Every year, thousands of Australians receive refunds from companies that have potentially breached their consumer rights. These refunds often follow intervention by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission and during the past three years more than $2.7 million has been returned to shoppers as part of undertakings by businesses.

However, a recent study by the commission has found many more customers may be missing out because they are unaware they are entitled to make a claim or traders do not have their details.

Research into the legally binding undertakings by companies to the commission between January 2005 and May 2008 has found more than 6100 consumers and small businesses received refunds during that time. These refunds are often bundled as part of a package of actions the business promises in order to undo the damage it has caused and deal with concerns raised by the regulator.

Where appropriate, the commission can then accept these undertakings from the business as an alternative to costly and lengthy litigation.

For customers who have been misled or had their rights breached, the benefit is they can receive a refund or other resolution, such as repair, much more quickly. About half the commission's investigations are resolved this way. However, even when companies try to do the right thing, some customers miss out because they can't be contacted and are unaware they have a right to make a claim.

So, what steps can consumers take to ensure they don't get left off the list?

Research shows that customers are most likely to receive a refund when a business has their contact details. In many cases businesses try to return money but are unable to because they have no record of their customers and no way of contacting them.

It is not practical for shoppers to register their details with every business they deal with but there are ways they can improve their chances of getting a refund once businesses begin to offer them.

One of the first is to ensure complaints to a business are made in writing when something goes wrong. This gives both the customer and the business a written record of the complaint if it isn't resolved in the first instance with the business.

Several studies have found that informed consumers are the most likely to receive a fair deal in disputes with businesses. Those who know their rights are in the best position to know when those rights have been breached and to seek compensation. Businesses also use techniques for trying to reach affected customers when they do provide a refund.

Seven of the companies in the commission's research that managed to reach the highest number of customers used direct mail-out, while others called their customers directly. However, other traders relied on advertisements in newspapers and journals. One company tried to inform customers by placing a corrective notice on its website.

Others have relied on SMS and email to reach customers, so providing these details to a business may assist them in contacting customers in the event of a refund being given.

When accepting undertakings from businesses that involve consumer refunds, the commission negotiates to ensure they use the most effective methods of contacting customers.

Therefore another important step customers can take in ensuring they are included in any refund offer is to register their details with the commission.

Every year the commission enters about 47,000 complaints and inquiries into its database. Not only do these complaints contribute to investigations, they can also be used to contact customers if a business provides the commission with undertakings that include refunds. The commission can either advise those on its database to contact the company involved or seek their permission to pass on those details to the company.

It doesn't legally affect a customer's right to a refund but simple steps, such as keeping receipts, can also help prove that a customer is entitled to the refund being provided.

Most of the undertakings involving refunds are listed online at http://www.accc.gov.au. Organisations such as Choice also regularly advertise consumer refunds.

No one can be expected to monitor every business they have dealt with on the off-chance that one has breached their rights. Some businesses also provide refunds on their own initiative without the involvement of the commission.

Taking a few basic precautions and ensuring records are up-to-date can go a long way to ensuring customers are not forgotten or overlooked when refunds become available.