Making a complaint or enquiry

Thank you for taking the time to contact us. We value the information you provide to help us protect consumers and support businesses in New Zealand. 

On this page, you will find information on how to make a complaint about fuel quality or report a concern to Trading Standards. If you suspect that the engine fuel you used in your vehicle does not meet compliance standards, we encourage you to report the issue by following the steps below.

This form is for fuel quality issues only — not for fuel pumps providing short measures of fuel. Complaints about potential short measure can be made at:

Making a complaint or enquiry(external link)

What we do with your complaint / enquiry

  • All reports to Trading Standards are recorded and assessed. Once we make an initial assessment, we then decide whether to take further action.
  • We aim to investigate every report made to us.
  • We prioritise responding to issues which may cause widespread harm to New Zealanders to utilise our resources efficiently.
  • We may contact you if we need more information about the complaint or concern

  • For more information, see our How we do it page: 

How we do it(external link)

What we don’t do with your complaint / enquiry

  • We do not offer a dispute resolution service. If you are seeking compensation for repairs or damage to your vehicles, you will need to act independently.
  • We do not provide legal advice regarding your rights and obligations under the laws we enforce.

What we do about your privacy

  • To ensure the protection of your identity, please verify your consent at the bottom of the form. 
  • The information you provide will be disclosed within the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment. If you believe there are any grounds for nondisclosure, please include them while you fill this form, and we will take them into consideration during our review.
  • When we investigate your complaint, we will first contact you and ask if you are comfortable with us disclosing your identity, and/or sharing details about your complaint with the business. With your consent we may disclose this information.
  • The information you provide may be subject to release under the Official Information Act 1982, Privacy Act 2020, Parliamentary Select Committee or Parliament in response to a Parliamentary Question or other legal requirement. 
  • You have the right to ask if we have any personal information about you, access that information, and request corrections if necessary. You can do so by following the processes in our privacy statement.

Privacy

Notes for contacting the retailer

It isn't always the most recent point of refilling your vehicle that is necessarily the source of the problem. If the problem is related to fuel quality, it could stem from previous refills.

Timeframe for response

We will respond to your complaint or enquiry within 5 working days.

NOTE: Please ensure that you complete all required fields marked with an asterisk (*) before submitting the form.

Your details:
Preferred contact method?
Your vehicle:
When did you last have your vehicle serviced or inspected by a mechanic?
Your fuel purchase:
Have you retained a copy of the receipt or proof of purchase?
Have you notified the fuel station/company?
Have you recently purchased fuel from any other fuel stations?

Note:

One of our officers may contact you if we need more information to support your enquiry after our initial assessment.

Disclosing your complaint / enquiry:
If we contact the retailer, do you agree to us disclosing your complaint / enquiry and your details to that business?
If we decide that your complaint / enquiry is better suited to another government organisation, do you agree to us disclosing your complaint and your details to that organisation?