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A CHOICE analysis has found over 1 in 3 Australians faced more expensive essentials at the height of coronavirus. The consumer advocate has also found freezers were a key item to face steep price rises as lockdowns came into effect. CHOICE’s Consumer Pulse survey** asked respondents if “the prices for essential goods were generally higher…
Read More Coronavirus price gouging – what went wrong?
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Consumer advocate CHOICE has written to the Victorian Consumer Affairs Minister Marlene Kairouz with proposed legislation to stop price gouging on essentials during a crisis. “The past few months have shown us that in a crisis, consumer protections for Australians are the first thing to go.” says Amy Pereira, CHOICE Campaigner. “We need strong protections…
Read More CHOICE calls for urgent price gouging legislation to protect Victorians in future crises
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Consumer advocate CHOICE is urging Australian banks to go further in their response to COVID-19, flagging that many Australians are still being harmed by high cost credit cards, personal loans and long term debt. “We welcome that many banks have announced initial support packages for customers but we know they can go further. We have…
Read More “Banks need to go further on their coronavirus response”: CHOICE
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Consumer advocate says Lifetime Health Cover Loading should be suspended in light of COVID-19 financial pressures Consumer advocate CHOICE is calling on the Federal Government to suspend consumer penalties for not taking up private health insurance in light of the COVID-19 crisis. The advocacy group says the Government should add an extra 365 days to…
Read More “Penalties for not taking up private health cover must be suspended”: CHOICE
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Price gouging during the coronavirus crisis has been rampant. We’re calling on sellers big and small as well as online platforms to cease and desist. CHOICE article. Last updated 20 March 2020. It may surprise you to learn that price gouging – jacking up prices for essential goods when supplies are low – is technically…
Read More CHOICE calls on sellers and online platforms to put an end to price gouging
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CHOICE is warning Australians to avoid ticketing fakes on platforms like Viagogo after Google let the exploitative ticket seller back onto its search advertising. “The Federal Government and Michael Sukkar have the power to make this the last summer of ticketing fakes,” says Julia Steward, Head of Policy at CHOICE. “We’re glad to see the…
Read More CHOICE calls for stronger ticket resale protections
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CHOICE is calling on the government to introduce tighter product safety laws, following an alarming number of infant deaths linked to inclined sleepers in the US. CHOICE experts say that based on research conducted in the US, inclined sleepers are so dangerous for young babies that they should be completely avoided. Two inclined sleeping products…
Read More Inclined sleepers: A tragedy waiting to happen in our homes
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Casual and part-time workers, people out of work and people in ‘hazardous’ jobs often face the activities of daily living (ADL) test if they make a total and permanent disability claim. This effectively makes the TPD insurance in their super junk. More than 12 million Australians have total and permanent disability (TPD) insurance through their…
Read More Are you paying for junk insurance in your super?
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“Stand up to the insurance lobby” – that’s the message of leading consumer groups as they deliver signatures of over 20,000 Australians to Parliament House in Canberra. The groups anticipate the Federal Government to act on “Unfair Contract Terms” laws this fortnight, closing a damaging loophole that has allowed insurance companies to profit by using…
Read More 20,000 Australians demand the end of unfair insurance
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CHOICE research has discovered that Australians purchasing some Silver Plus health insurance policies are losing hundreds of dollars every year. The research follows CHOICE slamming the industry for rip-off Basic policies earlier this year. “Health insurers are scamming Australians with high-cost plus policies,” says Dean Price, Health Campaigner at CHOICE. “We’ve found over 215 Silver…
Read More Health insurers are scamming Australians with high-cost plus policies
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Consumer advocate CHOICE welcomes ASIC’s announcement today that the regulator proposes to use its new Product Intervention Powers to ban harmful investment products. “Binary options and contracts for difference are glorified gambling dressed up by financial licensees as a safe investment. With over four in five investors losing money from binary options investments, it’s clear…
Read More CHOICE welcomes the proposed ASIC ban on risky investment products
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“Stand strong against industry pressure” is the message from CHOICE CEO Alan Kirkland following Federal Treasurer Josh Frydenberg’s announcement this morning about how the government will implement the Banking Royal Commission recommendations. “Today the Treasurer has outlined how the government will make sure that banks, insurers and mortgage brokers act fairly and provide services that…
Read More CHOICE responds to Treasurer’s Royal Commission road map announcement