Motor vehicles Archives - Consumers' Federation of Australia

11 October , 2024

CHOICE Research Unveils Car Data Tracking, “woefully out of date”

Need to know

7 June , 2024

Consultation Opens on Future of Tyre Stewardship Scheme

The ACCC is proposing to grant authorisation for the Tyre Product Stewardship scheme to continue for a further 3 years. The Tyre Stewardship Australia (TSA) implemented scheme aims to increase the number of tyres being recycled and the use of tyre derived products in environmentally appropriate ways in Australia and overseas. Since the ACCC first…

20 May , 2024

New Vehicle Efficiency Standard to Commence January 2025

Australian motorists will soon be able to choose from a wider range of cleaner, cheaper to run cars with the Parliament passing the legislation for the Albanese Government’s New Vehicle Efficiency Standard. This is good news for the hip pocket and for the environment. Car makers now have an incentive to send us their most…

23 April , 2024

Automated Driving System Consultation Open

The National Transport Commission (NTC) and the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts (DITRDCA) have been working with state and territory on an Automated Vehicle Safety Law (AVSL) and are now looking for feedback on the regulatory framework as a whole, in addition to safety and consumer issues. The consultation paper…

25 March , 2024

“Irresponsible” Car Loans on a “broader scale”: Consumers and advocates speak out against Money3 as ASIC sues over alleged breaches

Need to know Financial counsellors are sounding the alarm about an “irresponsible” car loan provider targeting people on low incomes. These consumer advocates say Money3 Loans is failing to properly assess whether its customers can pay off the loans, and is charging exorbitant interest rates on top of that. Last year the Australian Securities and…

22 March , 2024

Seeking CFA Member to Prepare a Submission to a Review of the AFIA Car Rental Code

The Australian Finance Industry Association (AFIA) is reviewing its Car Rental Code. Signatories of this code include Avis Budget Group, Hertz, Europcar, Thrifty, East Coast Car Rentals, Sixt, Bayswater Car Rental and Redspot/Enterprise. The Code ensures an industry standard is met on a number of issues, including transparency of pricing and credit card charging practices,…

9 January , 2024

Ombudsman Warns of “Unsustainable” Increase as AFCA sees a Record 100,000 Complaints

“The volume of complaints escalated to AFCA has been increasing at an unsustainable rate,” David Locke, the Chief Ombudsman and Chief Executive Officer of the Australian Financial Complaints Authority (AFCA), said.

“Scam-related complaints to AFCA have nearly doubled between 2022 and 2023. They continue to be of great concern to us. We are also seeing the impact of increased interest rates and cost of living pressures, with complaints involving financial hardship also significantly higher,” Mr Locke said.

12 December , 2023

Major Suppliers and Retailers Pay Penalties for Alleged Button Battery Standards Breaches

The ACCC issued four infringement notices to IMG in relation to four different models of Mechatronic Auto Parts branded replacement car key remotes supplied by IMG to Repco and Supercheap Auto that allegedly failed to include the required safety warning labels about the hazards associated with button batteries. IMG paid $59,640 in penalties.

The ACCC also issued two infringement notices to each of Repco and Supercheap Auto for supplying two types of car key remote products to consumers. Repco and Supercheap Auto paid $33,000 and $26,640, respectively, in penalties.

Mandatory safety and information standards were introduced in Australia in June 2022, following significant injuries and the death of three children caused by button batteries. The information standard requires warning information and safety advice to be displayed on packaging and batteries.

8 December , 2023

Motor Car Traders Claims Committee – Consumer Member

The Motor Car Traders Claims Committee (the Committee) is a statutory committee established under the Motor Car Traders Act 1986 (the Act). The function of the committee is to consider and determine claims for compensation made against the Motor Car Traders Guarantee Fund (the Fund).

this role you will be responsible for:

Determining claims made by consumers against the Fund

Seeking advice and information on the claim from any person or body

Requesting the Director of Consumer Affairs Victoria, police and public authorities provide information to the Committee.

Please refer to the Position Description for a full list of the responsibilities of this role.

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.”

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…

20 November , 2023

ACCC Welcomes Consults on Viva Energy’s Divestiture Proposal for OTR Acquisition

The proposed acquisition will combine the entities’ retail fuel, wholesale fuel and retail convenience and grocery offerings.

The ACCC invites submissions on the divestiture proposal by 27 November 2023.