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Labor will give Aussie sports and music fans a fair go, cracking down on ticket gouging which locks fans out of major events. Labor will introduce a national ban on the use of ticket-buying bot software, which flood ticket websites to purchase the most tickets possible, causing ordinary consumers to miss out. It is estimated bots account…
Read More Federal Labor promises crack down on ticket gouging
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Recent surveillance activities by the ACCC have identified many convertible tricycle strollers did not have important safety features such as brakes, appropriate harnesses, tether straps or suitable warnings required under the standard. There are a wide variety of tricycles currently for sale in the market. Some tricycles closely resemble a traditional tricycle (sometimes with a…
Read More Convertible tricycle strollers – have your say
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The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) and the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) will have investigative powers to assess whether a term in a standard form contract may be unfair, thanks to measures passed in the Parliament by the Coalition Government yesterday. This means the regulators will have stronger powers to ensure consumers…
Read More ACCC & ASIC given stronger powers over unfair contract terms
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Faulty products continue to cause serious injury and harm to thousands of Australians, with more than 4.5 million items recalled by suppliers in the 2017-18 financial year. New figures show at least 10 people a day are injured and require medical attention as a result of unsafe products, according to mandatory reports provided to the…
Read More Half of all Australian homes affected by unsafe products
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Consumer advocates have welcomed the findings of the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission’s (ACCC) Retail Electricity Pricing Inquiry Final Report, released yesterday. Energy Consumers Australia Acting CEO Lynne Gallagher said the final report confirms what consumers have been saying: that the electricity market is not working as it should and not delivering good value for…
Read More Consumer advocates welcome ACCC Final Report on electricity market
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The ACCC has today published the final report of its communications sector market study, which includes 28 recommendations and actions on competition and consumer issues. Much has changed since the ACCC published its draft report in October 2017. Since then, the ACCC has secured eight court-enforceable undertakings from various internet service providers on NBN speeds,…
Read More ACCC finalises report on communications market
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ACCAN welcomes the release of the first round of results from the ACCC’s Measuring Broadband Australia speed monitoring program, and its generally positive findings. ‘We’ve long been calling for the independent monitoring of broadband speeds so consumers know what they’re likely to be getting when they buy a service. We’re strongly supportive of the ACCC’s…
Read More ACCAN welcomes ACCC’s first NBN speed test results
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The Australian Communications Consumer Action Network (ACCAN) welcomes the ACCC’s announcement today that it has commenced proceedings against Telstra for misleading its customers about third party billing services. ACCAN CEO Teresa Corbin said that consumers have been extremely frustrated by these unexpected charges on their telco bills and by the difficulties they experience in resolving…
Read More ACCAN welcomes ACCC action over Premium Billing charges
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The following piece is an excerpt from a piece by Dr. Martin Gill, CFA’s representative on a number of Standards Australia Technical Committees on energy. Retailers should be required to provide sufficient information on bills (and tariff contracts) to ensure consumers can easily compare tariffs. It is also recommended a review be undertaken to determine…
Read More Dr Gill on Simplifying Tariff Comparisons
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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…
Read More ACCC Puts Clothing Retailers on Notice
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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…
Read More Consumer Advocate Groups welcome ACCC’s Preliminary Report on retail electricity pricesMedia release from the Australia Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC). Consumer issues including scams, unscrupulous door- to-door sellers, and discrimination in the housing market headline some of the key priority areas in the National Indigenous Consumer Strategy (NICS) Action Plan 2017–2019. NICS members are the ACCC, ASIC, state consumer affairs agencies and the Indigenous Consumer…
Read More Action Plan to Help Indigenous Australians with Consumer Issues