Consumer Protection

• ACCC puts hearing aid industry on notice

  By consumer affairs reporter Amy Bainbridge

  Posted March 02, 2017 21:00:26 | Updated March 03, 2017 09:07:33

  The consumer watchdog fires a warning shot at the hearing aid industry, with a new report raising concerns about patients being ripped off.

  Topics: consumer-protection, hearing, australia

• Westpac lending case could open up flood of litigation if it succeeds Analysis

  By Stephen Long

  Posted March 01, 2017 19:02:43 | Updated March 01, 2017 19:33:39

  The Australian Securities and Investments Commission is taking Westpac to Federal Court in a landmark case over its responsible lending practices, but as Stephen Long writes, it is far from the only lender to face such allegations.

  Topics: banking, law-crime-and-justice, business-economics-and-finance, consumer-finance, consumer-protection, australia

• Westpac sued over dodgy home loans

  By business reporters Thuy Ong and Carrington Clarke

  Posted March 01, 2017 16:20:24 | Updated March 01, 2017 17:16:49

  The Australian Securities and Investments Commission will take Westpac to Federal Court over its responsible lending practices.

  Topics: law-crime-and-justice, company-news, business-economics-and-finance, consumer-finance, consumer-protection, corporate-governance, banking, australia

• CommInsure cleared of 'systemic', 'cultural' problems

  AM

  By senior business correspondent Peter Ryan

  Posted March 01, 2017 12:18:19

  A report commissioned by CommInsure into claims of unethical behaviour at the Commonwealth Bank's insurance arm clears the life insurer of "systemic" and "cultural" problems, despite not speaking to any of the victims nor Benjamin Koh, the whistleblower who revealed the scandal.

  Topics: business-economics-and-finance, company-news, consumer-protection, consumer-finance, banking, insurance, regulation, health, australia

• CommBank says focus on customer needs not sales, but is it just talk? Analysis

  By business reporter Andrew Robertson

  Posted February 28, 2017 18:05:25

  If Australia's banks really want to redeem their tattered reputations, they need to focus on meeting their customers' needs not simply selling them more product.

  Topics: banking, consumer-protection, management, australia

• Eastern states should reserve natural gas for domestic use, Barnett says

  PM

  By Eliza Borrello

  Posted February 28, 2017 18:00:52

  West Australian Premier Colin Barnett says the eastern states should follow WA's lead and reserve some of their natural gas for domestic use to curb energy shortages.

  Topics: business-economics-and-finance, consumer-finance, consumer-protection, economic-trends, oil-and-gas, regulation, government-and-politics, australia, wa

• Amazon may be coming to Australia, so what does that mean for you?

  RN

  By Ann Arnold for The Money

  Posted February 24, 2017 12:35:53 | Updated February 24, 2017 13:35:15

  With many predicting Amazon will soon set up warehousing and distribution in Australia, what does that mean for consumers?

  Topics: company-news, business-economics-and-finance, consumer-protection, consumer-electronics, information-and-communication, australia

• Health insurers face legal action for consumer rip-offs

  By medical reporter Sophie Scott and the National Reporting Team's Rebecca Armitage

  Posted February 23, 2017 21:04:59

  Australia's consumer watchdog plans to take legal action against more private health insurers this year, saying many patients are being slugged with unexpected hefty bills after hospital visits.

  Topics: health-insurance, health, consumer-protection, australia

• Supermarket wars: Are they just a repeat of the battle between Qantas and Virgin? Analysis

  By business reporter Andrew Robertson

  Posted February 23, 2017 17:48:47 | Updated February 23, 2017 18:00:09

  If your strategy is based on "down, down, down" like Coles, or "cheap, cheap, cheap" as in Woolworths, it becomes a race to the bottom.

  Topics: business-economics-and-finance, company-news, consumer-finance, consumer-protection, food-and-beverage, australia

• Will the Government crack down on mortgage broker commissions?

  7.30

  By Pat McGrath

  Posted February 22, 2017 22:02:58

  The Federal Government is facing pressure to ban lucrative mortgage broker commissions, which consumer groups say encourage bad behaviour and are contributing to record household debt.

  Topics: consumer-protection, banking, australia

• Insurance industry headaches could lead to higher premiums

  By business reporter Andrew Robertson

  Posted February 22, 2017 16:55:01 | Updated February 22, 2017 17:33:13

  Even as the Commonwealth Bank last week unveiled another record half-year profit of $5 billion, not everything was rosy — its life insurance arm CommInsure continues to be a headache, and with ASIC campaigning insurers to publicly report claim figures, premiums could rise as a consequence.

  Topics: business-economics-and-finance, company-news, consumer-finance, consumer-protection, economic-trends, banking, insurance, health, australia

• Volkswagen accused of attempting to 'hoodwink' consumers

  By consumer affairs reporter Amy Bainbridge

  Posted February 22, 2017 12:30:57 | Updated February 22, 2017 12:35:05

  Volkswagen is accused of pressuring drivers to accept a software upgrade for vehicles implicated in the global emissions scandal, or face the possibility of no compensation.

  Topics: consumer-protection, business-economics-and-finance, environment, law-crime-and-justice, australia

• Is buying a second-hand phone worth the risk?

  By Sarah Collard

  Posted February 21, 2017 15:54:07 | Updated February 21, 2017 17:05:25

  While millions of Australians choose to invest in a new smartphone every year, there's also a booming second-hand market. But is it too risky handing money over for a used handset?

  Topics: mobile-phones, consumer-protection, wa

• Banker jailed after convincing 98yo to take out 30-year loan

  By business reporter Emily Stewart

  Posted February 09, 2017 15:09:17 | Updated February 09, 2017 18:30:32

  A former Westpac banker is sentenced to three years in prison after signing up elderly customers, including a 98-year-old woman in an aged-care facility, to $4 million in loans they could not repay.

  Topics: banking, business-economics-and-finance, company-news, consumer-finance, consumer-protection, corporate-governance, australia, qld

• Australian VW drivers treated like 'backwards citizens'

  By consumer affairs reporter Amy Bainbridge

  Posted February 09, 2017 06:03:00 | Updated February 09, 2017 10:46:13

  Volkswagen is being urged to explain why Australian drivers are not being offered compensation for cars fitted with emissions-cheating devices.

  Topics: consumer-protection, business-economics-and-finance, australia, united-states

• What Trump plans to do to banking regulation and why it matters

  By Michael Janda, Thuy Ong, wires

  Posted February 06, 2017 13:45:49 | Updated February 06, 2017 15:04:25

  Donald Trump makes financial deregulation an early priority of his presidency, but what does the Dodd-Frank Act do and what changes are likely to happen to US banking?

  Topics: banking, regulation, consumer-protection, consumer-finance, donald-trump, government-and-politics, united-states

• Real estate agent opens up about widespread underquoting 'lies'

  Exclusive by business reporter Emily Stewart

  Posted January 25, 2017 17:48:16 | Updated January 25, 2017 19:48:59

  More Victorian real estate agents are caught by a taskforce targeting the widespread practice of underquoting property values to entice prospective buyers.

  Topics: housing-industry, consumer-protection, regulation, fraud-and-corporate-crime, australia, vic

• Dairy farmers to share industry concerns over $1 milk

  AM

  By Imogen Brennan

  Posted January 25, 2017 10:50:07 | Updated January 25, 2017 10:57:55

  The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission is set to hear from dairy farmers about a range of issues contributing to the poor state of the industry, including dollar-a-litre milk.

  Topics: dairy-production, business-economics-and-finance, rural, agribusiness, agricultural-prices, markets, consumer-protection, australia, qld

• Australian workers on brink of retirement being short-changed on super

  By senior business correspondent Peter Ryan

  Posted January 25, 2017 10:50:07 | Updated January 25, 2017 12:06:24

  Some Australian workers on the brink of retirement are being short-changed on their employer superannuation entitlements and might be forced onto the age pension, according to research out today.

  Topics: superannuation, business-economics-and-finance, company-news, consumer-finance, consumer-protection, australia

• Tech, investment scams rising in WA, ScamNet figures show

  By Briana Shepherd and Eliza Laschon

  Posted January 18, 2017 18:46:54

  Fewer West Australians fell victim to fraud last year, but a sharp increase in technology and investment losses is causing concern, with those over the age of 55 most vulnerable.

  Topics: consumer-protection, people, fraud-and-corporate-crime, perth-6000, wa

• Tigerair allowed to bring stranded Bali passengers home, other flights cancelled

  By Rebecca Trigger

  Posted January 12, 2017 20:41:36

  Tigerair will be allowed to fly stranded Australian passengers home from Bali, but the future for the budget airline's foray into Indonesia remains unclear.

  Topics: air-transport, consumer-protection, business-economics-and-finance, travel-and-tourism, wa, perth-6000, bali, indonesia

• Warning to WA home builders as complaints rise

  By Tom Wildie

  Posted January 12, 2017 12:18:09 | Updated January 12, 2017 15:48:51

  An increase in builder-related complaints in the last financial year has prompted a warning for homeowners from WA's building regulator, which says it is amazed at how many people are rushing into projects.

  Topics: building-and-construction, consumer-protection, perth-6000, wa

• Alibaba sues over fake Swarovski in Chinese e-commerce first

  By business reporter Thuy Ong

  Posted January 05, 2017 11:30:55

  Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba is suing two sellers offering fake Swarovski watches on its online marketplace Taobao.

  Topics: retail, consumer-protection, fraud-and-corporate-crime, company-news, china, united-states

• Consumer complaints to ACCC top 20,000 in 2016

  By business reporter Thuy Ong

  Posted January 03, 2017 13:49:15 | Updated January 03, 2017 15:41:57

  Complaints about electronics and whitegoods accounted for more than a quarter of the 20,000-plus grievances shoppers submitted to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission in 2016.

  Topics: retail, consumer-finance, consumer-protection, regulation, australia

• This Samsung S6 began to catch fire while it was charging. image

  image
  ABC News

  Posted December 29, 2016 08:50:49

  Topics: consumer-protection, consumer-electronics, electronics, mobile-phones, maroochydore-4558

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