Consumers' Federation of Australia

10 January , 2019

Advocates call for changes to superannuation sector

People will be hundreds of thousands of dollars worse off in retirement if the Federal Government doesn’t act now to stop the superannuation sector eroding savings. Today the Productivity Commission has released its plan to reverse the outdated structure that has led to poor performing funds, multiple accounts and zombie insurance policies. Fixing these problems…

7 January , 2019

Australia can learn from UK report on “loyalty penalties”

The Queensland Consumers Association says a major UK report on “loyalty penalties” (charging existing customers more than new ones) just released is very relevant to Australian consumers and the nation’s consumer protection and empowerment policies and practices. Association spokesperson, Ian Jarratt, says “loyalty penalties” are also a major problem for Australian consumers and this UK…

19 December , 2018

Choose Gift Cards Carefully

Gift cards are a very convenient and popular present to buy at this time of year, however the Queensland Consumers Association advises buyers to choose ones that are likely to be useful to the receiver and with fair terms and conditions. Association spokesperson, Ian Jarratt, says many people think that gift cards are like cash,…

19 December , 2018

Only 1 in 4 say their homes are energy efficient

Energy Consumers Australia has released new data that underlines the important opportunity for improving housing quality as a way to tackle high energy bills. Many Australian homes are expensive to heat or to cool because they are poorly insulated, a problem which is often worse for renters. Not only does this make energy unaffordable for…

18 December , 2018

Lenders commit to improve credit card practices following ASIC review

Today ASIC has released Report 604 Credit card lending in Australia – An update (REP 604), which sets out the changes being made by lenders to help consumers with credit card debt. In July 2018, ASIC released Report 580 Credit card lending in Australia (REP 580), which found more than one in six consumers is struggling with credit card debt. The…

18 December , 2018

Telcos directed to comply with complaints-handling rules

Thirty-one telcos face enforcement action for not having appropriately documented complaints-handling processes in place following investigations by the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA). The ACMA investigated 41 telcos to assess their compliance with new requirements, in place since 1 July 2018, to have a documented complaints-handling process available for their customers. Following the investigations: only…

17 December , 2018

Regulator’s decision on network earnings creates breathing space for consumers

The Australian Energy Regulator’s decision on the rate of return monopoly network businesses can earn will help create breathing space for consumers struggling with energy affordability. The CEO of Energy Consumers Australia Rosemary Sinclair said that the decision was important because the rate of return on capital accounts for around half the revenue network business…

17 December , 2018

Jetstar, Tigerair, Qantas and Virgin Australia to fix refund policies

Jetstar, Tigerair, Qantas and Virgin Australia have committed to ensuring their refund policies and practices comply with their consumer guarantee obligations under the Australian Consumer Law (ACL). The ACCC was concerned that each airline had made false or misleading representations on their websites that misled consumers about their rights to refunds and resupply in the…

16 December , 2018

Gift card win for consumers

The Queensland Consumers Association (QCA) has welcomed the federal government’s decision to not allow gift card issuers to charge customers for disputing gift card transactions. Draft regulations released for comment in October allowed such charges but they are not in the final registered Regulations, which will apply to gift cards supplied on or after 1…

12 December , 2018

Codes of Practice and financial difficulty

Financial institutions who subscribe to a Code of Practice have obligations to consumers experiencing financial difficulty. The independent committees who monitor the Codes urge consumers to also be aware of these obligations. In 2018, financial difficulty was a particular focus of the committees, especially in the banking sphere where an inquiry found that customer requests…

12 December , 2018

Parents warned: 18 products fail CHOICE pram test

CHOICE has published the details of 18 products that failed the CHOICE pram test, warning Australian parents to watch out. The CHOICE pram test looked at 46 prams and strollers and failed 18 of them, with particular concerns regarding strangulation hazards with buckles and straps. The CHOICE review of the pram market follows poor scores…

10 December , 2018

Consumers welcome changes to federal review of grocery unit pricing

Consumer organizations have welcomed the federal government’s decision today to extend until 28 February the consultation period for the review of grocery unit pricing previously due to close on 18 December. The Queensland Consumers Association (QCA), the Consumers Federation of Australia (the peak body of Australian consumer groups) and Choice had all asked for the…