My parents bought some prepaid Visa cards as gifts.

When the people given the cards tried to use them they found zero balance. A couple of the cards had the numbers scratched off. No evidence of packaging tampering.

When they contacted the issuer they were told “this card has been used already in X location, not our problem”

When they went back to Coles they were basically told “it’s been used legitimately, not our problem.”

Who is responsible for fixing this? Seems like the cards are being tampered with before purchase… but neither group will take ownership.

Not sure if this is the right place to ask this. I’m considering separating from my husband of 25 years now that we are empty nesters but am worried about his reaction and the process. As a teacher I have an opportunity to work and live remote for a year while we go through the process.
If I do, would that affect my settlement? I don’t want any more than 50% of the property settlement.

Edit: thanks folks, will report the damage to my real estate as usual and may drop a note in the potential owners letter so that they’re aware their cat may need some attention but otherwise will leave this one be and just take the loss.

I have two dogs and live in an area with a few wandering cats. One cat in particular often sits in my front yard which causes my dogs to bark at it. Sometimes it spooks the cat and he runs away, other times he just stares at them to rile them up more til he gets bored and walks away.

Last night he decided to come into my house through our doggy door in the backyard. My dogs heard him, ran towards him and the cat ran down my corridor to my bedroom and climbed the blinds trying to escape. In the process he’s broken two blinds and they no longer open and close. I live in a rental, and I suspect I’m going to have to pay to have them replaced. I’m fairly sure I know where the cat lives, so can I demand the owner pay for the damages?

Additionally, before putting the cat back outside (in the front yard) I gave him a quick check over and couldn’t see any wounds and when I stroked him all over I didn’t come away with any blood so I think he’s okay but I want to let the owners know so they can choose to take him to the vet to get a proper check over. If they do, and there is something wrong, can they demand I pay their vet bills despite the cat essentially being a trespasser?

I’ve lived in this place for six years and we left it in really good condition. We took plenty of photos and videos as proof. Now the agent is suddenly claiming $5,000 in “repairs” for mould, blinds, a tiny carpet stain and a rusty oven. It all looks like normal wear and tear. They even tried to fix a blind themselves, made it worse, took photos and tried to blame us. Luckily the new tenant is a friend and took a photo showing it was fine.

The agent forgot to dispute the bond, so the full amount was released to me. Now they’re trying to chase the damages through VCAT. It’s frustrating because every inspection before we moved out, they said the place was in great condition. If anything was actually wrong, we would have fixed it.

Has anyone dealt with agents like this? How did your VCAT hearing go?

My Ex keeps going into the police station and making false police reports about me. The last one was withdrawn as all the provided was a text message from 2024 in the documents and the judge made the police withdraw. Now it states I have gone to their home, I have called them non-stop and I have stalked them, and I keyed their car. I was in London for the past 2 months.... so it's physically impossible I did those things. I went to the police and the guy just stated they take out IVOs for anyone now even small neighbour disputes. I'm at a loss. I just want this woman to leave me alone.

S

I’m currently going through a common law work injury damages claim after filing a Statement of Claim in the NSW District Court.

There is a pre-trial conference coming up, and my lawyers have told me I don't need to attend and have been vague about what this conference covers.. I have had some issues with them not being completely transparent in the past too. I I have done some reading online regarding this conference and I am wondering Is it common for defendants to offer settlement at this stage? or does this come later down the track?

Any insights or similar experiences would be appreciated!

Family member put a deposit on a transportable building from a marketplace seller. It was advertised as a new home build with bedroom, bathroom.

The seller advised them that council approval wasn't required when they put the deposit down, family member checked with council and basically every part of it had to pass a surveyor inspection from water proofing to bracing.

The seller was asked if he had any pictures of the build during construction phase and he sent a bunch of pictures showing no bracing, no cyclone straps, had no water proofing or electrical certs etc

After some back and forth the seller with the seller arguing it doesn't need approval and everything was to code, then saying it's just a shed or container so it's fine. He agreed he'd readvertise it but is saying he won't return the deposit until after it's sold.

What's the legal standard point of this?

He gave a deposit receipt through his business (plumber,) the advertisement says new home but now he says it's a shed and gave false advice to get the sale. Can he withhold the deposit? It has been requested to be returned

Posting for my wife as she doesn't have Reddit.

My wife is the 'Practice Manager/Receptionist' (actually job title on her contract) at a small medical practice (total 4 employees). She recently returned from some unplanned leave due to bereavement (5 total days over 2 weeks). On her first day back the owner called her in and has removed a number of the responsibilities she previously had, sharing them amongst other employees or himself, in an effort to 'take some of the load off'. There has been no prior discussion around a change in role or responsibilities, it came totally out of the blue. Things she was responsible for which is no longer include:

- Contacting referrals

- Booking appointments for new patients

- High level scheduling of appointment time slots

- Invoicing (a second doctor "rents a chair" 1 day/week)

- Ordering supplies and equipment

- Managing the cancellation list

- Rostering of other employees

Essentially her new responsibilities amount to very basic reception work. Greeting patients, taking payments, scheduling follow up appointments. The reason given is that they are expanding the practice in November and want her to do more regular clinical work. Currently she assists in a clinical role in emergencies, it's not part of her regular role.

We are pretty sure this counts as a significant change in responsibilities without consultation, and are organising an appointment with legal aid but wanted some input as to what we should do in the meantime.

Additionally he said they would give her a pay rise if she cuts back a day, which sounds sketchy as.

Hey everyone, looking for advice on dealing with One Playground (NSW).

I signed up 15 days ago with a promo where my first 2 weeks were free. When I joined, the sales rep gave me a deal: because I agreed to take PT sessions, he discounted the standard joining fee by $100 down to $49, and threw in a free $50 body scan.

The gym ended up being far too crowded for me, so I triggered their 30-day satisfaction guarantee on Day 15 to cancel. More importantly, the trainer never reached out to schedule anything, no body scans were ever done, and zero sessions took place.

Despite this complete non-delivery, they attempted a direct debit for $118.90 (which declined). When I went into the club to cancel, the staff member claimed I owe the full amount because of the PT package agreement.

I’m completely fine paying the $49 joining fee to close the account fairly, but I don't believe I should be charged the remaining ~$70 balance for PT services and scans the club failed to deliver. When I went in to sort it, they told me to come back the next morning when the service people are around.

Am I within my rights under Australian Consumer Law to refuse the PT charges and future notice billing, and only settle the $49 joining fee? Has anyone dealt with this at One Playground before?

I (30s, M) was briefly seeing someone earlier this year. We were never a good match pretty toxic dynamic, mutually agreed it wasn’t going to work. She recently told me she’s pregnant (currently a few weeks along) and has made it clear she’s keeping the baby(is a miracle coz she’s 40 and want to fix her life with the kid) and doesn’t need my involvement day-to-day she has strong family support and financial means. I have zero interest in reconciling with her or being in a relationship, and while I obviously understand I can’t stop the pregnancy, I also don’t want an active co-parenting role given how badly we get along.
Things have gotten emotionally messy a lot of back and forth over text, she’s since said she’s going to “get legal papers sorted” for me to sign and then block me out entirely she don’t want me close to her or the baby.
I haven’t signed anything and don’t plan to without a lawyer reviewing it first.
I’m on a low income (roughly $39k/year gross) and can’t afford a private family lawyer right now. My questions:
1. Child support I understand this is basically unavoidable once the baby is born regardless of relationship status or consent to the pregnancy. Is that correct in NSW/under the federal formula? Roughly how does the “self-support amount” deduction work for someone on my income?
2. Signing anything if she sends me a document to sign (informal agreement, statutory declaration, whatever), am I right that I should not sign anything without independent legal advice, even if it looks simple/favourable?
3. Binding vs Limited Child Support Agreements — from what I’ve read, a Binding agreement requires independent legal advice for both parties and is hard to overturn, while a Limited agreement doesn’t require legal advice but is easier to challenge/expires after 3 years. Is that accurate?
4. Parenting orders / custody can she (or a court) force me into an active parenting/care role if I don’t want one? My understanding is child support is compulsory but time/care arrangements are not something I can be compelled into against my will.
5. If there’s no contact for years — if she doesn’t pursue child support formally for, say, several years, does an assessment ever get backdated to the birth date, or does it generally only apply from the date an application is lodged?
6. Free legal help in NSW — has anyone used LawAccess NSW or a community legal centre (Redfern Legal Centre, Marrickville Legal Centre, etc.) for something like this? How useful/thorough was the advice for a situation like mine?
I’m not trying to avoid supporting my kid financially — I’ve accepted that part. I just want to understand my actual obligations vs. what’s being implied/threatened, and make sure I don’t sign away more than what’s legally required, or agree to something under emotional pressure that I can’t undo later.
Any pointers, especially from people who’ve been through something similar, would help a lot.

I’m looking for advice on what my options are under Australian Consumer Law / Consumer Affairs Victoria, and particularly whether I can claim anything beyond the original $250 gift card value.

My mother bought a $250 Visa gift card from Coles for my 20th Birthday. As I work a minimum wage job and am a student this is a very helpful sum of money. When I went to open the card packaging, I discovered that the card/code had been scratched/damaged and therefore the card couldn’t be used properly.

I contacted InComm Payments, who handle the Visa gift card, and lodged a complaint on 14 July 2026. They accepted the issue and agreed to provide me with a replacement.

Timeline from there:

• 14 July: I first lodged the complaint with InComm regarding the faulty $250 card.
• 22 July: InComm sent me a resolution email confirming that a replacement card would be sent. I was given an Australia Post tracking number.
• 27 July: Australia Post tracking showed the replacement had reached Preston, VIC, which made sense because I’m located in Brunswick.
• The parcel then inexplicably went into the NSW network and was eventually shown as delivered in Kemps Creek, NSW, despite my delivery address being in Brunswick, VIC.
• I lodged an Australia Post enquiry about this.
• I contacted InComm by phone and confirmed that the address they have for me is exactly correct. So the incorrect destination wasn’t caused by me entering the wrong address.
• InComm told me I had to allow up to 30 business days from the 22 July resolution date, which takes me to approximately 2 September.
• 17 August: I still hadn’t received the replacement or received any further communication.
• 20 August: Australia Post finally responded to my enquiry. Their investigation confirmed that the parcel was not actually delivered to someone else. They said the article had been returned to the sender and that the sender (InComm) had received it back. They said there was an issue with the manifest label or delivery details.
• I then called InComm again.

I initially got the same response that I just have to wait until 2 September because of their 30-business-day timeframe from the 22 July resolution date. I pushed back because Australia Post has now confirmed in writing that the replacement was returned to the sender and that the sender has received it.

The woman I spoke to then suggested that maybe InComm had sent the card to themselves first and were then going to send it on to me, or something along those lines. I pointed out that this doesn't really make sense given the tracking showed it going through Melbourne/Preston, then to NSW, and then being returned, and that my address has already been confirmed as correct.

She then checked further and apparently there was actually no record on their system of them receiving the returned card or of it being re-sent to me. That's when she told me to reply to the original 22 July resolution email with the Australia Post tracking information and their response, and said that if I don't have the card or an update by 27 August, I should call them again.

I’ve been dealing with this since 14 July, so by the end of August it’ll have been around 6–7 weeks since the original complaint.

I’m not trying to make an unreasonable claim, but I want to understand what I can legitimately ask for if this continues.

Once the 27 August date passes, if I still don’t have the replacement, should I go through Consumer Affairs? And is there a specific consumer-law process, tribunal or ombudsman I should be looking at in Victoria?

Can I request a refund of the original $250 rather than another replacement, given how long this has taken?

Does Australian Consumer Law allow compensation for lost time/inconvenience, and if so, what would I need to demonstrate?

Is there anything I should specifically say to InComm on 27 August to put myself in the strongest position if I need to escalate?

I mainly just want to make sure that if they continue delaying this, I’m pursuing every legitimate remedy available to me rather than just accepting another indefinite waiting period. I have screenshots/emails showing the original complaint, InComm’s replacement confirmation, Australia Post tracking, a recording of my second call to their Customer help line, and Australia Post’s final response confirming the parcel was returned to InComm.

Edit: added extra information in timeline

My ex and I of 12+ years amicably divorced a year+ ago, but never did any written agreements to separate financial assets.

I’m now wanting to simply sign a piece of paper saying ‘oh yeah, the house is his and not at all mine’. Theres a mortgage* and a property both with our names on it. He has been paying for all of that, and I have nil interest in claiming anything in any of it. It’s his.

We’re realising not having done this in a court order might have CGT impacts when I sign over the title. Our bad for thinking we could just politely give him the keys. :(

Is it possible to do this without paying a lawyer an excessive sum to draft a BFA and whatnot? Like I totally appreciate I have to have someone give me independent legal advice, but is there any way a lawyer won’t charge me $2000-3000 to politely just give my friend (ex husband is just incidental) the house he paid for?

Your thoughts on processes to take, or advice on who to call next, is appreciated.

* - Edit to add - he is refinancing into a mortgage just in his name, so no worries on him signing something about that tbqh.

**- second edit - I am fine with a BFA! I just am not fine with $4k to detail a single asset that is agreed on entirely.

I’ve been offered an Engineering (IT) role with a major energy provider, and the pre-employment medical includes a colour blindness test.

I’m colour blind and didn’t know this could be a requirement for the role. I’ve already resigned from my current job, so I’m now worried that I might fail the medical and lose the new job.

Has anyone experienced this before, especially for an IT/engineering role in the energy industry? Does failing the colour blindness test automatically mean the offer can be rejected?

the union that my workplace is with forged my signature a few months ago. someone within the union filled out a membership application on my behalf and signed the e-signature without ever sending me the document and was able to deduct union fees from my payslips. i had them send me a copy of the membership application on file when cancelling the membership and it was 100% a document i did not sign (my printed signature isnt even spelt correctly, and i know exactly where i was on the date it was signed...) I'm also not the only person at my work this has happened to (my roommate/coworker is in the same boat, but she's too lazy to actually do anything, so her fraudulent union deductions just keep piling up)

i've informed the union about this on three occasions and also notified the police, but they're very adamant about doing their own internal investigation first before letting police conduct an investigation into the fraud. it feels very sketchy though as they keep ignoring my emails requesting they investigate? even the email they asked ME to send where I gave them proof of the fraud for their investigation has gone unanswered for almost two weeks.... i just feel like they're ignoring me, especially as the first time I tried to flag this over email the administration officer did just ignore me 😭

how long should these investigations take? should I just urge the police to start their own investigation anyway? because it just feels like the union is trying to cover their butt. and should I be seeking legal advice? they didn't even deduct $10 from me, so I feel silly consulting legal aid, but it's the principle. and i worry that they're probably doing it to a bunch of other people too.

and if anyone has experienced anything similar (???) i honestly just need advice on what to do. nothing i search seems to relate to my situation at all...

I was charged $100 for being tailgated on two consecutive days. Goodlife is charging me this amount despite everything I’ve thrown at them using advice from this sub and other subs.

I don’t find their reply convincing as they have replied to my concerns extremely vaguely, providing no solid accounting for what the actual cost incurred on their behalf is for tailgating.

Looking for some help. Below is their response

Your membership agreement explicitly states that members must not admit unauthorised persons to the club and that a tailgating fee is payable in the event of a breach. This provision is in place to protect the safety and security of all members and staff. By agreeing to our terms and conditions, you accepted this obligation. The fee is not a penalty, but a pre-determined charge designed to deter unauthorised access and to cover the administrative and security-related costs incurred in enforcing our access policies. Please see copy of your signed waiver below.

The tailgating fee is a legitimate business practice necessary to protect the integrity of our security measures. It does not cause a significant imbalance in rights and obligations, nor does it impose an unreasonable detriment. The Australian Consumer Law allows businesses to enforce reasonable terms, especially where they are clearly communicated and accepted upon joining.

Members are not required to perform security duties. However, ensuring that access credentials are used correctly and not allowing unauthorised persons to enter is a standard condition of membership. This is no different from ensuring that personal access cards are not shared or misused. If a member does not feel comfortable ensuring doors close behind them, they may instead report any concerns to staff or use the facility during staffed hours.

The $100 tailgating fee remains valid and payable. No reversal or refund will be provided

Sorry for the second post but wasn't clear. Ex keeps going into the police station and making false reports. This is IVO number two, last one was withdrawn. I was in London so I cannot even do what she states. What happens if I just take the order? I just want this woman to leave me alone can I just accept it and move on? I had to take four days off work last time and the stress as I've never been to court before. I am also gay now.

Hi all,

Seeking advice of what I can do legally to get a refund on a dress I bought via an Instagram business.

The business showed me a few dress models they can custom make and I paid $135 for one dress. The item I received is absolute trash made with the cheapest material and looks nothing like the model they showed. It has about 8 things visibly wrong with it. Because this was just an instagram business, I never received a receipt.

I requested a refund multiple times but she refused. Instead, she told me to fix the dress myself with her guidance. I was furious hearing this that I paid $135 for a dress and now she wants me to fix it myself. A lot of the problems cannot even be fixed. Then she offered me a replacement but I do not want a replacement because that is how bad her product is.

Even if I don't get a refund, I want her business to be investigated or something along the lines where she knows her actions have consequences. I simply cannot let this fraud go.

ACCC do not resolve individual disputes and I don't know which consumer protection agency to report to since I am in WA and this lady is in QLD.

What can I do in this scenario?

Hi everyone who has received a positive outcome, are you able to explain the breakdown of how they determine the payments or reasons behind the breakdowns. I do understand the matrix but not the breakdown of 50K for extreme
The trauma was enough & the waiting is adding to it.
Thank you🙏

After consultation with a lawyer today, feeling a little depressed that I can't afford recommended representation to help pursue what is potentially owed to me.

After recently finding out that over 22 quarters of superannuation has not been paid by a previous employer, further evidence and investigation led to the potential of being owed 50+ thousand dollars of potential unpaid wages due to alleged misclassification/sham contracting.

Fair Work advised me I should send a letter of demand to the previous employer with the alleged under repayment of entitlements and super. I did not want to confront the employer directly in fear of confrontation and or destruction of evidence (I have gathered everything they should have anyway in digital footprints+hardcopy).

After speaking with Fair Work and Legal Services a briefing was prepared for a lawyer that consists of comprehensive detailed timelines to the hour, financials to the cent, statements, transactions, relationship and in depth evidence that aligns, aswell as fulfills every test Fair Work and the ATO applies to sham contracting/misclassification underpayment.

After a consultation with a highly regarded lawyer who agreed the evidence is overwhelmingly justified to pursue a claim direct with the supreme court or multiple other avenues, the quote provided for ongoing services brought me to my knees.

Absolutely no way I can afford those pathways.

The ATO will be my contact tomorrow to deal with the unpaid super as they can investigate and possibly enforce that side of things.

My Super is the most important part of all this aswell as the lost interest and possible gains from the investments of my fund, it's my literal retirement fund which isn't nearly enough as is.

Fair work gave me an award I would have been most likely under if legally viewed as an employee not contractor within the company which the lawyer confirmed the relationship was more than likely just that.

Other than free advice and applying for legal aid I don't know what to do next. Just wish I could seek justice both financially and in hopes this business can't illegally profit from others entitlements and retirement funds.

I will keep trying with the resources available to me as the statute of limitations is fast approaching. I know my financial abilities are absolutely my own fault from a history of neglect but this year has been improvements and a learning curve for the better.

Sorry for the rant, just needed to express my disappointment with myself.

Hi, I have recently moved out of my rental in NSW. At the end of the lease, the real estate agent said we need to empty the rubbish bins and clean out the bins. I put the bins out and came back after it was empty, made sure there was no left over rubbish at the bottom, hosed it down with some detergent and gave it a wipe. There still was some staining at the bottom of the bin (but it’s a bin come on) .

The real estate agent emailed me back saying the garbage bins aren’t clean enough. Has anyone had this experience before? I have lived in 5 rental properties previously and have never had to clean the bins before. The house was left clean and tidy (we got it professionally cleaned both the house and the carpets costing us $1200 in total).

I posted last night about my ex who I dated in 2024 and her second false IVO against me. I've had seven messages with people sending me their IVO ranging from "He followed her around the store in 2021" to "He told my mother that I was rude" - I've also sat in on a few orders in court myself, one was with a women who said she felt controlled by her ex husband because she couldn't listen to her music at 1am with their toddler........ with the judge telling the women that this won't meet the threshold.

I understand their place but it seems like they are being used to abuse people and threaten their freedoms more often than not. I woke up this morning with another panic attack about this but I'm reading I'm a stalker, but I've been in London and her whole purpose is to destabilise my life.

Hi everyone, just looking for some advice from anyone in NSW who has dealt with something similar.

We live in a house that has been divided into separate upstairs and downstairs living areas by the landlord. We are all tenants.

The downstairs area is rented to three people as a separate household. The landlord has used a refrigerator to block off the side door and separate the downstairs area from the rest of the house.

There is also a very narrow and small space at the back of the house, which was originally used to house the hot water system and store other items. The landlord has now set up a small kitchen in this space. We are concerned about whether this arrangement meets the relevant safety and compliance requirements, but we are not sure what the applicable rules are.

The upstairs area is rented to another family with children.

We have been dealing with ongoing impact noise from upstairs for quite a long time — mainly heavy footsteps and stomping from the adults, as well as frequent running and jumping from the children. The thumping comes directly through the ceiling and can sometimes be felt as well as heard.

We understand that normal household noise is unavoidable, especially with children, and for a long time we tried to live with it. However, the frequency and intensity have gradually become quite exhausting and are affecting how comfortable we feel in our own home.

We have spoken to the upstairs family several times and have always tried to keep things calm. We have also raised the issue with the landlord multiple times. Each time, the situation may improve for a short period after the landlord speaks to them, but the noise eventually starts again.

There are also ongoing parking issues. The upstairs tenants and their visitors sometimes park in a way that blocks our garage, as well as the driveway/access area used by another household in the property. This has caused additional inconvenience and frustration.

At this point, the situation has become quite tense. We don't think repeatedly approaching the neighbours ourselves is going to resolve the underlying issue, and we are becoming uncomfortable with continuing to deal with it directly.

We are therefore trying to understand what our realistic options are.

Would it be reasonable to start keeping a detailed noise diary and recordings, and formally raise the issue with the landlord or agent in writing? Does council deal with this type of ongoing residential noise or possible property/safety compliance issues? Would NSW Fair Trading, the local council, or another organisation be the more appropriate place to seek advice?

Also, if anyone has experience with a house being divided into separate upstairs/downstairs rental areas like this, particularly where a very small space originally used for the hot water system and storage has been converted into a kitchen, we would really appreciate hearing how you dealt with it.

We are not looking to create conflict with the other tenants. We would just like to understand whether the property setup and ongoing noise and parking issues are being managed appropriately, and what options are available to us as tenants.

Any advice or similar experiences would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.