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The Latest Breaking News from ACCC

Australia’s Consumer Watchdog Warns Of ‘Ghost Stores’ Scamming Online Shoppers

Australia's consumer watchdog has warned of alleged "ghost stores" scamming shoppers with misleading ads and dodgy products.

Australian consumer watchdog issues public warning about ‘ghost stores’ and urges Meta and Shopify to crack down

Australian consumer watchdog issues public warning about ‘ghost stores’ and urges Meta and Shopify to crack down

ACCC says asking e-commerce platforms to act is more effective than traditional enforcement, given operators are mostly overseas and difficult to identify

The Guardian - AU

Banana Boat & Hawaiian Tropic Sunscreens Sued By ACCC For Alleged Greenwashing

Banana Boat & Hawaiian Tropic Sunscreens Sued By ACCC For Alleged Greenwashing

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has accused Banana Boat and Hawaiian Tropic of greenwashing in its products.

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An impending gas shortfall in eastern Australia? This is just gas market Groundhog Day

The ACCC has been running an inquiry into the sector since 2017 and has been saying the same thing every year. The answer is obvious

The Guardian - AU

How Bupa Health Insurance 'Duped' Thousands Over Medical Claims – Were You Affected?

CEO Stone said that the company had prioritised communication and compensation for those affected, and has introduced measures to prevent similar mistakes in future.

International Business Times UK

Popular sunscreens accused of greenwashing by ACCC over ‘reef-friendly’ claims

Consumer regulator claims owner of Hawaiian Tropic and Banana Boat misled consumers but company stands by products

The Guardian - AU

Health insurer fined for rejecting partial procedures

A private health giant admits to knocking back thousands of claims it should have covered, lumping customers with huge hospital fees.

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Chinese authority scams fleece international students in Australia of $5m in five months

Chinese authority scams fleece international students in Australia of $5m in five months

National Anti-Scam Centre warns that fraudsters posing as Mandarin-speaking law enforcement officers are becoming more threatening

The Guardian - AU

‘We don’t want to go’: Australian couple told to pay $3,500 to postpone flights amid Middle East volatility

‘We don’t want to go’: Australian couple told to pay $3,500 to postpone flights amid Middle East volatility

Experts say consumers are unlikely to have any legal rights to defer flights unless the airline’s fine print allows it

The Guardian - AU

Australian consumer watchdog takes gas company to court alleging it misled consumers over renewables claim

Australian consumer watchdog takes gas company to court alleging it misled consumers over renewables claim

The ACCC says it launched investigation into Australian Gas Networks after complaints from consumers and conservation advocates

The Guardian - AU

Greenwashing lawsuit to test 'overstated' gas claims

Greenwashing lawsuit to test 'overstated' gas claims

Claims about the future of renewable gas will be tested in Federal Court after the competition regulator launched its biggest greenwashing lawsuit to date.

Call for laws to stop harm to consumers, firms online

Call for laws to stop harm to consumers, firms online

Australian consumers and businesses are being harmed by the behaviour of tech giants in ways that cannot be addressed with current laws, a report has found.

The Good Guys in trouble over bad promotional scheme

The Good Guys in trouble over bad promotional scheme

A major retailer has reached a settlement with the consumer watchdog over a "StoreCash" promotion, which promised shoppers store credits for buying goods.

Optus agrees to $100m penalty for selling phones to customers who couldn’t afford them or were out of range

Optus agrees to $100m penalty for selling phones to customers who couldn’t afford them or were out of range

Telco’s chief executive says company ‘failed customers’ and conduct was inexcusable

The Guardian - AU

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Optus Cops $100M Fine Over Sales Tactics To Vulnerable Customers: ‘Unacceptable’

Optus has been penalised for selling customers phones and contracts they didn't want or need, following court action brought by the ACCC.

Optus says yes to record $100m fine for dodgy sales

Optus has agreed to a record fine for "unconscionable" sales to hundreds of consumers, including in remote Indigenous communities its network didn't cover.

Only 4 Of 20 Popular Aussie Sunscreens Are Meeting The SPF Claims On Their Label, According To CHOICE

Australia's peak consumer advocacy group put 20 sunscreens to the test, finding most didn’t actually hit the SPF50 mark.

The Guardian - AU

Several leading Australian sunscreens don’t provide the protection they say, Choice finds

Consumer group tested 20 popular SPF 50 and 50+ brands and found 16 didn’t meet the claims on the bottles

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Watchdog bites over dodgy ads during Black Friday sales

Michael Hill Jeweller, MyHouse and Hairhouse Warehouse Online have been hit with fines for allegedly making false claims over their Black Friday sales

The Guardian - AU

How did you get my number? Inside the shadowy world of data brokers

When political spam landed in Priya Dev’s inbox during the last election campaign, she decided to track down the source

The Guardian - AU

After hundreds of complaints, eHarmony’s auto renewal subscription case begins in Australian federal court

Dating website accused of misleading and deceptive conduct as sign up process and memberships examined on day one of hearing

Dating site accused of catfishing users with 'free' use

Dating site eHarmony allegedly misled customers with statements about the pricing, renewal and duration of its memberships, the consumer watchdog says.

The Guardian - AU

Selling a house in Australia is expensive. The ACCC is investigating one reason why

News Corp’s REA Group, behind real estate listings site realestate.com.au, is being investigated by the consumer watchdog amid complaints over its market dominance

Fines top $30 million after college 'rorts' students

A judge has slapped massive fines on an online diploma college that turned a $19 million profit while saddling thousands of vulnerable people with student debt.

Why the carbon offset 'swear jar' needs an overhaul

Firms relying on carbon offsets to tout their green credentials and reduce their environmental footprints are under fresh scrutiny after a court settlement.

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