Fair Trading Resources

Telecommunications Guidelines

(2 documents)

Guidelines for Broadband Suppliers PDF (96 KB): These guidelines will help broadband suppliers to better understand how to comply with the Fair Trading Act in promoting the sale of broadband services. It should be noted that while the Commission gives information about the Act, the Commission cannot provide legal advice about specific representations or specific promotions. Ultimately only a court can decide whether or not a representation breaches the Fair Trading Act.
Guidelines for the disclosure of product bundling in telecommunications Fair Trading Act August 2010 PDF (60 KB)

Green Marketing and Carbon Claims

(2 documents)

The Fair Trading Act - Guidelines for Green Marketing PDF (101 KB): These guidelines will help those wanting to use green claims in marketing to better understand how to comply with the Fair Trading Act. These guidelines should be used as a guide only and are not a substitute for legal advice.
Fair Trading Act 1986 - Guidelines for Carbon Claims, July 2009 PDF (115 KB): These guidelines will help inform businesses about their obligations under the Fair Trading Act 1986 (the Act). They examine issues surrounding carbon offset and neutrality claims, and how they are affected by the Act.

Fair Trading Compliance Programmes

(5 documents)

Check Sheet 1 - Fair Trading Act Advertising Promotion Compliance: Promotion vetting and pre-approval Word (116 KB): This check sheet applies to all employees who are responsible for ensuring advertising/promotion materials for our productions/services comply with the Fair Trading Act policy. Any employee with sound knowledge of the Fair Trading Act policy and the products/services being sold can complete this check sheet.
Check-Sheet-2_-Fair-Trading-Act-policy-compliance---management-questions.DOC Word (149 KB): This check sheet applies to staff and line managers with trading/sales responsibilities. Any person with reasonable knowledge of the Fair Trading Act compliance policy can complete this check sheet.

There should be a reasonable level of independence in your checking. This means that you should not check work that you have done yourself unless there are no other reasonable options for performing the check.
Check Sheet 3 - Fair Trading Act Policy Compliance: Staff Questions Word (108 KB): This check sheet applies to staff and line managers with trading/sales responsibilities. Any person with reasonable knowledge of the Fair Trading Act compliance policy can complete this check sheet.

There should be a reasonable level of independence in your checking. This means that you should not check work that you have done yourself unless there are no other reasonable options for performing the check.
Fair Trading Act Compliance Policy (Sample) Word (74 KB): The purpose of this policy is to ensure that:

• all advertising and marketing used by [insert name of business] will comply with New Zealand’s Fair Trading Act 1986; and
• the advertising or marketing materials that we use and the associated activities we undertake will not (and could not) mislead or deceive our consumers.
Fair Trading Act Complaints Register (Sample) Word (35 KB): Complaint information helps management identify problems and deal with them before they become big issues.

The information that should be recorded might include the complainant’s contact details, the goods or service that they are complaining about, details of their specific complaint and the action that the business took in response to the complaint - including when the action was taken

Supporting Documents

Telecommunications Guidelines

Green Marketing and Carbon Claims

Fair Trading Compliance Programmes

Fair Trading Fact sheets

Foreign Language Resources