Articles Archives - Page 26 of 179 - Consumers' Federation of Australia

1 December , 2023

Interim Scheme Extended for Youpla Funeral Benefit Program

First Nations consumer advocates from the Save Sorry Business Coalition have greeted the announcement that the Federal Government will extend its Interim Youpla Scheme with a renewed call for establishing a fair and culturally appropriate resolution.

Bettina Cooper, Boandik woman and Save Sorry Business Coalition Coordinator & Aboriginal Financial Counsellor at Mob Strong Debt Help explained, “We have cautious optimism about the announcement from Ministers Linda Burney and Stephen Jones, with hopes that this will be the final extension before the Federal Government’s enduring resolution is announced.”

1 December , 2023

Non-Disclosure Agreements, Unfair Contracts and Consumer Rights

Businesses are trotting them out left and right these days, but it’s not clear who gives them the authority to do that, since you already have a right to the three Rs without promising to keep matters confidential.

Non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) effectively keep problems with a product or service a secret so other customers can’t know that it has a history of problems.
“The ACCC has made clear that non-disparagement clauses can breach unfair contract terms provisions.

“Again this comes back to the imbalance of power and information between consumer and business, and why we need strong, enforceable consumer protections.”

1 December , 2023

International Volunteer Day: “What if everyone did?”

International Volunteer Day (IVD) is an opportunity to raise awareness of the important role volunteers play in responding to challenges facing the world. Mandated by the UN General Assembly and held each year on 5 December, the theme for 2023 is “What if Everyone Did” recognises the power of collective action in a time where much…

30 November , 2023

Airservice Australia Proposes Price Increases

The ACCC is seeking views from the aviation industry and other interested parties on Airservices Australia’s draft proposal to increase the prices it charges airlines for its enroute navigation, terminal navigation, and aviation rescue and fire-fighting (ARFF) services.

Submissions are due by 19 January 2024.

29 November , 2023

Make Unfair Illegal – Consumer Groups Call for Strong New Laws to Close Gaps as New Research on Consumer Knowledge Emerges

“There are a number of gaps in the consumer law when it comes to protecting people from unfair business practices. These gaps leave consumers in Australia vulnerable to all kinds of unfair treatment,” says CHOICE senior policy and campaigns adviser Alex Söderlund.

CPRC CEO Erin Turner says Australian consumers deserve better.

“Australians are missing out on protections that consumers in other countries have benefited from for decades. We need laws to effectively call out and restrict unfair practices. These laws will mean businesses have to treat you with respect and care.”

29 November , 2023

A Promising Start as National Anti-Scam Centre Releases its First Report

The NASC launched in July as part of an $86.5 million package to crackdown on scams. It represents the most cohesive partnership between government and industry to date to protect against these criminals.

While scam losses are still significant, the report shows a 16% decrease in losses compared to the same quarter last year. It also reveals that losses from investment scams have declined by 6%, and romance scam losses have declined by 28%.

The quarter ended with reported scam losses of $29.8 million in September 2023, the lowest losses reported in a single month since October 2021.

29 November , 2023

Scams Awareness Week 2023

In the past year, according to figures released by the National Anti Scam Centre (NASC), over 81,000 reports of scams have been made and $92 million stolen. Of those scams, 3 in 4 were impersonation scams where criminals pretended to be someone known and trusted such as a family member, government institution, road toll company or bank. Out of these, bank imitation scams caused the highest monetary losses.

27 November , 2023

Positions Open on Consumers’ Association of South Australia Committee

Are you interested in consumer issues and looking to broaden your volunteering and work experience? The Consumers Association of South Australia is the South Australian voice for consumers, representing consumer interests, encouraging the distribution of information on issues affecting consumers, and providing opportunity for discussion of some of the following issues:

27 November , 2023

Expansion of Digital Platforms Demonstrates “critical need for regulatory reform”

Digital platforms with significant market power can use practices like bundling or tying of products, pre-installation and default settings to limit customer choice or deter innovation from competitors.
“Australians increasingly use digital platforms for work, study and play and can benefit from their wide range of interconnected products and services. While the size and scale of digital platforms alone does not raise concern, there is a risk that this expansion may be driven by a desire from digital platforms to entrench or extend their market power,” Ms Cass-Gottlieb said.

24 November , 2023

Detours and Roadblocks: CPRC’s Upcoming Faulty Car Webinar

Original text from CPRC’s website (24/11/2023). Date: 27 November 2023Time: 1-2PM AEDTLocation: Online Faulty cars are far too common and disrupt far too many lives. A faulty car is far more than just a daily inconvenience, they can disrupt lives and pose serious challenges for people nationwide when trying to resolve the problem. CPRC’s research…

23 November , 2023

Submissions Open for Consultation Paper on Merger Reform

A few days ago, on November 20th 2023 the Albanese Government’s Competition Taskforce released a Consultation Review on Australia’s laws and practices surrounding mergers. Below is information from the Treasury website on the consultation paper as well as how to make a submission and what to include. The Treasurer has also issued a media release on the consultation which is available here. Submissions for the merger consultation paper close on January 19th 2024.

23 November , 2023

Non-Executive Director Position Open at Energy Consumers Australia

ECA is looking for an experienced Non-executive Director with a broad understanding of energy systems. It will be critical they can speak to and represent the long-term interests of energy consumers, in particular residential and small business consumers.
Closing date: 11.59pm AEDT on Sunday 3rd December 2023.