Displaying items by tag: Delia Rickard

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commisssion (ACCC) is urging consumers to urgently check if their LG, SolaX or Opal home energy solar systems are affected by dangerous LG solar energy storage batteries which are under recall – and if so to contact the manufacturer immediately.

Food distributor and retailer HBC Trading Australia has paid penalties of $26,640 after the consumer watchodog the ACCC issued it with two infringement notices for allegedly making false or misleading representations about its Chef’s Choice-branded ‘alcohol free pure vanilla extract’ im an online caalogue posted on its website.

Over 90% of identified unsafe product listings were removed within two business days by online businesses signed up to the Australian Product Safety Pledge, according to Australia’s competition and consumer watchdog the ACCC.

International online education organisation Shaw Academy has agreed to refund hundreds of former students after admitting some students experienced difficulties cancelling a free trial the academy offered before it became a paid subscription to the company’s online courses.

“Let’s talk scams” is the theme adopted by more than 350 partners across government, private and community organisations who have joined the fight against scams in this year’s national Scams Awareness Week.

Australians have lost over $70 million to bogus investment scams in the first half of this year and a massive increase in losses are predicted by the end of the year, according to the consumer watchdog the ACCC.

Scammers have stolen more than $7.2 million from Australians so far this year by gaining access to home computers, an increase of 184% compared to the same period last year.

Australians have lost a record $851 million to scams, with scammers taking advantage of the pandemic to con unsuspecting people, according to a new report which also reveals that investment scams accounted for the biggest losses.

Australians have already lost over $288,000 to vehicle scams in the first quarter of this year, more than all losses reported to Scamwatch in 2019, and scammers have now begun impersonating defence personnel to con their victims, according to the consumer watchdog, the ACCC.

Australian businesses reported over $14 million in losses to Scamwatch due to payment redirection scams last year, and average losses so far in 2021 are more than five times higher compared to average losses in the same period in 2020, according to the ACCC.

Car manufacturers have successfully recalled 99.9% of the more than 3 million vehicles affected by deadly Takata airbags which are subject to a compulsory recall.

Losses by Australians to dating and romance scams are expected to be much higher this year as scammers turn to a new technique - romance baiting - using dating apps to lure victims into investment scams, according to the consumer watchdog, the ACCC.

Caravan and motorhome owners have been warned by the consumer watchdog, the ACCC, about “deadly” faulty water heaters that may produce unsafe levels of carbon monoxide when gas is used to generate the heat.

Over 65,000 vehicles with deadly Takata airbags still remain on Australian roads with just four weeks until the compulsory recall deadline.

Australians have been warned to be careful when buying gifts this holiday season as losses to online shopping scams have already increased 42% this year as the country enters the busy Christmas-New Year period.

Four of Australia’s largest e-commerce businesses have confirmed their commitment to protecting consumers from unsafe goods online after signing on to a new product safety pledge.

Over 90,000 cars with deadly Takata airbags are still on Australian roads according to the latest quarterly update by the the competition regulator, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC).

A campaign warning parents and carers of the dangers of button batteries has been launched by the ACCC.

Young people are reporting the highest losses to threat-based scams, with Australians having lost over $8.8 million to the scams so far this year, and people aged 24 and under reporting losing more than $4.1 million to the scams.

Australians have already lost over $300,000 to rental and accommodation scams this year - an increase of 76% compared to the same time last year - by responding to fake advertisements posted on real estate or classified websites.