Innholdsfortegnelse for June 2022 i CHOICE

During the recent election campaign, a lot of the debate about the cost of living focused on what the government can do to lift wages or reduce the cost of everyday essentials like fuel, medicines and energy. While that’s understandable, what we often miss in these debates is the influence very large businesses have on prices. In Australia we have a particular problem with highly concentrated markets, dominated by a very small number of firms. In many cases – such as with supermarkets, airlines and telecommunications – two firms have well over half of the market share. Sometimes this isn’t even obvious, such as with insurance, where there’s a plethora of retail brands but in reality IAG and Suncorp are sitting behind many of them. Banking is dominated by four…

Deceptive, or ‘dark’ patterns are tricks used by websites or apps that make it difficult to express your actual preferences, or push you to do something you didn’t intend to, such as buying or signing up to something. They may attempt to misdirect, guilt, trick, or take advantage of a user. Common examples of deceptive or dark patterns include easy-to-miss pre-ticked boxes, ads disguised as content or navigation, or sneaky unwanted additions to your shopping cart. These patterns are so prevalent that the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has identified deceptive patterns as an area of priority this year. The Commission recently ordered Trivago to pay a huge fine for making misleading representations by using deceptive patterns (read more page 12). Our data impact team at CHOICE has been…

The Relish DAB+ digital radio aims to give elderly people and people living with dementia the independence to enjoy music and audiobooks on a unit they can operate themselves. The unit looks like a throwback to the 1970s, with a simple tabletop design showing a large on and off button, a larger volume control and four buttons on the top to make selections for a favourite radio station, or to access a USB with a playlist of music. While meant as a powered home radio, you can also run the unit on four D cell batteries (not included) for additional portability. There’s no Wi-Fi, Bluetooth connectivity or auxiliary input, but you do get a headphone port for listening in private. There’s FM radio for times when you can’t get DAB+…

When I visit my local shopping centre to buy groceries, clothes or electronics, I know how to use my consumer rights. I know I can ask for a refund, replacement or repair if the items I’ve bought are faulty, don’t do what was claimed, or don’t match the description on the packaging. I know that the business must abide by the Australian Consumer Law (ACL) and I know how to seek a remedy or redress if it doesn’t. This is all well and good when I’m at the local shops. But it’s a whole different ball game when I’m on my phone or laptop, browsing websites or shopping online. Whether I’m navigating a website to cancel a subscription, working out the cost of sending an item back if it’s defective,…

A breakdown or flat battery can spoil a day or ruin a holiday. Roadside assistance plans can give you peace of mind that, if you’re ever stranded, you’ll be able to get professional help without having to shell out huge amounts on the spot. Who sells roadside assistance? • State-based motoring clubs such as NRMA, RACV and RACQ sell roadside assistance outright and have reciprocal arrangements with each other to provide some assistance to members when travelling interstate.• Some car insurers such as AAMI and GIO offer roadside assistance as an optional extra with comprehensive car insurance. Youi includes it by default in its comprehensive policy, and Allianz and Budget Direct sell it as a standalone service.• For new cars, major car companies frequently offer it as part of their…

Between skyrocketing house prices, needing a personal loan to fill your fuel tank, and the ever-increasing costs of most parts of daily living, it makes sense that most of us are looking to save a few dollars wherever we can. But, thankfully, that doesn’t mean we necessarily have to compromise on quality. At CHOICE, we’ve tested a number of household items that may not always get recommended by our experts, but that are good value nonetheless. Here are a few items, from handheld stick blenders to the latest in stainless-steel fridges, that performed well in our tests and won’t break the bank. Microwaves In our most recent microwaves review (CHOICE Aug 21), three of our recommended models cost less than $300, while plenty of pricier high-end machines miss out on…

A dishwasher is not an impulse purchase, and expensive models can cost as much as 10 times the price of the cheapest ones. Time and again here at CHOICE, we find price isn’t necessarily an indication of performance. So, if paying extra doesn’t get your dishes cleaner, what do you get for your money? In short, fancier finishes and extra features. We take a look at them to help you work out if they’re worth paying for. Price points at a glance $800 OR LESS Though not necessarily at the top of our test tables, you can still get a solid performer. These days even budget models can have a soil sensor to detect how dirty your plates are and adjust the cycle accordingly. And while some have plastic tubs,…

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 high-quality unedited photos to hardword@choice.com.au. This month, thanks go to Ali Barrett-Lennard (Cereal offender), Beyondmetoo (Freudian ship), gypsy mick (Music to your ears) and Phil Sefton (Suited and booted). MUSIC TO YOUR EARS Just not your bank balance. CEREAL OFFENDER We recommend you don’t – it ruins the resealable strip. Naughty corner for Carman’s. FREUDIAN SHIP Whoops. We’re guessing that “coast” of wonders doesn’t come cheap. SUITED AND BOOTED Why bother with hand sanitiser if you need to wear a Hazchem suit? ISSN 0009 496X.…

SIM-swap scams start with a scammer convincing a telco to port a customer’s number to a new SIM, which is held by the scammer. They then use the mobile number to authenticate access to the victim’s personal data and bank accounts. SIM-swap scams are costing Australian targets an average of $28,000 each by the time the scam is uncovered. New rules introduced by the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) in April are meant to put a stop to the scam by requiring telcos to undergo more stringent customer identity checks when approving SIM-swap requests, as well as changes to accounts or disclosure of personal information. “SIM-swap scams can cause a lot of harm as scammers take control of your phone number and then use that to gain access to…

Handing over your car keys to your teenage driver can come with a hefty price tag. Due to their relative inexperience, young drivers are considered a high-risk customer by car insurers. And for good reason: young drivers under the age of 25 are 60% more likely to be involved in a serious accident than fully licensed drivers aged 25–59, according to the Queensland government. While you will pay extra when you add a young driver to your policy, there are several things you can do to save on car insurance: • Shop around – premiums for listed young drivers and young drivers driving their own car vary widely.• Buy your car insurance online to make use of online discounts.• Pay your full annual premium – some insurers charge you more…

A series of cases against Westpac has resulted in the financial services provider being ordered to pay a total $113 million in penalties for “widespread compliance failures across multiple businesses”, including its banking, superannuation, wealth management and insurance brands. In late April, the last of six separate civil penalty proceedings filed by ASIC in November 2021 concluded with a final $40 million penalty for Westpac, for charging financial advice fees to more than 11,800 deceased customers. “The breaches found by the [Federal] Court in these six cases demonstrate a profound failure by Westpac over many years and across many areas of its business to implement appropriate systems and processes to ensure its customers were treated fairly,” says ASIC deputy chair Sarah Court. Aside from billing people who were no longer…

Hotel price comparison website Trivago has been ordered to pay $44.7 million for misleading consumers on its website and in TV advertisements. The Expedia-owned site was found to have misled customers when it said it could help identify the cheapest rates available for a given hotel. Following action brought by the ACCC, the Federal Court found Trivago had given priority on its site to offers from the booking services paying it the most for each click received. This meant the site was often not highlighting the cheapest rates to consumers, despite claiming to do so. “The way Trivago displayed its recommendations meant consumers were misled into thinking they were getting a great hotel deal when that was not the case,” says ACCC chair Gina Cass-Gottlieb. Trivago admitted it received approximately…

Community choice.community What do you look for in a mattress? @SkyeW: The warranty conditions can vary wildly. Some manufacturers allow a 20mm indent as “sagging”, others require proof of a much greater dip than this. So what might seem like a great 10-year warranty may be meaningless in real-life practice. @Caz: I don’t know if it’s possible to test for sagging over time, but this seems pretty fundamental to me due to backache from saggy mattresses. @iam_61: Whether the mattress can be flipped to even out wear. Some mattresses have a “topper” which is only on one side, making it impractical to flip if you want consistent sleeping comfort. Facebook @choiceaustralia What size TV should you buy? Neta S: My next one will be a whopper so I can READ…

The convenience of a cordless stick vacuum is hard to resist. But with prices ranging from just $79 for a frills-free Kmart model to $1919 for a top-of-the-line LG that even empties the dust bin for you, which ones are worth the investment? Our 2020 reliability survey of CHOICE members reveals that the big stick vacuum brands all perform similarly in terms of reliability, with reduced battery life being the major problem over time. Almost all of today’s stick vacuums use lithium-ion batteries, which eventually lose their ability to hold a charge. More than half of our recommended models let you easily swap over your battery, which means you can buy a spare to prolong the unit’s life and introduce extra capacity. But these do come at a cost. For…

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In the lead up to the federal election the Coalition government introduced a national ticketing information standard to crack down on dodgy ticket reselling websites. The new information standard will require ticket reselling websites to clearly disclose they are a resale service, and to disclose the original price of the ticket that is being resold. The move aims to help customers who find themselves on ticket reselling sites unknowingly, and buy what they think are officially sanctioned tickets. CHOICE was involved in the consultations on the new ticketing information standard. It’s yet to be seen if ticket reselling giant Viagogo, which has previously faced fines for breaching the law, will comply with the new requirement.…

New regulations requiring the secure storage of button batteries come into effect on 22 June, a long-awaited change that comes after numerous cases of injury or death caused by children ingesting them. The issue has been a priority for CHOICE in recent years, and we’ve lobbied hard to help put these new mandatory standards in place. According to the ACCC more than one child a month is seriously injured, 44 have been severely injured and three children have died from incidents involving button batteries. “These world-first mandatory standards for button batteries are an important step in helping to prevent injuries to children,” says ACCC deputy chair Delia Rickard. “Time is running out for manufacturers and suppliers to ensure their products are compliant. Once the standards become mandatory the ACCC will…

The ACCC has begun legal action against the Australian arm of Honda, alleging the car company misled consumers about the closure of car dealerships. The Commission says the company last year directed Honda car owners away from two businesses, saying they had closed or were about to close and would no longer service their vehicles. But the dealerships in New South Wales and Victoria had only severed their franchise agreement with Honda and were still servicing the company’s vehicles as independent repairers. “We allege Honda deprived customers of the opportunity to make an informed choice about options for servicing their car in favour of a Honda-linked dealership,” says ACCC commissioner Liza Carver.…

The Consumer Action Law Centre says water utility providers need to expand assistance for people who are experiencing vulnerability or financial hardship and having difficulty paying their bills. They say water remains an essential right and companies need to do more to allow for hardship. “In the aftermath of the COVID pandemic, too many of the Victorians we speak to are struggling to pay their utility bills, and while water prices have remained steady or come down slightly over recent years, there remain people in the community facing difficulty paying their bills,” says Consumer Action Law Centre CEO Gerard Brody. He also cautions that “any increases in water prices will exacerbate financial hardship for these Victorians, increasing the challenge they face in meeting the cost of their day-to-day expenses.”…

Last month’s question about TV and sound options for people with hearing loss sparked a big response from our readers. Here’s some of their advice. For more on how to connect your hearing aid to your TV and headphones, visit choice.com.au/tvsandhearingaids. I, too, have a hearing loss. My solution to the TV sound problem is cordless headphones. I’ve found them very successful for many years now and so has my daughter, who also has a hearing loss. I know that these might not be for everyone, but I think they should be considered. Other people in the room can adjust the volume to their own needs or the TV can be on mute. I also have a hearing loss and use hearing aids, but still struggle to distinguish dialogue when…

A global car shortage has significantly raised the price of both new and used cars in Australia. It’s part of the fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic, which has led to a lack of microchips and semiconductors – essential parts of modern vehicles. And while the price of buying the car you want has only got higher, unscrupulous car dealers are finding ways to sell people more expensive vehicles, even when the car’s finance lender won’t approve the loan amount. Alarm bells in WA Consumer groups in WA are raising the alarm about the practice of car dealers using buy now, pay later (BNPL) services to get around borrowing limits set by traditional lenders – a practice that may push vulnerable customers into unaffordable debt. Last year, Consumer Credit Legal Service…

1. Install insulation Up to 35% of an uninsulated home’s warmth is lost through the roof, so installing insulation will make your heating and cooling as cost-effective as possible. And because insulation is passive not active, the one-time cost means you can enjoy the savings for many years to come. 2. Go with the flow Be aware of airflow in your home. Plonking the sofa directly in front of the heater is tempting for toasty toes, but this may restrict the flow of warmth around your house. Also, close off empty rooms so you’re only paying to heat the areas you’re actually using. 3. Rug up If you have hard floors, get a rug. Any distance you can put between feet and cold floors will make a big difference to…

Introduced to the world in the early 1900s and standardised in 1947, the humble AA battery continues to be a part of our power needs to this day. It’s still the most common size battery used at home, needed for various remote controls, torches, and wireless mouses and keyboards for your PC. But with spent AA batteries continuing to pile up in landfill, the arguments for using rechargeable batteries are, for the most part, compelling. While all batteries contain toxic elements, you can use rechargeable batteries hundreds, if not thousands, of times. Rechargeable batteries Rechargeable batteries are a much cheaper option than single-use batteries for powering your devices (based on their value over time), and they help reduce the number of dead batteries going to landfill. You can use rechargeable…

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