ACCC

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At the Gartner CEO Forum today, ACCC Chair Rod Sims spoke with a group of 70 CEOs and senior executives from a range of companies across Australasia about how the ACCC’s priorities have shifted to respond to the impact of COVID-19 on consumers and businesses. Below is a transcript of his speech. COVID-19 Taskforce The ACCC…

Read More Managing the impacts of COVID-19 disruption on consumers and business

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Scammers are now trying to exploit Australians financially impacted by the COVID-19 crisis with new superannuation scams being reported to Scamwatch in recent weeks. Scammers are already trying to take advantage of the Government’s recent announcement that people suffering financial hardship can have partial access to their superannuation from mid-April. “Scammers are cold-calling people claiming…

Read More Scammers targeting superannuation in COVID-19 crisis

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The ACCC is highly conscious of the impact COVID-19 is having on Australian consumers and businesses, and has adjusted the focus of its regulatory activities accordingly. Most businesses are facing severe disruption, particularly small businesses, and the future is uncertain for many. The ACCC will factor these circumstances into its consideration of competition matters in…

Read More ACCC response to COVID-19 pandemic

A black and silver stethoscope on a white table A black and silver stethoscope on a white table

For the first time, the majority of hospital treatment policies held by Australians now contain exclusions, the latest ACCC annual report into the private health insurance industry has found. More than 57 per cent of policies held by Australians contain exclusions, up from about 44 per cent in the previous year. “Many people may not be aware…

Read More Private health insurance premiums rise despite growing exclusions

The dashboard of a car, both of the front airbags have deployed The dashboard of a car, both of the front airbags have deployed

The ACCC is warning Australian consumers about a new safety risk in using certain vehicles fitted with a different type of faulty Takata airbag. These airbags, which are fitted with a NADI 5-AT propellant, are not captured under the existing compulsory recall of Takata airbags.  There is a serious safety risk that these NADI airbags…

Read More Consumers warned of new airbag safety risk

A childs hands playing with toy blocks A childs hands playing with toy blocks

Australians could be at risk of injuries or even death from 6.6 million individual products currently under voluntary recall, with about half of these still likely to be found in people’s homes, new figures show. Figures show that each year the ACCC is notified of about 650 consumer product recalls, but only about half of…

Read More Over a million recalled products still in circulation in Australia

A house in the right corner of the image A house in the right corner of the image

The Federal Government has directed the ACCC to immediately commence an inquiry into home loan pricing. The ACCC is to investigate a wide range of issues ranging from the rates paid by new vs existing customers, how the cost of financing for banks has affected bank decisions on interest rates, and why RBA cuts aren’t always…

Read More ACCC commences pricing transparency inquiry for home loans

A wifi modem A wifi modem

The ACCC will consider whether Australians are able to access basic broadband plans at fair and affordable prices, as part of an inquiry into NBN wholesale charges launched on Monday. The inquiry will examine wholesale prices paid by retail service providers (RSPs), which use the NBN to supply residential-grade broadband services. The ACCC’s inquiry will…

Read More Affordability of basic NBN products to be examined

Two people on a quad bike Two people on a quad bike

The ACCC has welcomed the Federal Government’s decision to improve the safety of quad bikes by introducing a new safety standard. The decision was announced by Assistant Treasurer the Hon Michael Sukkar today. The safety standard has three elements: improved information for potential purchasers, enhanced quad bike stability, and rollover protection to reduce injuries and…

Read More ACCC welcomes new quad bike safety standard

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Australians are set to lose a record amount to scams in 2019, with projections from losses reported to Scamwatch and other government agencies so far expected to exceed $532 million by the end of the year, surpassing half a billion dollars for the first time. This year’s National Scams Awareness Week (12-16 August) theme is “too smart…

Read More Record losses expected as scammers target Australians

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Mobile handsets continue to be the most common way consumers are accessing the internet while the largest volume of data is downloaded over fixed lines, as shown in a new ACCC data report on internet activity. The report, for the period ending 31 December 2018, also provides information on the number of retail services in operation…

Read More New report tracks internet activity on mobile and fixed lines