law, attorney, lawyers-39989.jpg
Research conducted by CHOICE in 2022 found many Australians aren’t aware of what insurance they have through their super. Only 54% of respondents knew how much they paid for insurance, and just 51% knew what situations their super insurance covered.
Read More Calls for Independent Inquiry into Super Insurance Gaps
“The test for whether a contract term is unfair has not changed. However, businesses now could potentially face substantial penalties for contravening the law. This will better protect consumers and small businesses who have limited bargaining power, expertise, and ability to negotiate or assess standard form contracts,”
Read More ACCC Urges Businesses to Remove Unfair Contract Term
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
hands looking at contracts
Companies that breach the competition and consumer laws could face new and higher penalties under legal changes which passed Parliament last week. The changes consist of two parts; the introduction of penalties and other changes relating to unfair contract terms, and significant increases in maximum penalties for breaches of certain provisions of the Competition and…
Read More ACCC welcomes new penalties and expansion of the unfair contract terms laws
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
Post thumbnail
Consumer think tank, the Consumer Policy Research Centre, today released research that found 83% of Australians have been negatively impacted by a website or app using harmful design features, known as dark patterns. This is a media release from the Consumer Policy Research Centre (CPRC). It was originally published on 8th June, 2022. In its report, Duped by Design,…
Read More New protections needed to stop online designs that hurt consumers
A gold statue of lady justice, a woman holding a sword and scales, in front of a blue background
Today the Government passed the first omnibus bill in the wake of the Banking Royal Commission, which consumer advocates say will help address long-standing problems with unfair insurance contracts, funeral expenses policies and mortgage broking. The Financial Sector Reform (Hayne Royal Commission Response—Protecting Consumers (2019 Measures) Act 2019 will address recommendations 4.7, 1.2 and 4.2…
Read More Consumer advocates welcome Act implementing three key Banking Royal Commission recommendations
A broken tile house roof
“Stand up to the insurance lobby” – that’s the message of leading consumer groups as they deliver signatures of over 20,000 Australians to Parliament House in Canberra. The groups anticipate the Federal Government to act on “Unfair Contract Terms” laws this fortnight, closing a damaging loophole that has allowed insurance companies to profit by using…
Read More 20,000 Australians demand the end of unfair insurance
A person in a wheelchair
The Financial Rights Legal Centre has called on the life insurance sector to clean up its act following the release of a damning report by ASIC into Total and Permanent Disability (TPD) claims in both direct life insurance and life insurance in superannuation. The report, Holes in the safety net: A Review of TPD insurance claims, found…
Read More Total and Permanent Disability Cover – a total mess
A gift card for fifty dollars. On it a photo of a child eating popcorn at the cinema
Consumers’ Federation Austrlaia welcomes the introduction of new gift card laws that start on 1 November 2019. The new rules will help stop gift cards going to waste or being eroded by fees and charges. All gift cards bought from 1 November will come with a minimum three-year expiry period, with the expiry date clearly…
Read More New national gift card laws a win for consumers
Post thumbnail
The ACCC has released its Customer loyalty schemes draft report for public comment. The report outlines the ACCC’s draft findings and recommendations following research and targeted consultation earlier this year. The review focussed on competition and consumer issues arising from customer loyalty schemes. There are two major findings covered in the draft report that are…
Read More Review finds customer loyalty schemes need transparency and fairness
Post thumbnail
The following is a media release from Chris Bowen MP, Madeleine King MP and Andrew Leigh MP. A Shorten Government will protect small business by making unfair contract terms illegal and punishable with significant fines of up to $10 million. Australia’s current laws aren’t tough enough. While contracts terms that unfairly exploit a power imbalance…
Read More Labor makes unfair contract terms illegal
