Complaints register

Select a month or months to show which businesses received complaints during that period. This also shows how many complaints each business received.

Browse the list of business names or search for a specific business name to see if it has a history of complaints.

Search for businesses in a particular suburb or suburbs in NSW.

You can compare the complaint history of businesses in the same industry. For example, select ‘Property’ to compare the complaint history of all housing and property-related businesses on the register.

Search for complaints by issue. For example, see all the businesses that have received complaints about their quality of service. 

The complaints register is published in the second half of each month for complaints received in the previous calendar month.

NSW Fair Trading assesses complaints to determine if regulatory action is required. In most cases, we will attempt to negotiate with both parties to resolve the dispute. If a business demonstrates patterns of non-compliance, we assess the complaints to determine the appropriate action.

Potential penalties issued to a business are not listed on the complaints register. The purpose of the register is to publicly highlight complaint trends.

The complaints register shows the types of complaints received, however, it does not show the outcomes of these. 

A public complaints register is an incentive for businesses to deliver better customer service, improve their practices and enables consumers to make informed decisions about where to shop. It is also part of the NSW Government’s commitment to transparency and providing open access to data.

NSW Fair Trading notifies businesses due to appear on the register each month. Businesses have 3 days to request a review if they do not agree with the number of complaints. Once the complaints register is published, the business cannot request to be removed from or add comments to the register.

Yes, you can compare the complaint history of businesses in the same industry. For example, select ‘Property’ to compare the complaint history of all housing and property-related businesses on the register.

No, complaints received by customers who wish to remain anonymous are not published or counted in the complaint register data. This ensures the complaint data has integrity and removes the possibility of vexatious complaints aimed at damaging a business’ reputation.

NSW Fair Trading reviews complaints to ensure they are legitimate before listing them on the register. This includes ensuring there has been a genuine interaction with the business, and whether the complaint falls under NSW Fair Trading’s authority.

Detailed complaint information is not publicly accessible.

The register only lists complaints about businesses. Complaints about government services are managed separately. 

You can contact the business directly to attempt to resolve any issues you may have. If this is unsuccessful, you can consider lodging your own complaint with NSW Fair Trading.

NSW Fair Trading may investigate repeated patterns of complaints for possible regulatory action, although it is common to see businesses appear repeatedly where they have a very large market share across Australia.

If you live outside NSW, and your matter relates to the Australian Consumer Law, you should contact you state or territory consumer protection agency. However, NSW Fair Trading may accept your complaint if it involves a NSW business. 

NSW Fair Trading takes all reasonable steps to ensure that all complaints included on the register are from real people who had a real interaction with the business.

Complaints must include a name and at least 1 form of contact (phone number or email address). If either of these details are incomplete, the complaint will not be included in the register.

Proof, such as receipts, may be required to verify the complaint.