Everyday Consumer

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The Reserve Bank of Australia has said today that retailers should be allowed to pass on or ‘surcharge’ customers for the cost of buy now pay later, a move welcomed by Consumer Action Law Centre which has campaigned for better transparency for consumers. This is a media release from Consumer Action Law Centre. It was originally published on 22nd October, 2021. “The truth…

Read More Buy now pay later surcharge ‘reveal’ a win for consumers and retailers

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The National Measurement Institute’s (NMI) report on retailer compliance in 2020-21 reveals that 88% of fruit and vegetable retailers, 42% of meat, fish and poultry retailers, and 25% of supermarkets were not complying with their legal requirements when audited during a concentrated period during the year. Much of this post is taken from a media release by Queensland…

Read More Report finds many food retailers not complying with weights and measures laws

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Several CFA members including: CHOICE, the Consumer Policy and Research Centre (CPRC), the Consumer Action Law Centre (CALC), and the Queensland Consumers Association (QCA), made written submissions on the PC’s draft report on “Right to Repair”. The PC made draft recommendations on many aspects of this very complex and diverse topic. The CFA member submissions…

Read More CFA members make submissions to Productivity Commission (PC) “Right to Repair” Inquiry

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Australia’s telecommunications sector has published a strengthened Industry Code to better protect customers from attempted fraudulent transactions. This is a media release from Communications Alliance. It was originally published on 13th October, 2021. The Communications Alliance code – C666:2021 Existing Customer Authentication – provides an improved framework to authenticate the identity of customers making transactions involving their telecommunications…

Read More New Telco Industry Code Fights Customer Transaction Fraud

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The revised national standard on drinking water treatment systems meets WaterMark product certification which protects community health and safety, and guarantees to be suitable for use by you, your family, and your friends. Consumers’ Federation of Australia (CFA) supports a representative to participate on the Standards Australia Technical Committee WS-027 Domestic water treatment applications which revised the Australian Standard…

Read More Drinking water treatment systems – does it have a WaterMark?

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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…

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

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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…

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

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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…

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

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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…

Read More Telecommunications complaints fall, but serious concerns remain

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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.…

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

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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…

Read More Just the ticket – tough new laws to stamp out scalping