Buying something like a used car is just one of the many challenges new migrants to Australia must overcome, often with limited English and without full knowledge of their rights.
NSW Fair Trading has launched a new education strategy aimed at making sure culturally and linguistically diverse communities (CALD) know what their consumer rights are.
The department has released brochures about the services Fair Trading can provide in 16 different languages, as well as a video in six languages about buying a car.
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NSW Fair Trading Commissioner Rod Stowe told SBS, the new multilingual information was aimed at ensuring CALD consumers were aware of their rights, particularly in situations like buying a car.
"Buying a used car is probably one of the first things that a newly arrived migrant needs to do, it's vital to holding down a job, and it's one of the largest purchases that they'll make," he said.
"There are a whole lot of pitfalls for people who buy cars privately. In many instances they don't have the same protections under consumer laws that you would if you were dealing with a commercial business."
Innovation and better regulation minister Victor Dominello told SBS the information would also help CALD communities to know how to ensure the quality of the car they were buying.
"One of the issues was in relation to buying a 'lemon' or a used car that didn't really work," he said.
"Not only do you lose money on those transactions but they're unsafe, so if we can communicate consumer protections around buying a good vehicle and avoiding the lemons, it's going to be good for consumers all around."
Other issues Fair Trading identified included people being targeted by cold callers and door-to-door salespeople, a lack of understanding of buying on credit and refunds, digital scams and tenancy problems.
Refugee consultant Margaret Piper said many people came from countries where they did not have the same level of consumer protections as they do in Australia.
"They are not aware when they come here that they do [have rights]," she told SBS.
"Fair Trading is playing a vital role in ensuring that these people understand they do have rights that will protect them.
"And also to empower them when they're engaging with a shop trader, or someone selling a car, somebody turning up at their door trying to sell them something."
With the new strategy, Fair Trading aims to help vulnerable communities such as refugee and humanitarian entrants and new migrants as well as overseas students.
Other multilingual information Fair Trading will release in the future will include a video on how to lodge a complaint and fact sheets on incorporation and strata laws.
The department also hopes to add more pages in different languages to its website by next year.
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