Innholdsfortegnelse for February 2022 i CHOICE

In late 2021, ASIC began court proceedings against ANZ bank for conduct that may have marked a new low point in the annals of bad bank behaviour. Through its ‘introducer program’, ANZ sought to flog home loans to potential customers by way of individuals they ostensibly trusted as independent and unbiased on the subject, such as home cleaners or real estate agents. The trouble was that these ‘introducers’ collected customer information on the bank’s behalf without being authorised to do so. And, of course, they were being paid by the banks to get this information. “ASIC is concerned that as a result of this conduct some loans may have been granted by ANZ based on false information, and some consumers may have entered into home loans that were beyond their…

Late last year, CHOICE made a submission to the Department of Industry, Science, Energy and Resources (DISER), calling on them to improve the energy efficiency of computer monitors and external power supplies. DISER were undertaking a review of the regulation of three consumer goods: computer monitors, external power supplies and set-top boxes. The Greenhouse and Energy Minimum Standards Act 2012 (GEMS Act) sets up a regulatory framework to drive improvements in the energy efficiency of consumer and other electrical goods. For set-top boxes, we agreed with the government’s assessment that set-top boxes are a small and shrinking market, and that the current expiry of the regulation in 2023 should go ahead. We argued that DISER should use this review to improve the settings of the regulation for the remaining two…

Most health insurance premiums will increase on 1 April 2022 by an average of 2.7%. It’s the second consecutive year of what is the lowest average yearly rise since 2001, but some funds will have bigger price hikes than others: the lowest increase will be Health Care Insurance at 1.09%, whereas CBHS Corporate will have the largest average increase for the second year in a row with a 5.33% price hike on average across its policies. Of the five big funds, HCF and NIB have rises close to the industry average, and Bupa, Medibank and HBF have above-average increases. But Medibank and HCF will delay the price rises until later in 2022 and NIB says it’s considering doing the same. The average figure may not be a good indication of…

Car dealers in WA have been warned not to take financial advantage of customers who decide to cancel a car contract and return the vehicle to the dealership. From 1 January 2022, the maximum amount car dealers in WA can charge a consumer who cancels a purchase contract was reduced from 15% to 5% – a move by WA Consumer Protection in response to car dealers’ longstanding tendency to charge as much as they could get, regardless of the actual costs to their business. “Even with the rate falling to five percent, dealers should not treat this as a flat rate,” says Commissioner for Consumer Protection Gary Newcombe. “Dealers must only charge an amount that will recoup the reasonably estimated and realistic costs of the cancellation. “If we get a…

Things that go beep in the night My partner and I bought two new ceiling fans with built-in LED lights from Early Settler. During installation we discovered the fan could only be operated by the remote and couldn’t be wired into the existing wall-mounted fan controls. After installation, we discovered the fan produced a loud beep when turning the light on and when changing the fan speed. Furthermore, the wall-mounted light switch operates as a circuit breaker and has to be in the ‘on’ position in order to use the remote for either the light or the fan. So the light needs to be turned on at the wall before you can run the fan (inconvenient in the middle of the night). To avoid this you can turn the light…

Is there anyone who hasn’t been on the receiving end of an attempted scam or phishing expedition aimed at getting personal and banking information in recent years? Whether it’s a Nigerian prince with accounting issues, a panicked ‘friend’ inexplicably stranded in some exotic locale, or a text message telling you that you’ve won a European lottery you never entered, it seems we’re constantly being barraged with offers that are actually too good to be true. Investment scams are often very hard to spot and can feel legitimate at the time We take a closer look at 10 of the scams that caused the most financial harm in 2021, according to the Australian Competition & Consumer Commission’s (ACCC) Scamwatch, so you know which warning signs to look out for and how…

It can be a real shock when you use your private health insurance policy and find you’re still left facing a hefty medical bill. “I had triple bypass surgery [and] my out-of-pocket expenses included $4000 for the heart surgeon and $700 for the anaesthetist,” a CHOICE member told us in 2017. “I was lucky enough to have some shares that could be sold at the time to cover the expenses.” Although treatment for public patients is free, there are many extra costs that private patients can face in hospital. These include: • consultations with your doctor• procedures you aren’t covered for (always check with your insurer before starting the treatment)• excess and co-payments• pathology services, such as blood tests• prostheses, such as an artificial hip (although there’s always one suitable…

Privacy policies have become commonplace – they’re a necessary response to an organisation’s increased ability to collect personal information through digital interactions, not to mention the increased value of consumer data as companies look to target people online. So just when does a privacy policy apply, and what is it for? In Australia, government agencies, organisations with an annual turnover of more than $3 million and some small businesses such as health service providers must have a plain language statement that outlines how they handle personal information. Privacy policies should explain which personal details are collected, and how those details are collected, used, stored and even transmitted. It must be available on the website, on paper or via a mobile screen. Ideally, privacy policies should build people’s trust in the…

There’s a lot to think about when choosing an energy provider. While price is a big factor for many people, environmental credentials are equally important for some. Research shows a growing number of Australians want to make environmentally conscious choices when it comes to choosing their electricity provider, but lack of information and potential greenwashing are proving to be hurdles. And the market has become even more confusing recently, since one energy retailer that promoted itself to customers as the green alternative was bought by multinational oil and gas company Royal Dutch Shell. “I won’t switch to one that isn’t actively prioritising green energy” Green energy retailer Powershop sells to Shell Australian online energy retailer Powershop was founded in 2007 in New Zealand and launched in Australia in 2014. It…

Our long-serving rogues’ gallery of dodgy ads, toe-curling typos and misadventures in marketing, as sent in by you – our tickled, angered and bewildered readers. And thanks to the timeless shonkiness of so much advertising, you’re always spoilt for choice – so keep ’em coming. Email highquality unedited photos to hardword@choice.com.au. This month, thanks go to Bron Blake (Cage mites), Alice Chaffey (Ooo-ooh!), Chrazzari (Rasher offer) and Peter Gardiner (Potting mix-up). RASHER OFFER Maybe vegans could chew on the packaging? CAGE MITES We heartily agree kids should be free range OOO-OOH! Not just any old rice! POTTING MIX-UP Easy to move… if you’re King Kong.…

The Victorian Government’s ban on high-pressure sales tactics for the energy sector, such as door-to-door sales and cold calling, came into effect on 31 December 2021. There are also new criminal penalties of $1 million for energy retailers that knowingly wrongfully disconnect customers or recklessly disconnect households in a way that endangers customers on life-support equipment. “This is about improving transparency and competition in the energy retail market and ensuring that energy companies that do the wrong thing face appropriate consequences,” says Minister for Energy, Environment and Climate Change Lily D’Ambrosio. “By banning harmful and high-pressure sales tactics, we are both protecting vulnerable consumers and incentivising retailers to deliver more proactive, low-cost offers.”…

It’s never been a worse time to be an underperforming super fund. The ATO’s fund comparison tool reveals whether each MySuper product has passed a ‘basic fitness test’. Another tool to highlight fund underperformance is APRA’s ‘Heatmaps’. These analyse investment performance and fees over a seven-year period. For the first time, the latest release includes data on some choice super funds (these are funds you need to elect to join, rather than being defaulted into). The data reveals widespread failure in choice super funds, meaning that members will retire poorer. While MySuper products perform better than choice products as a group, many MySuper products (45%) are still failing members. Super Consumers Australia director Xavier O’Halloran welcomes the spotlight APRA is shining on poor performance in the super sector with its…

Extra virgin olive oil is widely recognised as being the gold standard for quality, flavour and health benefits. This heart-healthy oil is extracted from olives by a mechanical process, without the use of chemicals or excessive heat, to make sure that it retains its nutritional value. Olive oil is both complex and versatile, and can be used for everything from salads to desserts. But for an olive oil to be classified as extra virgin it must meet certain chemical criteria and be free from taste defects, as determined by an accredited sensory panel, according to the International Olive Council (IOC). Trained testers rated the oils out of 100, looking for good balance, taste and fruity aromas Our olive oil tests We carried out sensory analysis and three different chemical tests…

Pedestal fans are handy, portable and can keep you more comfortable in the summer heat. They won’t chill your room, as an air conditioner would, but they can make a difference by moving air around and speeding up the evaporation process as we sweat, making us feel cooler. Most cost less than $10 a season in electricity to run. As for upfront costs, simple, no-frills models are as little as $15 to buy, and for many people a cheap fan that ‘does the job’ is good enough. That said, you may want to spend a little more on a model with, say, a sturdy chrome finish, heavier base, LCD display screen, ‘figure-8’ oscillation, or remote control. Smart fans More and more ‘smart’ fans with Bluetooth or Wi-Fi capability are coming…

Over our 60 years of operating we’ve gained an intimate knowledge of who our readers are and what they want. We know that you overwhelmingly value usefulness over cleverness. So the way our testers assess a TV is to determine which model will give you the best overall TV-watching experience, with the least amount of hassle. A smart remote or a useful remote? The way we assess the television remote, a small yet very important part of the TV viewing experience, is a perfect illustration of how we test for practical use rather than the number of bells and whistles. And some of the latest remotes look more like a wireless presentation wand than a controller for a modern smart TV. If you mainly watch a few live channel TV…

Owning a swimming pool can be a lot of fun, but it can also mean a lot of cleaning so it’s ready to use when you’re ready to jump in. Keeping your pool clean throughout the year (that’s right, even in the colder months) is important, not just so it looks nice but more importantly to prevent build-up of debris and algae. Your pool pump serves to filter dirt and debris and aid in circulating chlorine through the pool, so it’s important to run it long enough to achieve this. Generally, pool pumps should be run for about 8 to 10 hours a day in summer and 4 to 6 hours a day during winter. Teaming your pump with the right pool cleaner will take the load off your shoulders,…

In December, CHOICE made a submission to the Attorney-General’s Department on the Online Privacy Bill, which proposes the introduction of a binding online privacy code for social media platforms, data brokerage services and large online platforms. It also proposes new enforcement powers for the Australian Information Commissioner and Privacy Commissioner. We support measures that protect the rights of consumers both offline and online. As more people turn to the internet to access essential services and make consumer transactions, we believe it’s crucial that regulatory measures are forward-looking and work to correct power imbalances that are prevalent in the digital world. In our submission, we supported the creation of a mandatory code that empowers consumers to control and protect their data better. Specifically, we supported the regulation of how social media…

Q I’m mystified by your ratings of dishwasher tablets. In your Nov 20 issue, Earth Choice Dish Tablets got 78%, topped the list and was recommended, while Aldi Logix Platinum 18 in 1 Dishwashing Tablets got 72% and was 15th on the list. In your Nov 21 issue, the same Aldi product goes to the top of the list and is recommended, and Earth Choice Dish Tablets go down to 9th place and is not recommended. If neither product has changed and your testing procedure hasn’t changed, how can this be? A CHOICE head of testing Matthew Steen: Manufacturers may change their formulas between our tests, and even though we ask them if they change formulas, not all manufacturers reply. And sometimes not even manufacturers know the nitty gritty of their…

Loyalty programs are everywhere these days. There’s hardly a purchase you make, whether it’s online or instore, that doesn’t have some kind of customer reward scheme. Just supply your phone number or email address and you’re in the club. But you may not realise that you’re handing over access to a whole lot of information about yourself and your household. The appeal for consumers is simple: earn rewards or points for products and get discounts, special offers, presale invitations and other ‘exclusives’. For retailers, loyalty schemes have two main goals: to attract new customers, and to retain existing customers with offers linked to purchases. Loyalty schemes give brands and retailers direct access to their customers for marketing purposes, as well as valuable personal information about them, including shopping activity and…

As a CHOICE reader, you’re probably fairly familiar with your rights as a consumer. Yet, according to our recent survey, fewer than two in five Australians (38%) have asked for a refund in the past five years. So here’s what you need to know if you want to exercise your rights. What does the law guarantee for consumers? Under the Australian Consumer Law (ACL), any goods you buy come with automatic ‘consumer guarantees’ that they’re of ‘acceptable quality’, meaning they should be safe, durable and free of defects for a reasonable period of time. What is ‘reasonable’ is defined with reference to: • the nature of the goods• the price paid and its age; and• any statements or representations made about the goods in any packaging or labelling by the…

A best practice privacy policy should: • be downloadable so it can be saved and reviewed at a later date• use plain language and be neither overlong long nor too brief• be structured in a way that’s easy to follow• define the important terms and set out clearly what information is collected and how it’s stored and processed (including any offshore transfers)• outline your rights and where to direct any queries or complaints. CHOICE consumer data advocate Kate Bower says that too often privacy policies are written in impenetrable legal jargon that deliberately obscures bad data practices. “The worst privacy policies do little to inform and empower consumers and instead seek to offer legal protections for businesses who exploit and profit from consumer data,” says Bower.…

Soundbars fill the need to deliver better sound than your TV, without having to either do too much or know too much. And our test results show, with few exceptions, the latest models deliver on this promise at a range of prices. Soundbars are designed to simulate the effects of surround-sound setups in a much smaller package that’s generally cheaper as well. A single cable connection using an HDMI cable or optical audio means you can automatically enjoy audio from your soundbar whenever you turn on your TV. You can use it with any of the devices connected to your TV and any of the smart streaming apps (Netflix, Stan, Disney+) you may have on your TV. CINEMA SOUND 83% LG SP9YA With all the latest audio technologies including Dolby…

Australians take great pride in their lawns. Pushing a chugging mower up and down the yard in a quest for neat and perfectly clipped grass is basically a national pastime; the hum of an old-school Victa against a backdrop of thrumming cicadas is one of the iconic sounds of summer. But could this all be a thing of the past? Robot lawnmowers are relatively new to Australia and the market is small when compared with some parts of Europe, but there’s still a decent range of models available here from well-known mower brands including Husqvarna, Stihl, Gardena and Worx. Many of us have embraced robot vacuums for cleaning up inside our houses – but what happens when you take the tech outside? We run through some pros and cons. Pros…