Women often feel intimidated by the men at car repair workshops, because even if they felt they were getting charged more than a man would, they couldn't really argue against it because they didn't know enough about cars. Here’s what the law says.
Ever got the feeling that the mechanic is charging you more for the repairs on your car than he would charge your husband or brother? Women we've talked to said they often felt intimidated by the men at car repair workshops, because even if they felt they were getting charged more than a man would, they couldn't really argue against it because they didn't know enough about cars. You should know that the Consumer Protection Act (CPA) has got your back. According to Section 8 of the CPA, a supplier of goods or services is not allowed to discriminate unfairly against any person based on their gender.
Here's the law that applies, taken from the National Consumer Commission:
"A supplier must not, directly or indirectly, treat any person differently in a manner that constitutes unfair discrimination on one or more of the prohibited grounds when:
- Interacting with the consumer in the supplier's place of business, or in the course of displaying or demonstrating any goods, testing or fitting any goods, or negotiating the terms of a transaction or agreement; or
- Selecting, preparing, packaging or delivering any goods for or to the consumer, or providing any services to the consumer;
- Proposing or agreeing the terms and conditions of a transaction or agreement..."
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