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Alternatively you can call us on 0800 943 600 or email contact@comcom.govt.nz

Our focus is to make sure New Zealand markets work well and consumers and businesses are confident when buying or selling goods and services.

The consumer and competitions laws which we enforce provide protection when you buy goods or services in New Zealand and support competition in regulated markets.

Our role and the laws we enforce

We enforce business competition laws. We have regulatory responsibilities for electricity lines, gas pipelines, telecommunications, dairy, grocery and airport sectors which aim to benefit consumers.

The consumer laws we enforce include:

  • Fair Trading Act which prohibits false and misleading behaviour by businesses
  • Credit Contracts and Consumer Finance Act which protects consumers when they borrow money or buy goods on credit
  • Commerce Act which prohibits anti-competitive mergers and behaviour.

The competition laws we enforce include:

  • Grocery Industry Competition Act and the Grocery Supply Code which regulates relationships between regulated grocery retailers and wholesale customers and suppliers, and monitors market performance
  • Retail Payment System Act 2022 which monitors and regulates designated retail payment networks
  • Telecommunications Act 2001 which regulates wholesale telecommunications services and monitors retail market performance
  • Fuel Industry Act which monitors relationships between suppliers and retailers of fuel and requires retailers to display pricing information for consumers clearly
  • Dairy Industry Restructuring Act which monitors Fonterra’s milk price setting processes and calculations

Read more about our role

How the complaints process works

If you contact us to complain about a business or person you believe has broken consumer and/or competition law, we then consider your complaint according to our enforcement criteria.

We get thousands of complaints every year, so we investigate some complaints but not others. This means that we tend to be most interested in the issues that could cause widespread harm to New Zealanders. We do value all complaint information and keep this information in our complaints database. We use this database to identify business practices of possible concern and may refer to this to help us decide whether to investigate similar behaviour in the future. This database also helps us to decide how we can best assist businesses to understand and comply with the law.

Read more about our complaint process

Your privacy is protected

We understand you may be concerned about what we do with the information you provide. We take steps to protect your information and we do not contact the business involved while we assess your complaint.

If we do decide to investigate your complaint we will contact you and ask if you are happy for us to disclose your identity, and/or details about your complaint to the business.

If you want to protect your identity, please raise it with us when you make your report. For example we may consider treating you as a confidential informant if you are an employee or business partner of the person or organisation you want to report. We value information from confidential informants and have a policy of protecting people's identity when requested.

As an Independent Crown Entity, the Commission is also subject to the Official Information Act and we sometimes get requests for copies of complaints from businesses, members of public and the media. When this happens we take care to redact and anonymise the complaint information to ensure your identity is protected.

How to report cartel conduct

Cartel conduct is hard to detect because it is often conducted in secret. Therefore, obtaining information from those involved in a cartel, or who are aware of one, is one important tool to help us detect cartels.

There are three ways you can report information about cartels to the Commission:

  • applying for leniency and immunity
  • making a general report
  • using our anonymous whistleblowing tool.

Read more about reporting cartel conduct

How to report grocery industry conduct

The Commission has new responsibilities to monitor and regulate the grocery sector under the Grocery Industry Competition Act 2023 (GICA) – this is in addition to our ongoing work in the grocery sector enforcing the Fair Trading Act and the Commerce Act.

The GICA creates obligations for specified Regulated Grocery Retailers (RGRs) (Woolworths, Foodstuffs North Island and Foodstuffs South Island) to provide wholesale supply to businesses who wish to re-sell grocery products. In addition, the Grocery Supply Code creates new rules around the agreements between suppliers and RGRs to promote fair conduct.

To help us perform our role, we are interested in receiving relevant information in relation to:

  • Wholesale supply issues
  • Supply agreement issues
  • Trends and issues in the grocery industry more generally

This information may be provided by:

  • Wholesale customers
  • Suppliers
  • Employees of RGRs or other industry participants

There are two ways you can report information:

  • Making a general report
  • Using our Anonymous Reporting Tool (if you do not want to provide your personal details)

See more about our anonymous reporting tool

How to make a complaint about the Commerce Commission

If you have concerns about the way the Commission has handled an investigation or matter, you can make a complaint to us.

How to make a complaint about the Commission

Who else can help?

The Financial Markets Authority (FMA) is the primary regulator of conduct in relation to financial products and services (excluding credit contracts).

For concerns about misleading or deceptive conduct in relation to financial products or services please contact the FMA.

Consumer Protection

The Consumer Protection website has information on what to know and do before, during and after purchasing a product or service.

If you have any consumer questions or enquiries, you can phone the Consumer Protection helpline on 0508 426 678.

Getting your money back

Sometimes following an investigation we are able to achieve financial redress for affected consumers, however we are not a dispute resolution service. You may need to take your own action if you want your individual issue to be resolved, such as getting your money back.

Contact the Disputes Tribunal.

Financial products and services

Legal advice

While your concerns are important to us and may help us stop illegal behaviour and prevent it from happening again, we are unable to provide legal advice to individuals. You may be able to obtain free legal advice from a community law centre or a lawyer.

Budget advice

To find a budget advice service near you, go to the National Building Financial Capability Charitable Trust website.

You can also contact MoneyTalks, a free, confidential and non-judgemental helpline on 0800 345 123 or visit www.moneytalks.co.nz.

Understanding your rights and responsibilities

For free advice to know and understand your consumer rights and obligations and how to use this information to get the best outcomes contact a Citizens Advice Bureau near you.