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Faulty products continue to cause serious injury and harm to thousands of Australians, with more than 4.5 million items recalled by suppliers in the 2017-18 financial year. New figures show at least 10 people a day are injured and require medical attention as a result of unsafe products, according to mandatory reports provided to the…
Read More Half of all Australian homes affected by unsafe products
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The Federal Government is letting the worst and most harmful financial products in the community run wild, according to consumer advocates. It’s now one year, eight months, one week and fifteen days since the Government accepted recommendations to reform laws governing payday loans and consumer leases. Despite committing to bringing the reforms to Parliament by…
Read More Lobbyists beat the battlers on payday loans and rent-to-buy
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Consumers are set to save big on time and money, and have disputes with businesses resolved quicker, thanks to new Fair Trading powers. Minister for Better Regulation Matt Kean said the Fair Trading Legislation Amendment (Consumer Guarantee Directions) Bill, granting the new powers, would be introduced into Parliament this week. “These proposed reforms will give…
Read More Fair Trading reforms set to deliver big benefits for NSW consumers
The Queensland Consumers Association (QCA) wants the Australian Energy Market Commission (AEMC) to change its proposed new rule in the National Energy Customer Framework (NECF) that will require energy retailers to provide customers with prior notification of price changes for many types of contracts. Although the QCA’s submission to the AEMC supports most of the…
Read More Queensland consumers want changes to proposals for National Energy Consumer Framework
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Grieving families are increasingly being taken advantage of when planning a funeral, with the number of complaints to NSW Fair Trading jumping to record levels. It prompted a warning from Minister for Better Regulation Matt Kean, who said consumers should know their rights when choosing a funeral package, to avoid dodgy operators who don’t properly…
Read More Consumer rights extend to the grave
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The ACCC has released comprehensive state-by-state data detailing recall rates for deadly Takata airbags, and the first data detailing progress made by various vehicle manufacturers in removing them from Australian cars. The ACCC says one year since the ACCC started overseeing the Takata airbag recall, 1.8 million potentially deadly airbags still need replacing as part…
Read More Almost two million deadly Takata airbags still in Australian cars
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Despite being in existence for so long, Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is still clouded in mystery and myths. Here’s one mystery revealed. The 2015 Nobel Prize in Medicine – awarded to a TCM expert for her anti-malarial Artemisinin – has ignited an intense sense of elevated hopes on the future and standards for the sector.…
Read More Traditional Chinese Medicine standards progressing
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Submissions by the Queensland Consumers Association and Choice on a recent Discussion Paper on the scope of Australia’s measurement laws, want the current review, and future laws, to: Be more driven by the needs of consumers and society in general and to not be excessively focused on measurement for economic activity and the needs of…
Read More Measurement Law Review should take more account of consumer needs
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Formal education provides a solid foundation for professional practice but alone does not give staff the skills, knowledge and behaviours needed to provide services competently, according to an inquiry undertaken by the Insurance Brokers Code Compliance Committee (the Committee). The inquiry found that staff needed to supplement their educational qualifications with on-the-job support and experience to develop…
Read More Brokers need formal qualifications and on-the-job training, inquiry finds
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Mobile phone and electronics retailers have been given a big thumbs down from consumers, claiming the top four spots on the latest NSW Fair Trading Complaints Register. Samsung Electronics topped the list with 42 complaints, while Kogan (35 complaints), Apple (33), and Android Enjoyed (26), rounded out the top four. Minister for Better Regulation Matt…
Read More Electronics retailers slammed on Complaints Register
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The following is an excerpt from an article contributed by John Furbank and Dr Clinton Weeks Many Australian consumers are familiar with and regularly use unit pricing. In Australia Unit Pricing Regulations came into effect in July 2009. However, some unit prices are not easy to read and in other counties there is no unit pricing…
Read More ISO Unit Pricing Committee Meet in Japan
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Peak communications consumer group, the Australian Communications Consumer Action Network (ACCAN), has released a report, called Can You Hear Me?, on the customer service provided by 10 telco providers. Major findings are that consumers are unimpressed by the amount of time they spend getting a resolution to a telco issue. It takes an average of 13…
Read More Disappointing Report Card on Telco Customer Service
