ACCC - 2/6 - Consumers' Federation of Australia

23 December , 2017

FCA welcomes ACCC determination extending fee-free ATMs in Remote Communities

Financial Counselling Australia (FCA) welcomes today’s announcement from the ACCC that they will continue to allow the banking industry to subsidise privately provided ATMs in remote Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. The ACCC needs to authorise this arrangement as its collective nature means it would otherwise breach Australia’s competition laws. At a time when…

23 December , 2017

New telco rules an early Christmas present for consumers

The Minister for Communications has directed the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) to impose new rules that will force telcos to significantly improve the consumer experience in moving to the NBN. This is a great win for consumers. The Australian Communications Consumer Action Network (ACCAN) has been calling for some time for these issues to be addressed and…

22 December , 2017

ACCC Report: Airlines need to comply with consumer law

With over 10 million passengers flying last December and January, the ACCC has today released a report Airlines: Terms and conditions ahead of the busy Christmas travel season to remind travellers of their rights. The ACCC received 1400 complaints about airlines from 1 January 2016 to 14 December 2017, largely concerning consumer rights, known as consumer guarantees.…

20 December , 2017

Better dispute resolution for cars needed, say ACCC and Consumer Action

The ACCC last week released the final report from its market study into Australia’s new car retailing industry following 18 months of extensive research, investigations and consultation with industry and consumer groups. “The ACCC recommends several reforms to improve the new car retailing industry, which should lead to better outcomes for consumers. Some will require industry led…

12 December , 2017

Avoiding surcharges for card payments

To avoid being slugged with excessive charges for paying by card during the busy Christmas and holiday shopping period, consumers should be aware of the national restrictions on surcharging by businesses for payments made by debit, credit or prepaid cards, and lookout for businesses that may not be complying. The Queensland Consumers Association’s spokesperson, Ian…

18 November , 2017

ACCC Puts Clothing Retailers on Notice

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has found some retailers may be misleading consumers about their rights under the Australian Consumer Law (ACL) after reviewing the online policies of several large Australian clothing retailers. “This year the ACCC has received over 750 complaints regarding consumer guarantees for clothing purchases. We are reviewing the policies…

8 November , 2017

Telstra Offers to Compensate 42,000 Customers for Slow NBN

Telstra has agreed to offer remedies to around 42,000 customers for promoting and offering some of its National Broadband Network (NBN) speed plans as being capable of delivering specified maximum speeds, when those maximum speeds could not be achieved in real-world conditions. Between September 2015 and November 2017, Telstra offered internet services through both its…

19 October , 2017

Consumer Advocate Groups welcome ACCC’s Preliminary Report on retail electricity prices

Energy Consumers Australia (ECA) and the Queensland Consumers Association (QCA) have welcomed the ACCC’s Preliminary Report for its Electricity Supply & Prices Inquiry. In his Preliminary Report, ACCC chairman Rod Sims has confirmed that the electricity market is not working as it should and not delivering good value for money outcomes for consumers. The QCA says this confirms what…

11 October , 2017

Stay Smart Online

This Stay Smart Online Week, the ACCC is warning the community to watch out for common online scams they might encounter. The online sphere – email, the internet, social media and mobile apps – has overtaken telephones as scammers’ preferred tool of the trade to contact potential victims. In 2017, the ACCC’s Scamwatch site has…

6 October , 2017

CHOICE Refers Shonky Award Winners to the ACCC

Consumer group CHOICE has referred Coles Complete Cuisine cat food and Nature’s Way (Pharmacare) Kidsmart Vita Gummies to the ACCC for alleged breaches of Australian Consumer Law after they were named and shamed at the 12th annual CHOICE Shonky Awards. “Whether it’s making dodgy claims about the nutritional profile of cat food or claiming sugar laden vitamins are good…

11 August , 2017

Consumers Federation of Australia joins with the ACCC in Welcoming the Reappointment of ACCC Deputy Chair Delia Rickard

ACCC Media Release: ACCC Chairman Rod Sims has welcomed the Federal Government’s reappointment of Delia Rickard as Deputy Chair of the ACCC for a period of five years. The Government announced Delia’s reappointment today following unanimous support from the states and territories. “Delia has made an outstanding contribution to the work of the ACCC over…

5 May , 2017

ACCAN supports ACCC draft decision to not declare domestic mobile roaming

The Australian Communications Consumer Action Network (ACCAN) welcomes the ACCC’s draft decision to not declare a wholesale domestic mobile roaming service. In its submission to the ACCC Inquiry, ACCAN questioned whether regulated domestic roaming would result in better mobile coverage and improved competition in regional, rural and remote areas. ACCAN notes the ACCC’s finding that…