Everyday Consumer - Consumers' Federation of Australia

17 May , 2018

Regulation of Gift Card Expiry Periods: Federal Consultation Underway

The Federal Government has released, and is seeking submissions and comments on, a Regulatory Impact Statement (RIS) which examines options for national regulation of gift card expiry dates. Information about the RIS and the consultation process is available here: https://consult.treasury.gov.au/market-and-competition-policy-division/c2018-t282459/ The consultation period closes on 30 May 2018. The RIS focuses on expiry periods and exemptions and…

24 April , 2018

April Update: ACL Review Implementation Tracking Calendar

Following the Review of the Australian Consumer Law (ACL) and the Productivity Commission Report into ACL Administration and Enforcement, Consumers’ Federation of Australia (CFA) released a new tool to help consumers monitor the implementation of various recommendations. The tool, to be updated quarterly, will provide information as to progress. The April 2018 update is now available…

23 April , 2018

COTA welcomes Aged Care reforms

The Turnbull Government has announced significant reforms that aim to give senior Australians and their families confidence they will be properly cared for. A new national independent Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission will also be established to increase transparency through a publicly available rating against quality standards. The establishment of the Commission is in…

11 April , 2018

CHOICE Campaign – Be a unit pricing champion

Consumer group CHOICE have launched a campaign urging consumers to be ‘unit pricing champions’ by crowdsourcing examples of bad unit pricing. What is unit pricing? Unit pricing can be a useful tool to save you money. But it isn’t perfect. Supermarkets try to make it difficult for us, they use small text, don’t display information correctly…

6 April , 2018

The gift card that keeps on giving

Consumers can now enjoy extended expiry dates on gift cards thanks to NSW Government reforms set to kick in this weekend, Minister for Better Regulation Matt Kean said. Mr Kean said the new gift card laws officially begin today and are a big win for consumers across the state. “These reforms put consumers first by…

3 April , 2018

Complaints persist as Australia Post fails to deliver

Commonwealth Ombudsman Michael Manthorpe today released a report into Australia Post complaints regarding carding, Safe Drop and compensation. The report reviews the actions taken by Australia Post since the release of three earlier Ombudsman reports concerning these matters. The report seeks to determine why complaints about delivery issues persist despite Australia Post’s reported service and…

28 March , 2018

CHOICE says shoppers can save by comparing unit prices

Consumer group CHOICE is calling for unit pricing to be improved following an investigation that found people can save up to $1600 a year by using unit pricing to compare the cost of loose and pre-packed food. “Unit pricing is an important tool which helps shoppers compare and cut back on their grocery spend but the system…

21 March , 2018

Deadline extended for victims scammed via Western Union

The ACCC’s Scamwatch is urging all Australians who lost money to a scammer through Western Union from 2004 to 2017 to take action by 31 May 2018* to try to get it back. Western Union has agreed to pay a penalty of US$586 million to the United States’ Department of Justice (DOJ) after admitting to…

13 February , 2018

Queensland’s plastic shopping bag ban

It is estimated that close to one billion single use lightweight supermarket style plastic shopping bags are used in Queensland each year. Queensland’s Department of Environment and Heritage Protection advise that while most of these end up in landfill, around 16 million enter the environment in Queensland each year. The lightweight plastic bags often end…

12 February , 2018

Changes to discounted prices on fuel price boards

From 31 January 2018, petrol stations will not be able to display conditionally discounted prices of fuel on the price board. All fuel retailers must show only the full price of fuel available to all motorists, instead of displaying potentially misleading or confusing prices. The regulation also requires fuel retailers to change the price displayed…

6 February , 2018

ACCC releases guidance on free range egg standard

The ACCC has today released guidance for egg producers on its approach to enforcing the new National Information Standard on free range eggs, which comes into effect on 26 April 2018. Under the new Standard, egg producers cannot use the words ‘free range’ on their egg cartons unless the eggs were laid by hens that:…

24 January , 2018

Consumer Action Law Centre: Royal Commission into Misconduct in the Banking, Superannuation and Finance Sector, part 1

Consumer Action Law Centre has published part 1 of its initial submission to the Royal Commission into Misconduct in the Banking, Superannuation and Finance Sector today. The submission draws on the experience of the Centre assisting Victorians through legal advice and representation, and financial counselling. The submission identifies various kinds of misconduct by financial services,…