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Australia’s love affair with streaming continues to thrive with a new report from the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) showing 71 per cent of Australians with a TV set in the home used at least one paid video streaming service in 2019. One in 10 Australians had four or more subscription services in the…
Read More Australia’s love affair with streaming continues to thrive
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ASIC has released an update on its work in the six-month period from September 2019 to February 2020, including its response to the referrals and recommendations of the Royal Commission into Misconduct in the Banking, Superannuation and Financial Services Industry (the Royal Commission). It follows previous updates on ASIC’s response to the Royal Commission’s recommendations…
Read More ASIC releases update on its enforcement and regulatory work
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ACCC Chair Rod Sims announced the ACCC’s compliance and enforcement priorities for 2020 in a speech to the annual Committee for Economic Development Australia (CEDA). These priorities provide focus to the ACCC’s enforcement and advocacy work, as well as develop solutions to deliver benefits for all consumers. The 2020 priorities include: Competition and consumer issues in the…
Read More ACCC releases its compliance and enforcement priorities for 2020
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Online dating can be a bit of a minefield, but it’s not just bad dates that you need to be worried about. Are you aware your dating app data is reaching more than potential matches? Find out more from CSIRO here. Consumers Federation of Australia (CFA) is engaging with the challenges of data privacy by supporting…
Read More Who’s looking at your dating app data?
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Extreme weather events in Australia and the recent outbreak of the coronavirus (COVID-19) in China, may leave you wondering where you stand in terms of cancelling, rescheduling or getting a refund on holiday accommodation bookings, flights and other travel plans. The Office of Fair Trading Queensland has released the following media statement: Under the Australian…
Read More Will coronavirus effect my travel plans? Check the fine print
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ASIC has today started a four week consultation on draft guidance about the new best interests duty for mortgage brokers. The new obligations were legislated by the Parliament in response to Recommendation 1.2 of the Royal Commission. From 1 July, the obligations will require mortgage brokers to act in the best interests of consumers and to…
Read More ASIC consults on draft guidance on the new best interests duty for mortgage brokers
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The domestic battery storage market looked set to take off when significant price reductions and rapidly rising electricity prices indicated batteries would soon be cost effective. Unfortunately, over the past few years electricity prices have continued to soar but the price of battery storage has remained high. Do Government subsidies help? Read Dr Martin Gill’s…
Read More Battery storage an energy option for consumers
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ASIC has released the findings from its recent review of superannuation trustees’ communications with their members about changes introduced through the Treasury Laws Amendment (Protecting Your Superannuation Package) Act 2019 (PYSP). The PYSP reforms were introduced to protect the superannuation savings of Australians from erosion due to inappropriate fees and insurance premiums as well as to reduce unintended…
Read More ASIC releases report reviewing trustees’ PYSP communications
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Car manufacturers, new car dealers and customers now have an opportunity to comment on the draft regulations that introduce changes for the sector under the Franchising Code of Conduct. Minister for Industry, Science and Technology Karen Andrews said the Government is committed to ensuring car dealers are given a fair go and that consumers have…
Read More Reforming the new car retail market: Consultation
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The report from Consumer Policy Research Centre (CPRC) draws on research undertaken in partnership with University of South Australia (UniSA) which surveyed 502 Home Care Package (HCP) recipients across metropolitan Australia in June and July last year. “Older Australians are being abandoned by the system, often unable to access the necessary support to live happier,…
Read More Consumer research centre releases latest report – Choosing care: the difficulties of navigating home care
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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
