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The ACCC is putting the caravan industry on notice that the use of misleading representations in advertising is in breach of the Australian Consumer Law and may result in strong enforcement action being taken against retailers.
Read More ACCC Warns Caravan Industry Over Misleading Representations
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“If systems have let customers down, we expect all financial institutions, especially our banks, to act quickly to reduce consumer harm,”
Read More NAB’s Conduct Ruled Unconscionable – Maximum $2.1 Million Penalty Applied
Consumer Protection
Almost a year after state and territory consumer ministers agreed to open consultation on options to address the gap in Australian Consumer Law (ACL) around unfair trading practices, Treasury has released a Consultation Regulation Impact Statement (CRIS) and given stakeholders 91 days to respond starting 31st August and ending 29th November 2023.
Read More Consumer Groups Advocate for Change as Consultations Open on Unfair Trading Practices
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Virtual Private Networks or VPNs are a method by which people can more securely use and access public internet connections, reduce some communication costs, and bypass internet censorship. The privacy and protection of personal information is an important selling point of VPNs and one that was used to sell Onavo Protect in the Google and…
Read More Meta Companies Penalised $20m for Onavo Protect VPN’s Misleading Claims
Bronze Justice statue
ASIC has been successful in its action against Cigno Pty Ltd (Cigno) and BHF Solutions Pty Ltd (BHF Solutions), with the Federal Court finding that both companies engaged in credit activities without holding an Australian credit licence. ASIC also obtained permanent injunctions against Cigno and BHF Solutions to protect consumers.
The decision follows a series of appeals during the litigation, including an unsuccessful bid by Cigno and BHF Solutions to seek special leave in the High Court in December 2022 (22-360MR).
Read More Cigno, BHF Solutions Found to Have Engaged in Unlicensed Conduct
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The Federal Parliament has passed the Treasury Laws Amendment (Financial Services Compensation Scheme of Last Resort) Bill 2023 to establish an industry-funded compensation scheme of last resort for victims of financial misconduct. Quotes attributable to Alan Kirkland, Chief Executive Officer of CHOICE: “The introduction of a compensation scheme of last resort is an historic moment…
Read More “Historic moment for consumer financial protection”: CHOICE on the passage of compensation scheme of last resort
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The ACCC data shows Australian domestic airline market as a place dominated by Qantas and Virgin, with those two airlines accounting for over 90% of domestic airline travel over the past 3 years. Even with the launch of Bonza and the expansion of Rex to intercity flights, the duopoly of Qantas and Virgin is unlikely to be significantly impacted in the short-term.
Read More ACCC: Australian Domestic Airline Competition at Critical Juncture
Australia’s four major banks are failing their customers by taking a ‘variable and…less mature’ approach to scams than expected, with ‘inconsistent and narrow approaches to determining liability’ as well as gaps in how they detect and stop scam payments, according to Report 761 today from the Australian Securities and Investment Commission (ASIC).
Read More ASIC Report says Australian Banks are Failing Customers
From Consumer Action Law Centre, Released 03/04/2023. Original here. Consumer advocates around Australia have welcomed moves by Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus KC MP to reform bankruptcy laws. Last month, consumer advocates attended a Ministerial Roundtable on Personal Insolvency to discuss pressure points in the current system, critical reform areas and longer-term strategic challenges with the Attorney-General and…
Read More Now is the time to make positive reforms to bankruptcy laws say consumer advocates
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Western Australian Government campaign launched to empower new pet owners to understand their consumer rights 186 consumer complaints received about issues with new pets in the last three years Almost $30,000 total successfully refunded to complainants from 2020 to 2022 WA Commerce Minister Sue Ellery today launched a new pet buyer awareness campaign promoting Western…
Read More New campaign to help pet buyers understand their consumer rights
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National changes to consumer laws will be more easily and more quickly reflected in state laws with a new mechanism now being adopted. WA consumers and businesses will benefit greatly from the amendments to the Fair Trading Act that bring the state’s Australian Consumer Law (ACL) in line with its federal equivalent, offering a consistent…
Read More WA consumer laws now synchronised with national changes
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Assistive Technology (AT) users should expect to be able to make informed decisions based on the highest standards of assistive technology provision to meet their AT goals and needs. Industry groups have put out a joint statement to encourage AT product suppliers and advisory service providers to work collaboratively with the user of AT to…
Read More Business integrity and legal requirements in the Assistive Technology sector: industry statement
