Report - Consumers' Federation of Australia

19 January , 2021

Most brokers handling insurance add-ons well, but there is room for improvement: Report

A report on the sale of add-on general insurance products by the independent committee monitoring the Insurance Brokers Code of Practice (the Code) outlines the extent to which and how Code subscribing insurance brokers provide add-on insurance products to their clients. This is an Insurance Brokers Code Compliance Committee media release The Insurance Brokers Code…

21 December , 2020

Financial Rights report reveals risks and opportunities in Open Insurance

Financial Rights Legal Centre has released a landmark report on the concept of Open Insurance – the application of the Consumer Data Right to the general insurance industry. This is a Financial Rights Legal Centre Media Release Financial Rights’ Chief Executive Officer Karen Cox said the Open Insurance report by Dr Richard Tooth of Sapere…

9 December , 2020

Victoria’s energy reforms positive but enforcement needed: Consumer Action

Victoria has taken the lead among Australian states in recent years with significant reforms designed to protect Victorians from being ripped off by energy retailers and ensure people receive appropriate hardship assistance. There has been some success, but too many people are still falling through the gaps. This is a Consumer Action Media Release That’s…

2 December , 2020

Customer Owned Banking Code Compliance Committee releases Annual Report for 2019-20

The independent committee that monitors the Customer Owned Banking Code of Practice (the Code) has released its annual report for a year marked by natural disasters and the COVID-19 pandemic, along with extensive regulatory changes stemming from the Financial Services Royal Commission. This is a Customer Owned Banking Code Compliance Committee Media Release Customer owned…

30 November , 2020

Young people wading in sea of debt as they bear the brunt of COVID-19

Consumer data released by the Consumer Policy Research Centre (CPRC) reveals a growing proportion of young Australians left vulnerable as they face a future of mounting debt due to the lasting impact of COVID-19. This is a CPRC Media Release After 6 months of steep financial challenges, many young consumers have turned to unsustainable practices to get…

27 November , 2020

Report reveals telco failures during COVID-19 crisis

Consumer Action has published a report with case studies and data documenting the ways the telecommunications industry in Australia continues to fail the community, even during the COVID-19 crisis. This is Consumer Action Law Centre Media Release. The Trouble with Telcos: Stories from 2020 report reveals that many people have been left high and dry by their telecommunications providers, with people being: unable to access affordable hardship assistance, forced to take out more credit to pay…

4 November , 2020

CFA Soapbox Prizewinner — Quad Bike Performance Project

On Friday, CFA hosted its Consumer Advocacy Soapbox Session, celebrating the best consumer advocacy campaigns over 2019–20. The Soapbox Session was initially part of the National Consumer Congress, which was to be in March. With the support of the ACCC, CFA moved the Session online. The winner of the Award was Raphael Grzebieta from the…

28 October , 2020

Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman reports third consecutive quarter of growth in overall complaints, Q1 small business complaints spike 28%

Between July and September 2020, residential consumers and small businesses made 34,476 complaints about phone and internet services. This is an increase of 3.4 percent on the previous quarter, and the third consecutive quarter of incremental growth in overall complaints. The Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman’s Quarter 1 (Q1) 2020-21 Complaints Report shows complaints from small businesses…

28 October , 2020

Measuring Australia’s digital divide: the Australian digital inclusion index 2020

The Australian Digital Inclusion Index 2020, released by RMIT and Swinburne University of Technology for Telstra, illustrates Australia’s online participation. The following is a summary of the key findings of the study, published by the Analysis and Policy Observatory. The COVID-19 pandemic has underlined the critical importance of digital inclusion in contemporary Australia. With the…

21 October , 2020

A tale of two homes: Australia’s housing market divides the population

Consumers and COVID-19: September results snapshot. New consumer data released today by the Consumer Policy Research Centre (CPRC) investigating the experience of consumers in the month of September reveals a stark contrast in the experiences of renters and mortgage holders trying to maintain their financial, emotional and physical wellbeing during the pandemic. Higher levels of financial stress…

30 September , 2020

Resilience tested, phone and internet complaints decrease in year of challenges

Complaints about phone and internet services decreased 4 per cent in the last financial year ending 30 June 2020. In this period, residential consumers and small businesses made 127,151 complaints to the Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman, highlighted in the Annual Report 2019-20 published today. Read the TIO Annual Report 2019-20 here. Over the financial year complaints…

18 August , 2020

Young people facing debt tsunami as they borrow from their future to make ends meet

New consumer data released today by the Consumer Policy Research Centre (CPRC) investigates the experience of consumers during the three months from May to July and raises serious alarms about the debt tsunami facing young people (18-34) as they try to make ends meet during COVID-19. 70% of young Australians are now concerned about their…