- Online retailer takes payment for goods that don’t arrive within a reasonable time
- Hundreds of complaints received by consumer protection agencies in Australia
- Consumers urged to avoid placing orders with the retailer at this time
WA consumers are being warned about shopping with national online retailer Kingdom Warehouse, based in Melbourne, as many of their customers have failed to receive their goods or any refunds.
Consumer Protection’s alert follows a public warning issued by Consumer Affairs Victoria which reports receiving 284 complaints from Victorian consumers since April 2020.
So far 22 consumers in WA have lodged complaints with Consumer Protection after not receiving goods that they ordered online from the company’s website www.kingdomwarehouse.com.au. The WA consumers have been waiting from 28 to 450 days for their orders to arrive and their requests for refunds have been ignored.
Other consumer agencies in Australia have received similar complaints about the business.
Kingdom Warehouse describes itself as ‘Australia’s leading super store offering affordability for every budget’ and its website offers a wide range of household goods, clothing, electronics, groceries and other items.
Commissioner for Consumer Protection Gary Newcombe advises consumers to avoid ordering from Kingdom Warehouse while investigations are ongoing.
“We believe there is a risk for consumers who order goods and make payments to this online retailer so we urge shoppers to exercise caution and consider purchasing from other retailers,” Mr Newcombe said.
“Of concern is the retailer’s reluctance to cooperate with attempts by government agencies to resolve the complaints.
“Once payment is accepted, businesses have an obligation under the Australian Consumer Law to supply the goods or services within a reasonable time, or offer a refund.
“Consumers who paid by credit card, have been waiting a long time for their goods to arrive and have not received a requested refund, could consider requesting a chargeback from their credit card provider.”
WA customers of Kingdom Warehouse who have not received their goods after a reasonable time, should lodge a complaint on the Consumer Protection website if they haven’t already. Enquiries can be made by email consumer@demirs.wa.gov.au or by calling 1300 30 40 54.
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Media Contact: Alan Hynd, (08) 6552 9248 / 0429 078 791 / alan.hynd@demirs.wa.gov.au
