Consumers' Federation of Australia

11 August , 2017

Consumers Federation of Australia joins with the ACCC in Welcoming the Reappointment of ACCC Deputy Chair Delia Rickard

ACCC Media Release: ACCC Chairman Rod Sims has welcomed the Federal Government’s reappointment of Delia Rickard as Deputy Chair of the ACCC for a period of five years. The Government announced Delia’s reappointment today following unanimous support from the states and territories. “Delia has made an outstanding contribution to the work of the ACCC over…

11 August , 2017

Financial Counselling Australia Welcomes Gambling Bill Amendments

Financial Counselling Australia welcomes amendments to the Interactive Gambling Bill that passed through Parliament today. “The online wagering companies will no longer be able to give people credit to gamble online. This was getting people into so much trouble” said Lauren Levin, Director Campaigns and Policy, FCA. “We’re so relieved to see the end of…

9 August , 2017

Dr Gill Asks: Why Isn’t Electricity Priced as Clearly as Petrol?

The following is a piece by Dr Martin Gill, a CFA representative on a number of Standards Australia Technical Committees. Petrol pricing hides a complex global market. Consider the numerous steps in supplying petrol: Crude oil is traded on a wholesale market with prices affected by global events Highly risky searches are undertaken for new…

8 August , 2017

Join Consumer Action’s Campaign against Debt Vultures

Live debt free! Take control! Never stress about money again! Maybe you’ve seen one of the TV or radio ads that Debt Vultures use to flog services such as “repairing” credit reports, debt negotiation, personal budgeting, and debt agreements. Debt Vultures give bad advice and spruik so-called “debt solutions” to Australians in financial hardship, and waste…

4 August , 2017

State Regulator Outlines Consumer Protection Priorities for 2017-18

Consumers’ Federation of Australia welcomes the following statement of priorities from WA Acting Commissioner for Consumer Protection, David Hillyard. The original statement can be found here. We’re in a new financial year and Consumer Protection has considered previous complaint trends and emerging issues to help decide priorities for the 12 months ahead. It’s not always…

28 July , 2017

Product Safety Reform and the ACL Review – Blog Post

The following is a blog post by Luke Nottage and Catherine Niven. The original post can be accessed here. In 2008, as consumer confidence in Australia took a big hit from the Global Financial Crisis, the Productivity Commission published a report advising the federal Treasurer to lead a belated “re-harmonisation” of consumer protection law. The State and…

27 July , 2017

Car Companies Caught Refitting Lethal Airbags – CHOICE

A CHOICE investigation into the largest automotive recall in Australian history has found Toyota, Mazda, BMW, Lexus and Subaru have been refitting vehicles with potentially faulty airbags and have failed to inform consumers of the ongoing risk of death or injury. “With 2.3 million vehicles in Australia requiring their potentially lethal Takata airbags to be replaced, it’s…

25 July , 2017

Federal Government Silent on Debt Vulture Warnings

It has been eighteen months since the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) warned the Federal Government that so-called “debt management” firms are engaging in misleading and predatory conduct. The Consumer Action Law Centre wrote to the Federal Government shortly afterwards, calling for better regulation in the sector, but have yet to receive a response.…

20 July , 2017

International Standards for Climate Change Adaptation – Opinion Piece

The following is an opinion piece by John Henry, who represents CFA on Standards Australia committee EV-015 Greenhouse Gas Measurement and Accounting, the national mirror committee to ISO/TC 207/SC 7. The International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO) has Climate Change Adaptation on its radar thanks to the sub-committee on Greenhouse Gas Measurement and Related Activities (ISO/TC…

17 July , 2017

Unexpected Mobile Charges May Be Costing Consumers Millions

A new survey, commissioned by the Australian Communications Consumer Action Network (ACCAN), has revealed that 12 per cent of respondents experienced unexpected third party charges on their mobile phone bills in the last six months. “Applied to the mobile customer base of Telstra, Optus and Vodafone, this 12 per cent equates to almost 1.9m people…

14 July , 2017

CAV to Take Daiso to Court over Product Safety Breaches

Consumer Affairs Victoria (CAV) has begun civil proceedings against Origo & Co Pty Ltd (ACN: 140 019 656) – previously Daiso (Australia) Pty Ltd – in the Federal Court of Australia, for alleged contraventions of product safety provisions and other protections under the Australian Consumer Law. CAV will allege that between 2011 and 2016, the…

14 July , 2017

New Safety Standard for Ethanol Burners

A new safety standard for decorative alcohol-fuelled devices, also known as ethanol burners, will ensure consumers’ safety, Small Business Minister Michael McCormack says. “I’m worried about the harm these products can cause consumers, which is why I’ve made a safety standard which particularly targets table-top devices which pose the greatest risk,” Mr McCormack said. Mr…