Consumer Guarantees

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CHOICE responds to the Federal Government’s announcement releasing the draft Aviation Customer Rights Charter for public consultation. Quotes attributable to Rosie Thomas, Director of Campaigns at CHOICE:  “CHOICE welcomes the release of a proposed Aviation Customer Rights Charter. The announcement is an important step towards giving consumers clear rights when flights don’t go to plan.”…

Read More Aviation Charter of Rights needs more to take off: CHOICE

Books on a shelf. The spines read 'LAW CASES' Books on a shelf. The spines read 'LAW CASES'

“It is important that we remain focused on progressing reforms to the Australian Consumer Law to strengthen protections for consumers and small business and improve consumer confidence.”

“The agreed priorities for 2024 build on the important enhancements to consumer protections that have been delivered in 2023, such as strengthening Unfair Contract Term Protections, increasing penalties for breaches of the competition and consumer laws, and establishing the National Anti-Scam Centre.”

Read More Consumer Affairs Ministers Agree on 2024 Priorities

network, earth, blockchain-3607641.jpg network, earth, blockchain-3607641.jpg

This month Consumers International’s (CI) update on the digital world covered some interesting developments and research in the consumer world including CHOICE’s recent article on facial recognition technology (FRT) used in half of Australia’s stadiums (found here), and the recent Members Connect series on building consumer trust in generative AI, whose panel included ETDA Thailand and the BEUC.

But perhaps the most exciting updates were the ones from the United States of America and the European Union.

Read More Consumers International Digital Update: Cyber Trust Mark and Personalised Pricing

The recent Commonwealth, State and Territory Consumer Affairs Ministers meeting in Adelaide saw a renewed commitment to collaboration across borders and to strengthen consumer protections. Ministers attending the meeting, chaired by South Australian Minister for Consumer Affairs Andrea Michaels, discussed and agreed on priorities for future work, which include: legislation to make unfair contract terms…

Read More Consumer Affairs Ministers meet in Adelaide in September 2022

An aeroplane wing An aeroplane wing

New figures released today show COVID-19-related consumer reports make up the majority of the 109,446 complaints the ACCC received in the first ten months of this year. This is an ACCC Media Release. The impact of COVID-19 on consumers and fair trading report reveals the pandemic’s impact on travel resulted in 24,210 complaints to the ACCC,…

Read More Travel problems top list of COVID-19-related reports

Smartphone hardware being repaired Smartphone hardware being repaired

The Morrison Government yesterday released terms of reference for the Productivity Commission’s inquiry into the Right to Repair in Australia. Consumers, or third parties, can face challenges repairing products that develop faults or require maintenance, due to a lack of access to necessary tools, parts or diagnostic software. According to MobileMuster, 33 per cent of…

Read More Productivity Commission Inquiry into Right to Repair

A person walking though an airport pulling luggage. There are planes on the tarmac that can be seen out of the window behind the person A person walking though an airport pulling luggage. There are planes on the tarmac that can be seen out of the window behind the person

The ACCC has issued advice for consumers and businesses on their rights and obligations if events, flights or travel services are cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19), or if people wish to cancel their travel plans.  If events, flights or other travel services such as cruises are cancelled, the ACCC expects refunds or other remedy such…

Read More Advice on event and travel cancellations due to COVID-19

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ACCC Chair Rod Sims announced the ACCC’s compliance and enforcement priorities for 2020 in a speech to the annual Committee for Economic Development Australia (CEDA). These priorities provide focus to the ACCC’s enforcement and advocacy work, as well as develop solutions to deliver benefits for all consumers. The 2020 priorities include: Competition and consumer issues in the…

Read More ACCC releases its compliance and enforcement priorities for 2020

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Australians are buying more and more gadgets and devices. Our homes and workplaces seem to be filled with smart phones, drones, Fitbits, internet- connected fridges, air-conditioners that turn off when people leave the room: anything that makes our lives more convenient. Behind the scenes, of course, is a growing pile of discarded, broken devices. The…

Read More US and EU laws show Australia’s Right to Repair moment is well overdue

A close-up of an oven and dishwasher door A close-up of an oven and dishwasher door

Consumer Affairs Australia and New Zealand (CAANZ) has released two new guidance papers on the concepts of ‘durability’ and ‘safe’ under the consumer guarantees provisions of the Australian Consumer Law (ACL). The ACL creates a basic set of guarantees for consumers who acquire goods. One of these guarantees is that the goods will be of…

Read More New guidance on meaning of safe and durable products to provide clarity to consumers

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Large retailers supplying high value electrical appliances and whitegoods, such as refrigerators, computers and washing machines, will be a key enforcement priority for the ACCC in 2019. “We’re concerned that many manufacturers and large retailers are not complying with consumer guarantee laws and this will be an area of renewed focus for us this year,”…

Read More ACCC 2019 focus on consumer guarantees and anti-competitive practices