Vulnerable Consumers

Law Cases

Online services platform Mable Technologies Pty Ltd (Mable) has admitted to breaching the Australian Consumer Law (ACL) by using unfair contract terms when connecting people seeking care support to independent support workers. Support services facilitated through Mable include social support, domestic support, nursing services and allied health services. Clients using the platform include participants on…

Read More Mable admits unfair contract terms a breach of consumer law

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Vulnerability can affect anyone at any time particularly if the consumer is faced with an unexpected change of circumstance or a particularly urgent or complex situation and information is not transparent and accessible. Standards Australia has released a new draft standard which specifies requirements and guidelines for organizations on how to design and deliver fair,…

Read More Consumer vulnerability – New standard open for public comment

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The Productivity Commission (PC) has identified 15 priority reform areas for further exploration under the five productivity inquiries commissioned by the Government. The PC is seeking input on these reform areas to inform the draft recommendations in our interim reports. “Boosting productivity is the only sustainable way to improve Australians’ living standards, but productivity growth…

Read More Productivity Commission Opens 5 Key Inquiries

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Going all-electric is a huge benefit to consumers, particularly in terms of cost and emissions savings. It tends to better utilise the electricity network, so the fully electric household (with an electric car) puts downward pressure on electricity prices for its neighbours. But the transition to all-electric homes and businesses needs to be delivered in a way…

Read More Transition away from gas must benefit all consumers

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Australia’s peak communications consumer body, ACCAN, has today called for the weak and ineffective industry-drafted Telecommunications Consumer Protections (TCP) Code to be scrapped in favour of robust and enforceable industry standards that better protect Australian consumers. Communications are an essential service – yet the rules which exist to protect communications consumers are failing in their…

Read More Time to scrap ‘consumer protection’ rules that don’t protect consumers

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As part of their ‘Our Kids are Sweet Enough’ campaign the Food for Health Alliance has recently released a report, Beyond the label: seeing past marketing on baby and toddler foods in Australia. The Beyond the label report highlights the use of misleading marketing tactics on food packaging to lead parents and caregivers to believe…

Read More Beyond the Label: Misleading Marketing for Baby and Toddler Food

SCAM ALERT

This is a joint media release between the AFP, National Anti-Scam Centre, Philippines Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission and National Bureau of Investigation Editor’s note: Text message screenshot, images from investigation, and audio grabs from AFP Commander Graeme Marshall are available via Hightail Authorities have texted more than 5000 potential victims in Australia to warn they may…

Read More Joint media release from Australian and Philippines authorities as over 5,000 Australians receive text warnings over a romance scam

News

Consumer Action Law Centre CEO Stephanie Tonkin said she was absolutely delighted that Minister Bill Shorten has announced consumer protections and reforms to Centrepay that restore it to its original purpose; that it should only be used by consumers to make regular voluntary payments for essential bills and expenses. (link to media release) “We have…

Read More New Centrepay Reform Bans Predatory Rent-to-Buy’s in Win for Consumers and Advocates

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Global average concentrations of all major long-lived greenhouse gases continue to rise in the atmosphere, driving further climate change says a new report by CSIRO: State of the Climate.  This eighth biennial State of the Climate report is a synthesis of the science that underpins our understanding of Australia’s climate. It is intended to inform…

Read More Greenhouses Gases Continue to Rise – 2023 the Warmest Year on Record

Magnifying glass focusing on 'Terms and Conditions' in a document. Ideal for business and legal themes. Magnifying glass focusing on 'Terms and Conditions' in a document. Ideal for business and legal themes.

The ACCC is putting businesses on notice that it is focusing in on problematic advertising practices which target participants in the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS). The ACCC has been working with the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) and NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission to identify advertising which may be in breach of the Australian…

Read More ACCC Warns NDIS Providers Against Misleading Advertising