“The test for whether a contract term is unfair has not changed. However, businesses now could potentially face substantial penalties for contravening the law. This will better protect consumers and small businesses who have limited bargaining power, expertise, and ability to negotiate or assess standard form contracts,”
Read More ACCC Urges Businesses to Remove Unfair Contract Term
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The ACCC has issued a draft determination proposing to deny authorisation for Qantas Airways Ltd and China Eastern Airlines Corporation Limited and their related entities (including Jetstar) to continue coordinating operations between Australia and mainland China.
Read More Proposed Denial of Qantas and China Eastern Airline Coordination
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Australia Post is proposing to increase its stamp prices by 25 per cent from January 2024.
This change would increase the price of delivering reserved ordinary small letters from $1.20 to $1.50, ordinary large letters up to 125 grams from $2.40 to $3.00 and ordinary large letters between 125 grams and 250 grams from $3.60 to $4.50.
Australia Post is not proposing to increase the price of concession stamps (60 cents each) or stamps for seasonal greeting cards (65 cents).
Read More ACCC Opens Submissions on Australia Post’s Proposed Price Increases
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On the 23rd of August, Treasury announced the creation of the Competition Taskforce as part of the 2 year long Competition Policy Review. The purpose of the Review and its Taskforce is to examine the current competition laws, policies and institutions, and determine reforms in those areas to further boost productivity.
Read More Competition Taskforce Established as Treasury Stresses Importance of Competition to the Economy
Original media release from ACCC (14/08/2023), link here. The Federal Court today ordered that Dell Australia Pty Ltd pay $10 million for making false and misleading representations on its website about discount prices for add-on computer monitors. In enforcement proceedings brought by the ACCC, Dell Australia admitted that it had misled customers about the price…
Read More Dell Australia Penalised $10 million for Misleading Representations
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Due to COVID-19, all Australian airports have recorded noticeable drops in their financial performances since 2018-2019 with Sydney and Melbourne airports by far the most negatively affected with both airports profit margins dropping by 48% in 2021-2022.
Unfortunately, the data airports are required to submit to the ACCC lack the detail necessary to determine if or how much their natural monopoly is being used – something both the ACCC and airlines have raised as concerns.
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Regulated water charges varied substantially between the different states in the Murray-Darling Basin in 2021-22 as wet conditions across the Basin kept water availability high, the ACCC’s annual Water Monitoring Report 2021-22 shows.
The Murray-Darling Basin focused report monitors regulated water charges, compliance with the water rules by infrastructure operators, and ‘transformation’ arrangements that allow irrigators to convert an irrigation right into a standalone water access entitlement, held by the irrigator or traded to another person.
Read More Regulated Water Charges in Murray-Darling Basin Fell in Real Terms 2021-2022
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The Queensland Consumers Association’s submission (#56) to a House of Representatives Inquiry says changes are needed to the grocery unit pricing (pricing per unit of measure) system to make it much easier for consumers to compare grocery prices and values.
The submission also strongly supports the Consumers Federation of Australia’s submission to the inquiry which includes support for demand-side initiatives to promote competition and recommendations on unit pricing.
Read More Submission to House of Representatives Inquiry calls for improvements to grocery unit pricing
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After many years of campaigning against the damaging practices of Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL) schemes, the Assistant Treasurer and Minister for Competition, Charities, and Treasury Hon. Andrew Leigh MP has commended the Treasury Laws Amendment (2023 Measures No. 3) Bill 2023, partly designed to close loopholes utilised by BNPLs, to the House of Representatives.
Read More Win for Consumers: Anti-Avoidance Provision Bill Commended to the House
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Virtual Private Networks or VPNs are a method by which people can more securely use and access public internet connections, reduce some communication costs, and bypass internet censorship. The privacy and protection of personal information is an important selling point of VPNs and one that was used to sell Onavo Protect in the Google and…
Read More Meta Companies Penalised $20m for Onavo Protect VPN’s Misleading Claims
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The National Anti-Scam Centre (NASC) is warning of a new text-based scam targeting loyalty program customers with Qantas Frequent Flyer, Telstra, and Coles. This warning comes after a little over 200 were lodged with Scamwatch in the last four months.
Read More Scam Alert – Loyalty Points Program Customers Targeted
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The Federal Court has today imposed record penalties of $438m against former vocational college Phoenix Institute of Australia Pty Ltd (Phoenix) and its marketing arm Community Training Initiatives Pty Ltd (CTI) in proceedings brought by the ACCC and the Commonwealth.
Read More Record penalties of $438m ordered against Phoenix Institute and CTI for acting unconscionably and misleading students
