Consumers' Federation of Australia

4 October , 2021

Life CCC publishes its Annual Report for the 2020-21 financial year

Productive and successful year for life insurance compliance body The Life Code Compliance Committee (the Committee) – the independent Committee which monitors and enforces industry compliance with the customer service standards set out in the Life Insurance Code of Practice (the Code) – today released its Annual Report for 2020–21. This is a media release from the Life Code Compliance…

4 October , 2021

Peak consumers group calls on supermarkets to use new guidelines to save shoppers money

The nation’s peak body for consumer organisations, the Consumers’ Federation of Australia (CFA), says grocery retailers should use new revised ACCC guidelines on the provision of unit pricing to make it much easier for their customers to notice, read, understand and use unit prices. Effective unit pricing (pricing per unit of measure) greatly assists shoppers…

1 October , 2021

Consumer protection included in future international trade deal on e-commerce

The World Trade Organisation has confirmed that a specific article on consumer protection is to be included in a future international trade agreement on e-commerce. The article would require WTO member countries to adopt or maintain measures that proscribe misleading, fraudulent and deceptive commercial activities that cause harm, or potential harm, to consumers engaged in electronic commerce.…

30 September , 2021

Growing old is a lifelong process – International Day of Older Persons 1 October 2021

We are waking up to the fact that no domain – from healthcare, to entertainment, to business, technology, or the built environment – will be unaltered by the permanent, global and unprecedented phenomenon of population ageing, read more here. Research in the UK shows a clear appetite among the public for a new way of talking about…

27 September , 2021

Consultation to modernise document execution across the Federation

Businesses and individuals are being invited to have their say on how technology can be used to streamline the way statutory declarations and deeds are executed. Consultation will provide insights on how statutory declarations and deeds are used in the everyday transactions of Australians and inform advice to Treasurers and Attorneys General on a common…

27 September , 2021

Prams and strollers – draft standard open for public comment

Injuries suffered by infants in prams and strollers have included wounds to their head or face, crushing injuries and amputations. Carers and children outside of the pram or stroller have also suffered crushing injuries and lacerations to hands. In some cases, fingers have been amputated, read more in the ACCC Prams and strollers: Safety alert which includes…

27 September , 2021

ASIC release report on competition in the Australian funds management industry

On Friday 24th September the Australian Securities & Investments Commission (ASIC) released a report on the state of competition in Australia’s funds management industry. This is a media release from the Australian Securities & Investments Commission (ASIC). It was originally published on 24th September, 2021. ASIC commissioned independent research by Deloitte Access Economics (Deloitte) to examine competition between…

24 September , 2021

Telcos and credit providers fail consumers during COVID-19, says new scorecard

Telecommunications and credit and personal finance providers were found to be joint wooden spoon winners in a 2020 Sector Scorecard developed by Consumer Policy Research Centre and Roy Morgan. By delivering the joint worst customer experience overall these sectors have let down their customers when they most needed support. This highlights the need for increased…

24 September , 2021

Telecommunications complaints fall, but serious concerns remain

The Australian Communications Consumer Action Network (ACCAN) has welcomed an overall fall in complaints to the Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman (TIO), however, raised concerns that small businesses may be suffering as complaint levels from the sector reach a three year high. This is a media release from the Australian Communications Consumer Action Network (ACCAN). It was originally published…

24 September , 2021

Third year of declining phone and internet complaints but problems persist for small businesses

Complaints about phone and internet services decreased 6.1 per cent in the last financial year ending 30 June 2021. During this period, residential consumers and small businesses made 119,400 complaints to the Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman, highlighted in the Annual Report 2020-21 published on the 22nd September 2021. This is a media release from the Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman.…

13 September , 2021

Banking Code Committee concerned by direct debits compliance

The Banking Code Compliance Committee (BCCC) today released a report indicating that banks would comply with their direct debit obligation under the Banking Code of Practice (the Code) in only 71% of cases. In March 2021, the BCCC conducted a mystery shopping exercise into banks’ compliance with their obligation to promptly cancel a customer’s direct debit on…

10 September , 2021

Just the ticket – tough new laws to stamp out scalping

Ticket scalping will be illegal in Western Australia after legislation introduced by the McGowan Government passed State Parliament, delivering on an election commitment. This is an announcement from the Government of Western Australia, Department of Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety. It was originally published on 8th September, 2021. The tough new measures will be in place…