Duty free & tax free

In Australia many stores sell duty free and tax free products and services. Make sure you keep originals or copies of your passport and travel ticket with you to take advantage of these discounts. If you buy an item and it does not work properly, you have the right to a refund or to have the item replaced or repaired.

Ask about the store's policy on repairing or returning their products in your home country (keep you receipts). Before buying watches and cameras, check that they have an international warranty valid in your country... See "Buyer beware"

Consumer rights

If you are unsure of your consumer rights or have a problem with a tour, store or product in Australia, please contact Australia's Consumer Affairs/Fair Trading agencies in the state that the incident occurred on:

• South Australia (08) 8204 9777
  
• Canberra (02) 6207 0400
  
• Northern Territory (08) 8999 5184
  
• New South Wales (02) 9895 0111
  
• Tasmania (03) 6233 4567
  
• Victoria (03) 9627 6111
  
• Queensland - Cairns (07) 4042 3300... Gold Coast (07) 5571 3300...
                         Brisbane (07) 3246 1500

If you may wish to talk to these agencies through an interpreter service, which will help you with your query... For 24 hour interpreter services telephone 131 450.

If you would prefer to pursue a complaint or query once you've returned home, you can find further information by visiting the following websites:

• Consumer Affairs in Australia
• Australian Competition and Consumer Commission

Please copy all e-mails about your complaints to:

• Australian Tourism Export Council (ATEC) to help it follow up complaints against any of its members.

GST refunds

If you're travelling in Australia and returning to you home or are an Australian overseas you can buy portable items (such as digital camera) in a normal retail store before you leave, take the goods with you and claim a tax refund on them. Using the Australian Customs Services' Tourist Refund Scheme (TRS), you may be able to claim a refund of the GST, which applies to things like clothing, jewellery, shoes, cameras, small electrical goods and souvenirs and of the wine equalisation tax (WET).

Refunds are subject to several conditions:

• You must have bought the goods no more than 30 days before your departure
• Take the goods with you as carry-on luggage when you leave
• Spend $300 or more in the one store and ask the retailer for a single tax invoice to cover all items
• Present your passport, original tax invoice, international boarding pass and the goods to the Customs officer at the TRS facility in your departure airport

If you are returning to Australia, there are limits on the quantity of goods you're allowed to bring back into Australia duty and or tax free. Along with any duty-free items bought overseas, items bought in Australia under the TRS are included when determining your duty-free allowance... Goods for which a TRS claim has been approved must be declared to Customs on your return from Australia.

For more information on the Tourist Refund Scheme, go to Australian Customs Service