Wilson Security Pty Ltd

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has accepted a court-enforceable undertaking from Wilson Security Pty Ltd (Wilson Security) in relation to charging customers for internal premise security patrols, which were not provided.

In Western Australia, in the period from July 2011 to September 2017, Wilson Security frequently replaced missed internal and semi-internal patrols with external security patrols without advising customers. During this period, there were approximately 48,000 missed internal and semi-internal patrols, affecting approximately 320 customers.

Wilson Security has admitted that by charging customers for these services, it engaged in conduct that was misleading or deceptive, or likely to mislead or deceive and made false or misleading representations in contravention of sections 18 and 29(1)(b) of the Australian Consumer Law (ACL).

The relevant undertaking

To address the ACCC’s concerns, Wilson Security has provided the ACCC with an undertaking that requires it to, among other things, implement the following:

• provide refunds to all customers who had an internal or semi-internal patrol service replaced by Wilson Security during the period 1 July 2011 to 17 September 2017;
• a consumer law compliance program for its Australian security business; and
• business improvement strategies to ensure that all staff are appropriately trained and  improved internal oversight and monitoring of its patrol services.