News

Financial counsellors have launched their federal election campaign – When every dollar counts, so does financial counselling – we can’t afford to wait. Financial Counselling Australia (FCA), along with all the state financial counselling associations, is calling for a commitment from all sides of politics to provide increased and more sustainable funding, particularly for face-to-face financial…

Read More Every dollar counts – financial counsellors launch election campaign

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The ACCC has accepted a court-enforceable undertaking from apparel business Hard Rock Enterprises Pty Ltd in which it admitted to engaging in resale price maintenance and making false or misleading representations about consumers’ rights to return faulty or incorrect products. Hard Rock is an Australian business which sells blank apparel to retailers on a wholesale…

Read More Apparel business admits to illegal activity

Salespeople Do Not Knock Leave these premises immediately

Consumer Action Law Centre is calling for a nationwide ban on unsolicited selling in the first ever designated ‘super’ complaint presented to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC). A designated complaint is a new power that allows complainants to raise an issue with the ACCC, which the ACCC is required to consider and come back with…

Read More Unsolicited door-to-door sales the target of Australia’s first Designated Complaint

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The Queensland Consumers Association (QCA) has welcomed the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission’s (ACCC) recognition of the need to greatly improve the national grocery unit pricing system in the final report of its supermarket inquiry released today. Unit pricing, (the price per unit of measure – for example $1.41 per 100g for a 765g packet…

Read More Advocates welcome ACCC Supermarket Inquiry unit pricing recommendations

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Preliminary research commissioned by the Australian Communications Consumer Action Network (ACCAN) raises alarm bells for policymakers and regulators. Findings point to widespread consumer harm and deep mistrust in the telecommunications industry. The polling, conducted as part of the first tranche of ACCAN’s consumer sentiment research, highlights troubling experiences of telco behaviour and unmet expectations. “Given…

Read More Research highlights consumer distrust in broken telco system

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Today [12/03/2025], CHOICE is releasing its submission to the Federal Government’s consultation on the draft Aviation Customer Rights Charter (the Charter). While the draft Charter represents an important step in the right direction, it needs more work to give consumers clear, comprehensive and strong rights when flights don’t go to plan. “The draft Charter may…

Read More Draft for the new Aviation Customer Rights Charter may be weaker than the consumer law

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The ACCC has marked a further milestone in the transition steps towards the new merger regime with the release of the draft merger assessment guidelines for consultation. The merger assessment guidelines outline the analytical framework the ACCC will apply when assessing notified acquisitions under the new regime, reflecting best practice for competition assessments.  While the new regime…

Read More ACCC opens consultation on assessment guidelines for merger reform

Regulations

The Australian Energy Regulator (AER) recently released the Review of the AER and draft exemption policies for energy networks, retailers, and for customers who may be affected by family violence (based on the advice of Safe and Equal). To view the documents themselves, or for more background into the review, please read the original on…

Read More Energy regulator requests stakeholder submissions after draft and review release

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Australia’s peak communications consumer body, ACCAN, has today called for the weak and ineffective industry-drafted Telecommunications Consumer Protections (TCP) Code to be scrapped in favour of robust and enforceable industry standards that better protect Australian consumers. Communications are an essential service – yet the rules which exist to protect communications consumers are failing in their…

Read More Time to scrap ‘consumer protection’ rules that don’t protect consumers

HOME SAFETY

eMobility Australia is issuing an urgent safety warning to residents and organisations in Queensland and New South Wales following recent flooding events. The organisation highlights the significant risks associated with lithium-ion batteries in e-bikes, e-scooters, and golf carts/buggies exposed to floodwaters. Floodwater, whether fresh or saltwater, can severely damage lithium-ion batteries, leading to potential fires,…

Read More Flood and high rainfall safety for e-mobility devices

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The 2022 Insurance Brokers Code of Practice (the Code) is currently under review. The National Insurance Brokers Association (NIBA) is actively seeking engagement with the review from the consumer sector and has provided the Consumers’ Federation of Australia (CFA) with funding to support the consultation. The Independent Reviewer, Phil Khoury (CKR Consulting), is examining several…

Read More Review: Insurance Brokers Code of Practice