ACCC

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Australian consumers are paying too much for foreign currency conversion (FX) services because of confusing pricing and a lack of robust competition, a new ACCC report has found. The final report of the ACCC’s Foreign Currency Conversion Services Inquiry highlights important competition and consumer issues affecting individuals and small businesses who use international money transfers (IMTs), foreign…

Read More Australians paying millions too much for foreign currency services

A gold watch on a table with button batteries scattered around the watch A gold watch on a table with button batteries scattered around the watch

The ACCC has established a Button Battery Taskforce to investigate ways to reduce risk to the Australian community, particularly children, of button batteries. In Australia two children have died in the past six years after swallowing a button battery, and hundreds of children suspected of swallowing button batteries have ended up in hospital emergency rooms.…

Read More Taskforce to investigate stronger button battery safety

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Australians are set to lose a record amount to scams in 2019, with projections from losses reported to Scamwatch and other government agencies so far expected to exceed $532 million by the end of the year, surpassing half a billion dollars for the first time. This year’s National Scams Awareness Week (12-16 August) theme is “too smart…

Read More Record losses expected as scammers target Australians

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The ACCC is inviting interested parties to comment on the Humane Farm Animal Care’s application to register a certification trademark (CTM) in Australia. The CTM intends to certify that animal derived products bearing the mark have complied with a range of Humane Farm Animal Care’s livestock and poultry welfare standards.  The mark bears the words…

Read More Humane Farm Animal Care application to register a CTM: invitation to comment

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Large retailers supplying high value electrical appliances and whitegoods, such as refrigerators, computers and washing machines, will be a key enforcement priority for the ACCC in 2019. “We’re concerned that many manufacturers and large retailers are not complying with consumer guarantee laws and this will be an area of renewed focus for us this year,”…

Read More ACCC 2019 focus on consumer guarantees and anti-competitive practices

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Fixed-line NBN customers received generally good levels of service during the latest round of ACCC broadband speed tests, but some consumers experienced a dip in speeds. The ACCC’s latest Measuring Broadband Australia report, released today, expands the number of retail service providers (RSPs) to include Dodo, iPrimus and Exetel, enabling the report to cover a…

Read More NBN speeds mostly steady, but improvements needed

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The ACCC is encouraging NBN customers experiencing slow connection speeds to contact their retail service provider (RSP) as they may be eligible for a refund following undertakings it has negotiated with RSPs over the last 15 months. Telstra, Optus, TPG, iiNet, Internode, Dodo, iPrimus and Commander have each admitted that they likely made false or…

Read More NBN customers urged to check if they’re entitled to a refund

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Jetstar, Tigerair, Qantas and Virgin Australia have committed to ensuring their refund policies and practices comply with their consumer guarantee obligations under the Australian Consumer Law (ACL). The ACCC was concerned that each airline had made false or misleading representations on their websites that misled consumers about their rights to refunds and resupply in the…

Read More Jetstar, Tigerair, Qantas and Virgin Australia to fix refund policies

ACCC Chair Rod Sims has put telecommunications companies on notice to ensure their advertising is clear and transparent or face court action from the regulator, including much higher penalties and a warning that the ACCC may bring proceedings against executives who knowingly approve misleading advertisements. Earlier this year the ACCC began investigating Optus, Vodafone and…

Read More Telcos on notice about false and misleading advertising