Innholdsfortegnelse for September 2025 i CHOICE

Australian banks have started rolling out Confirmation of Payee (CoP) to their apps and websites to allow customers to make sure they’re sending money to the right person or business. CoP has long been called for as a way to protect more Australians from scams. The function will activate when a customer tries to send money to a BSB and account number for the first time. When the customer enters the name they believe is associated with the account, CoP will check the receiving bank’s data to make sure this is correct. Until now, most Australian banks haven’t been performing such checks, leading to instances ofscammers posing as a trusted individual or organisation and diverting payments into their own accounts. Under the new CoP scheme, if details don’t match, a…

With recent reports that Temu has increased how much it spends on advertising to Australians, should we be worried about becoming even more of a dumping ground for unsafe products? While Temu’s reach and poor track record are certainly concerning, it’s not the only online marketplace of concern – we’ve identified non-compliant and unsafe products being sold across a number of online marketplaces. This is not just a Temu problem, it’s an online marketplace problem. Right now, online marketplaces are able to exploit a gap in the law by acting as an intermediary to avoid responsibility when it comes to product safety. This can leave consumers and regulators having to pursue third party sellers that may be based overseas, difficult to contact, and near impossible to hold accountable for selling…

The disgraced funeral expenses insurance provider Aboriginal Community Benefits Fund (ACBF) has been fined $3.5 million by the Federal Court for representing itself as Aboriginal-owned or managed, when in fact it was not. Also known as Youpla, ACBF targeted thousands of mostly low-income First Nations consumers with dodgy funeral plans over decades. The $3.5 million penalty comes in addition to a $1.2 million penalty ordered in September, bringing the combined legal penalties against the fund to a total of $4.7 million. However, ACBF has gone into liquidation and the money, much of which has disappeared into offshore bank accounts, will likely never be paid. “Today’s penalty is a strong deterrent to anyone who tries to mislead Aboriginal consumers by falsely claiming Aboriginal ownership or management. It is one of ASIC’s…

The Australian Federal Police (AFP) is warning Australians not to rent out their bank accounts to criminal scammers — which some people are doing for as little as $200 — as it can lead to serious legal consequences.Criminal networks are increasingly looking to money mules for assistance in laundering illicit money and moving stolen funds, says the AFP. The routing of money through legitimate Australian bank accounts may get the mules paid between $200 and $500 but carries serious criminal penalties. The AFP warns that money launder charges carry a maximum penalty of life imprisonment in Australia. “It is illegal to rent, buy or sell bank accounts, and doing so supports the criminal ecosystem. Your account may be housing money derived from scams, extortion, drug trafficking and terrorism,” says AFP detective superintendent…

As a result of some high prices and extremely low salaries, incarcerated Australians are struggling to afford essential items like toothpaste. In Australia, each state and territory runs canteens, or “buy-up” programs, that allow prisoners to purchase items not provided by prison management. Many of these items are essentials, such as toothbrushes and toothpaste, shampoo and conditioner. Prisoners also have the option to buy more discretionary items like chocolates and soft drinks. Prisoner rights advocates say the system forces incarcerated people to rely on outside financial help, putting additional pressure on already vulnerable and often impoverished families struggling financially while their loved ones are in custody. “The cost of living inside prison is getting unacceptably high. The cost of getting these goods in prisons shouldn’t be used as a money-making…

Maybe it’s the fact that I grew up in the early 2000s, but I feel there’s a perception that doing your clothes shopping at the op shop means wearing slightly stretched out jeans and a daggy top, while toting a purse made from peeling pleather. Certainly, the fast fashion industry has done a lot of work to convince us that buying brand-new clothes every season (or preferably, once or twice a week) is the only way to look fashionable. And it seems we’re falling hard for fast fashion. According to a 2024 analysis by the Australia Institute, Australians buy more clothes per person than any other country, snapping up an average of 56 new clothing items a year (that’s more than one item per week). And over 200,000 tonnes of that…

Let’s see a show of hands – how many of you find the absorption method of cooking rice utterly confounding? If you can’t seem to find the sweet spot between soggy grains and a burnt saucepan, you may be a prime candidate for a rice cooker. Or perhaps you just like to eat a lot of rice and you’re looking for a convenient way to prepare it. After all, it’s a cheap, nutritious and crowd-pleasing way to bulk out a number of family-favourite dishes, from stir-fries to chilli con carne, salads and more. A rice cooker can make it easy to get fluffy, perfectly tender grains, every time. A rice cooker can make it easy to get fluffy, perfectly tender grains, every time Rice cookers range in price from just…

Using a dishwasher is pretty easy, right? You load it up, lob in a tablet, hit start and hey presto, the dishes are done. But spend some time with the CHOICE dishwasher experts in our testing labs and you’ll quickly learn there’s a big gap between beginner and boss level when it comes to getting the best clean from your machine. Our lab team has been testing and reviewing dishwashers for years. Along the way, they’ve regularly uncovered the best dishwasher models, exposed serious dishwasher shockers and even cooked dinner in a dishwasher (yes, really – honey soy salmon!). Here, they share the everyday errors to avoid and offer invaluable advice for saving time, money and water. Rinsing your dishes before putting them in the dishwasher won’t make your crockery…

Consumers are being urged to make sure any power banks they’re using are safe, as a growing number of the popular portable battery chargers are recalled by the ACCC. Dangerous power banks can catch fire, explode or vent toxic gas. Of the 17 different power banks the ACCC has recalled since 2020, nine were flagged as dangerous in the last 16 months alone. “Some consumers have suffered serious burn injuries, and some have had their property damaged because of power banks overheating and catching fire,” says ACCC deputy chair Catriona Lowe. The ACCC is concerned more incidents could follow, revealing that around 34,000 recalled power banks are still with consumers and could be being used to charge phones and other devices. You can check if your power bank is subject…

Over the years we’ve seen shonky businesses use unsolicited selling tactics, such as door knocking and cold calling, to spruik everything from solar panels to adjustable beds. These businesses often target people in vulnerable circumstances, using pressure selling and coercion tactics. But misconduct is difficult to prove, as there is little to no record kept of verbal conversations and representations. Now, these tactics are under the spotlight. In response to a designated ‘super’ complaint on the issue lodged by Consumer Action Law Centre earlier this year, the ACCC is conducting a review into unsolicited selling and lead generation. This review is a crucial opportunity to put an end to these predatory practices and finally close a glaring gap in our consumer protections. CHOICE has lodged a submission calling for a…

Peter* has been working in the mining industry for over 20 years. At 64 years of age, he says the long overnight shifts at the Queensland mine that he flies in and out of are starting to take their toll on his body. “I was hoping that at the end of next year I would be able to retire with a comfortable income,” he says. “But because of the situation I’m in now, I’m scared I might have to work another 20-odd years to get some kind of amount of money to survive on or until I drop.” Peter’s dire financial status has been caused by the collapse of the First Guardian investment fund, a fund his financial adviser encouraged him to invest over $440,000 in – almost his entire…

When you buy a new oven, TV or washing machine, part of the joy of setting it up and starting to use it is knowing it shouldn’t require any cleaning or maintenance for a while. But then the weeks and months pass, and it might start looking a little grimy or greasy. While a quick wipe-down never goes astray, the task of actually cleaning the thing properly might leave you wondering where on earth to start. You find yourself putting it off because you’re unsure how to tackle it, and you’re busy, or worried that you’ll damage it if you don’t get it right. Each time you use your appliance, you experience a tiny jolt of guilt that you’re not looking after it as well as you should be. Sound familiar?…

We’re all trying to do more with less, and sometimes that means downsizing or making do with smaller options. If you’re living in tighter quarters like a studio or granny flat, you’re a single- or two-person household, or you’re kitting out a camper or RV, petite appliances will help you make the most of your space. And a microwave is one kitchen workhorse that definitely deserves its space: it can cook far more than you probably think it can, and can make short work of some kitchen tasks to help you cook faster. Here’s our expert guide to microwave size, features, limitations to consider and, of course, the best models from our latest lab tests. Sizing up mini microwaves When shopping for a compact microwave, there are two key measurements…

Using your washing machine for more than just washing clothes is a cleaning hack we can really get behind. Our laundry experts know all there is to know about what can and can’t be washed in your washing machine. As it turns out, there are many things you can throw in the drum for a good old spruce up. Give these items a whirl. Doonas and pillows Depending on the capacity of your washing machine, you can save yourself time and money by putting larger household furnishings like doonas, pillows and rugs through a wash cycle. The big caveat with cleaning doonas and rugs is that you need a large-enough washing machine to fit them in It’s a good idea to clean your doona regularly to help keep dust mites…

Computers have come in many shapes and sizes over the years. Today, laptops and tablets are the devices of choice for most consumers. They generally fall into two categories – the traditional ‘clamshell’ shape, and the 2-in-1 convertible models that do double duty as a tablet. And just as convertible laptops can do double-duty as a tablet, some tablets can be used as a laptop with the addition of a detachable keyboard. Apple’s iPad range has its own operating system called iPadOS, and it works best with apps designed to support laptop-like functionality. Samsung also has several tablets that can add an optional keyboard to work as a laptop, using either Windows or Android OS, depending on the model. There’s a surfeit of information and specifications, with a lot of acronyms…

For the second year in a row, the Australian Financial Complaints Authority (AFCA) has received more than 100,000 complaints, a number that Chief Ombudsman David Locke says is far too high. “Firms have more work to do to ensure fair responses to complaints are delivered earlier, without people having to take the extra step of coming to us,” says Locke. There was a slight decline in the overall number of complaints (4%) compared to last year’s record high, but complaints about investment and advice in general insurance were up 17%, and the number of complaints about life insurance also grew. A 45% decrease in the number of scam-related complaints explains the overall fall for the banking and finance sectors, says Locke. “AFCA currently only sees a small proportion of scam…

The Hobot-R3 is a robotic device that uses 5kg of suction force to grip onto your windows and glass surfaces, while a 90W brushless motor works to mimic human scrubbing and get surfaces clean. It is slim and rectangular in design and can be used within a framed location on surfaces including glass, porcelain, marble, mirrors, tiles, splashbacks and walls. It’ll set you back $799, which includes the cleaner with a safety tether, two sets of cleaning wheels, seven sets of mop pads, 220mL of cleaning fluid, two extra nozzles, a remote to manually control the robot, user manual and quick start guide. In terms of ongoing costs, you’ll be paying $27 for a pack of 12 (six sets) mop pads and $12 for 220mL of cleaning fluid. You can…

CHOICE member Ian bought a pair of shoes with noble intentions, after coming across an ad for a local fashion store on Facebook. The post by Nuova Melbourne told the story of a small business in his area that was closing down. “I got completely sucked in,” he recalls. “I don’t think of myself as entirely stupid, but I just thought: this is a Melbourne company [and] I want to support local industry.” After perusing the store’s website, he sent off an order for a $100 pair of boots in his size that caught his eye. “[They] were described as orthopedic, handmade leather, that sort of thing.” he explains. “When they arrived, they were basically plastic, and narrower than my foot, so I couldn’t even get my foot halfway in.”…

Government subsidies aimed at helping homeowners afford solar systems have encouraged a lot of people to take up the technology, but they can also throw open the door to disreputable operators. With the launch of the federal government’s Cheaper Home Batteries Program on 1 July, some historical perspective can help ward off the charlatans. When the federal government rolled out the Photovoltaic Rebate Program (later rebranded the Solar Homes and Communities Program) in 2000, it took off slowly. But the $8000 rebate proved hugely popular in the program’s final years. Along the way, disreputable solar major businesses employed aggressive door-to-door sales tactics and non-stop telemarketing to sign up customers. These pushy methods were often not backed by technical expertise. In an audit conducted by NSW Fair Trading in 2012, around 18%…

For anyone with a sweet tooth, it’s hard to go past a good block of milk chocolate, with its combination of creaminess from the milk, bitterness from the cocoa solids, and just the right amount of sugar. We know that loitering in a supermarket’s confectionery aisle trying to decide what to buy can place unwanted stress on your willpower. So we’ve taken one for the team and taste-tested 19 milk chocolates, from brands including Cadbury, Lindt, Aldi, Whittaker’s, Tony’s Chocolonely and Pico, to help you choose the best tasting blocks. We also help you choose the cheapest, which might be more of a priority than ever given the rising cost of chocolate. In recent years the cocoa industry has been impacted by crop disease and poor growing conditions. This has resulted…

We see an astonishing assortment of kitchen appliances come through our CHOICE kitchen labs for testing, including some with designer prices. We recently reviewed two premium multifunctional appliances that fall into the serious investment category – the Thermomix TM7 and the Ankarsrum Assistent Original. Expensive appliances usually come with decent warranties, good quality repairable parts, and enough chef functions to inspire both novice and experienced cooks. Both the Ankarsrum and the TM7 claim to be versatile kitchen workhorses, capable of performing culinary functions that’ll turn you into a master chef, but at a cost: $1395 for the Ankarsrum and $2649 for the TM7. So, do our CHOICE kitchen experts think they’re worth the outlay? We break down our test results to help you decide whether these appliances might be right for you.…

There’s nothing quite like a nice painting, sketch or photograph to really bring a room together. But artworks can be expensive and don’t leave much wall space for a TV. On the other hand, the dark, empty look of a TV screen in standby can seem quite out of place in a nicely decorated room. This is where an ‘art TV’, also sometimes called a ‘lifestyle TV’, comes in. They use specially designed screens to emulate the look of a canvas or print that blends into the room, so you can display digital artworks between Netflix binges. Not only is this often cheaper than buying large art prints separate to a TV, most manufacturers offer large collections, so you can easily rotate through works when it’s time to change. Instead of a…