The Australian Government has released a factsheet to provide information on what to do if your data has been compromised in the recent Medibank and AHM cyber incident. If you think you may be affected by the breach, contact Medibank Private on 13 23 31 or AHM on 13 42 46. If you are concerned…
Read More Guidance for consumers impacted by the Medibank Private and AHM cyber incident
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Australians are facing the perfect storm for increased financial insecurity in the next 12 months, making them vulnerable to dodgy insolvency advice. On the back of a tough few years of fire, drought, flood and the pandemic, rising interest rates and cost of living pressures mean that more Australians may struggle to pay their bills…
Read More Worried about debt? Talk to your bank or creditors and avoid dodgy advice, warns AFSA
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Following its decision to require grocery retailers to provide consumers with unit pricing (pricing per unit of measure), the NZ government recently released a wide ranging Discussion Paper seeking views on many aspects of unit pricing, including system design, scope and implementation, prior to releasing draft legislation. It is now considering submissions received. The system…
Read More Australians make submissions on proposed NZ grocery unit pricing system
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Scamwatch is urging the public to be wary of phone messages from a family member or friend claiming they need help, following a significant rise in “Hi Mum” scams in recent months. This is a media release from the Australian Competition & Consumer Commission (ACCC). It was originally published on 23rd August, 2022. More than 1,150 Australians fell…
Read More ACCC warning of suspicious messages as “Hi Mum” scams spike
Recently, the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) published an interview with Ian Jarratt from the Queensland Consumers Association on the relevance of retail food price transparency to the FAO’s Right to Food Program. In the interview Ian says that food price transparency is extremely relevant to consumers’ right to food because it ensures that…
Read More Price transparency and consumers’ right to food
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Ian Jarratt, CFA Executive member and Queensland Consumers Association (QCA) member, was recently interviewed by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations about the importance of food transparency, unit pricing, and the role that consumer associations need to play in the transformation of agri-food systems. In this interview, he talks about his experiences from…
Read More Food and Agruculture Organization interview CFA Executive Ian Jarratt
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Former Consumers’ Federation of Australia chairperson, and long-time consumer rights advocate Catriona Lowe has been nominated as Deputy Chairperson of the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC). This was written with information taken from a Government News post published on 14th July, 2022. Ms Lowe is due to take up the role on 27 January 2023.…
Read More Catriona Lowe nominated as ACCC deputy chair
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Australians are facing the perfect storm for increased financial insecurity in the next 12 months, making them vulnerable to dodgy insolvency advice. On the back of a tough few years of fire, drought, flood and the pandemic, rising interest rates and cost of living pressures mean that more Australians may struggle to pay their bills…
Read More Worried about debt? Talk to your bank or creditors and avoid dodgy advice, warns AFSA
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What does it mean to be a consumer in Australia? New research from the Consumer Policy Research Centre outlines how people across Australia describe their experiences and expectations of how business treat them. This is a media release from The Consumer Policy Research Centre (CPRC). It was originally published on 29th June, 2022. For more information about this research,…
Read More Australian consumers in their own words: new research from the CPRC
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Businesses which supply button batteries or products powered by them must now comply with mandatory button battery safety and information standards taking effect from today or face serious penalties, the ACCC warns. This is a media release from the Australian Competition & Consumer Commission. It was originally published on 22nd June, 2022. “These world-first standards are a critical…
Read More Businesses on notice as mandatory button battery laws commence
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Consumer Action is calling for meaningful protections from scams to apply to businesses operating in the crypto sector. This is a media release from Consumer Action Law Centre. It was originally published on 30th May, 2022. The call comes in a submission to the Treasury’s consultation paper Crypto asset secondary service providers: Licensing and custody requirements, in which Treasury proposes…
Read More Crypto: As risky as gambling and a haven for scams that demands action
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Consumer group CHOICE has released new data from a nationally representative survey of consumers that shows more than 1 in 9 Australians (12%) have purchased crypto such as Bitcoin or Ethereum in the past 12 months. This is a media release from CHOICE. It was originally published on 31st May, 2022. Read a longer CHOICE article on cryptocurrency.…
Read More “Volatile, complex and high-risk”: CHOICE calls for stronger crypto consumer protections