Media release from CHOICE 18/04/2023. New national research from CHOICE has revealed over 40% of renters have been pressured to use RentTech to apply for a home – putting them at risk of data breaches, extra costs and exclusion from housing. Some tenants are also being forced to use these third-party rental platforms, such as…
Read More Your data, open for inspection: CHOICE raises alarm on RentTech
March 28th was a day of action for First Nations advocates a year after the federal government established an interim scheme so that some of the families harmed by Aboriginal Community Benefit Fund/Youpla could conduct the important cultural practice of Sorry Business. The Save Sorry Business coalition used this day of action to call for…
Read More Save Sorry Business Day of Action
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In part two of CHOICE’s investigation, we look at the problems faced when trying to get a repair or refund. It’s July 2022 and Marilyn and Peter are sitting in the Cairns office of the Indigenous Consumer Assistance Network (ICAN). They’ve been waiting for this day for a long time. This is an article from CHOICE.…
Read More Car sales in remote Indigenous communities: A broken system
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CHOICE travels to the remote Indigenous community of Wujal Wujal in Far North Qld to investigate dodgy motor vehicle sales. Cedric Friday says that every time he looks at his broken-down Holden Captiva it makes him angry. The second-hand car that he and his brother-in-law spent $19,000 on sits immovable in his driveway. This is…
Read More Remote Indigenous communities left with broken cars and no redress
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For the second quarter in a row, record numbers of people are very concerned about the cost of home insurance, according to new data from CHOICE. The nationally representative survey, conducted in June 2022, found that 64% of Australians were very concerned or quite concerned about the cost of home insurance. This is a media release from CHOICE.…
Read More Almost two in three Australians concerned about cost of home insurance
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The recommended pram and stroller safety essentials are the AS/NZS 2088 label on the item, a sturdy frame, a five-point harness and a tether strap, according to the Australian Parenting website. Standards Australia recently published the revised AS 2088:2022 Prams and strollers – Safety requirements which provides manufacturers, authorities, and others with minimum safety requirements for prams and…
Read More Pram and stroller safety essentials
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With rising energy prices, home battery storage offers savings to consumers and an alternate to fossil fuels, read more here. Standards Australia has released a draft standard for public comment which will ensure consumers are provided with the information to meaningfully compare different battery manufacturers claims (and technologies). It defines standard testing protocols revealing the performance…
Read More Battery storage for households – Public comment invited on draft standard
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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
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A CHOICE survey reveals that consumers notice carbon claims and they sometimes influence purchase decisions. But how reliable are they? Need to know New data shows consumers are increasingly taking note of businesses’ carbon credentials But uncertainty remains for some people around whether to trust carbon neutral claims Significant numbers of consumers are factoring carbon…
Read More Consumer awareness growing around carbon credentials
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Australian travellers are growing increasingly frustrated with Qantas as restrictions ease across the country and travel begins again. This is a media release from CHOICE. It was originally published on 12th April, 2022. CHOICE spokesperson, Dean Price, said that Qantas was placing unreasonable barriers in the way of travellers trying to redeem their credits or get a refund.…
Read More Qantas’s flight credits policy is “unfair and unworkable”: CHOICE
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Consumer groups welcomed the consultation on improving the effectiveness of the consumer guarantee and supplier indemnification provisions under the Australian Consumer Law. Ideally, under the Australian Consumer Law, products and services come with a guarantee that they are of acceptable quality, safe with no faults and fit-for-purpose. And when these are not met, consumers are…
Read More Consumer Guarantees – reimaging redress for consumers
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CHOICE has joined consumer groups from 9 countries, including Consumers’ Federation of Australia (CFA), calling for urgent action on buy now, pay later (BNPL) credit providers as new data shows many Australians are struggling with this form of debt. This is a media release from CHOICE. It was originally published on 17th March, 2022. The global statement…
Read More Global alliance calls for regulation of harmful buy now, pay later industry
