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In Australia, one child a month is seriously injured after swallowing or inserting a button battery and the ACCC has identified a number of ways to protect your family. The ACCC is also encouraging suppliers to comply with the new requirements on button batteries as soon as possible and has developed A Guide for Business on the Application of…
Read More Button batteries – new requirements for suppliers
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Australians lost over $851 million to scams in 2020, a record amount, as scammers took advantage of the pandemic to con unsuspecting people, according to the ACCC’s latest Targeting Scams report released today. The report compiles data from Scamwatch, ReportCyber, other government agencies and 10 banks and financial intermediaries, and is based on more than 444,000 reports.…
Read More Scammers capitalise on pandemic as Australians lose record $851 million to scams
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In his annual address to Committee for Economic Development Australia (CEDA), ACCC Chair Rod Sims announced the ACCC’s compliance and enforcement priorities for 2021. This annual review of ACCC priorities for the next 12 months has become a vital component of the ACCC’s strategic approach to compliance and enforcement work and its delivery, as well…
Read More ACCC 2021 Compliance and Enforcement Priorities Announced
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Australians reported a record-breaking $37 million lost to Scamwatch last year for dating and romance scams. Total losses are expected to be much higher and scammers are now using dating apps to lure victims into investment scams. This is an ACCC Media Release. This new technique, called romance baiting, involves scammers meeting people on dating…
Read More Romance baiting scams on the rise
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The Battery Stewardship Council (BSC) will be able to establish and operate a national scheme for managing expired batteries under an authorisation granted by the ACCC. BSC was formed in 2018 with the primary goal of establishing a battery stewardship scheme in Australia that would see a significant increase in battery collections and recycling. Batteries…
Read More Voluntary battery stewardship scheme granted authorisation
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Consumers can now choose to share their banking data to access more personalised financial products and services following the launch of the Consumer Data Right today. All four major banks are capable of sharing their customers’ data, when requested by the customer. Other authorised deposit-taking institutions will join the Consumer Data Right over the coming…
Read More Consumer Data Right goes live for data sharing
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Consumers should look out for unexpected international transaction fees when buying online from major brands, the ACCC has warned. Even websites with a .com.au domain name or that appear to be Australian based may process transactions overseas, meaning consumers can get charged an international transaction fee even for a purchase made in Australian dollars. The…
Read More Consumers urged to look out for unexpected international transaction fees
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People who use foreign currency conversion (FX) services now have greater access to accurate online calculators to help compare prices, but the ACCC says greater transparency is still needed at a time when many Australians are sending money to family and friends overseas. The ACCC’s Foreign currency exchange services inquiry report, released in September last…
Read More Easier comparisons now available for foreign currency conversions
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NBN speeds and performance declined as Australians followed social distancing instructions to stay home due to COVID-19, but picked up following measures by NBN Co and streaming providers. The ACCC today released its first new monthly Measuring Broadband Australia report which tracks NBN network performance from February to April 2020. The report shows a recovery in network…
Read More NBN speeds recover after COVID-19 demand
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Petrol retailers should not use the current pandemic to further increase profits, which the latest ACCC petrol industry report shows have risen in recent years, and should pass on the full benefit of falling oil prices to motorists, the ACCC has said. Weekly average international crude oil prices have decreased by around US$ 50 per barrel since…
Read More Petrol retailers should reduce their prices in line with falls in international petrol prices: ACCC
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At the Gartner CEO Forum today, ACCC Chair Rod Sims spoke with a group of 70 CEOs and senior executives from a range of companies across Australasia about how the ACCC’s priorities have shifted to respond to the impact of COVID-19 on consumers and businesses. Below is a transcript of his speech. COVID-19 Taskforce The ACCC…
Read More Managing the impacts of COVID-19 disruption on consumers and business
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Scammers are now trying to exploit Australians financially impacted by the COVID-19 crisis with new superannuation scams being reported to Scamwatch in recent weeks. Scammers are already trying to take advantage of the Government’s recent announcement that people suffering financial hardship can have partial access to their superannuation from mid-April. “Scammers are cold-calling people claiming…
Read More Scammers targeting superannuation in COVID-19 crisis
