May 2006 three of the seven complainants indicated they were elderly.

Section 86A of the Fair Trading Act 1987 restrains me from commenting on the conduct of individual traders unless those details are already in the public domain.

After intervention by Fair Trading four of the matters resulted in the contract being cancelled and one was referred to the Electricity and Water Ombudsman. Of the remaining, the trader concerned investigated one matter as an internal staffing issue and the complainant could not be contacted in the other.

Question asked on 8 June 2006 (session 53-2) and published in Questions & Answers Paper No. 7.
Answer received on 5 July 2006 and printed in Questions & Answers Paper No. 9.

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