Spon cons: ACCC says 81% of influencers could be breaching consumer law
Australia's consumer watchdog says social media influencers continue to push the boundaries of consumer law, raising the prospect of penalties against online personalities and small businesses that don't label paid posts correctly.
“A race to the bottom in dodginess”: Federal government considers blanket ban on unfair trading practices
The federal government is considering a major crackdown on unfair trading practices, once again raising the prospect of blanket legislation to replace a patchwork of industry-specific codes of conduct.
ACCC alleges Bloomex Australia duped customers with old reviews and phony discounts
The ACCC is alleging that the online star ratings on Bloomex Australia's website were misleading customers because they had not been updated with customer feedback since 2015.
Labor introduces legislation to ban unfair contracts for SMEs, heap $50 million penalties on anti-competitive businesses
Penalties of $50 million for companies found to have engaged in anti-competitive behaviour could soon be a reality, as the federal government tables legislation that could drastically increase the risks of breaching competition and consumer law.
“The harm can be significant”: Caravan suppliers put on notice by ACCC amid skyrocketing complaints
It's a $23 billion industry but 80% of caravan owners say they're having big problems, according to a new report from the consumer watchdog.
ACCC takes Ultra Tune back to court over allegations it breached franchising orders
Car repair business Ultra Tune has again found itself facing legal action from Australia’s competition and consumer watchdog in relation to its dealings with franchisees.
7-Eleven ordered to pay $595,000 after misleading franchisee over lease terms
The retailer was found to have breached the Australian Consumer Law in its pre-purchase dealings with a couple who bought the 7-Eleven Heathmont store in 2015.
Kmart sued by toy manufacturer over allegedly bootleg plush bunnies
UK-based toy manufacturer Jellycat has accused Kmart of profiting from a range of plushies that “reproduce” their popular Jellycat bashful bunny.
Bannister Law files class action against Tyro on behalf of SMEs
A group of small businesses have filed a class action against Tyro Payments, seeking compensation for losses incurred during a prolonged outage.
Decathlon fined $1.5 million for selling unsafe sporting goods
Sporting goods retailer Decathlon has been ordered to pay $1.5 million in penalties for selling basketball rings, backboards and portable swimming pools that did not comply with safety standards.
Caravan manufacturer Jayco fined $75,000 for failing to offer refund on faulty product
A court has fined caravan manufacturer Jayco $75,000 for breaching consumer law, after it failed to refund a customer for a faulty product.
COSBOA, Ombudsman back Rod Sims’ call for ‘unfair practices’ protection for small businesses against big tech
Leading small business advocates have backed a call by ACCC boss Rod Sims to introduce an ‘unfair practices’ provision into the Australian Consumer Law to better protect small businesses.
