Tabla de contenidos para August 2023 en CHOICE

Long-term members of CHOICE will probably recognise the name Ruby Hutchison. Way back in 1959, she set out from Perth to travel to Sydney for a meeting that would lead to the establishment of the organisation that we now know as CHOICE. Ruby was the first woman elected to the WA upper house in 1954 – and the only female member until she retired in 1971. It’s clear that she was motivated by a vision of fairness, which she pursued on behalf of consumers, tenants, people with disabilities and Aboriginal people in WA. In one debate about equal voting rights for Aboriginal people in 1958, she said it was important to recognise that it was “the impact of the white man’s civilisation that has been the cause of the present…

The ACCC says more than a third of products containing potentially lethal button batteries failed to include mandatory warnings, after a surveillance program examined more than 400 businesses. State and territory consumer protection agencies, coordinated by the ACCC, found “concerning” levels of non-compliance with the information standards introduced last year. They say more than 90% of products assessed likely complied with the safety standards; however, 34% of products containing batteries and 28% of battery packs did not include mandatory warning information or symbols. “Button batteries are incredibly dangerous for young children. If swallowed, a button battery can get stuck in a child’s throat and cause catastrophic injuries,” says ACCC deputy chair Catriona Lowe. “Although it was encouraging to see that most button battery products likely adhered to the accessibility requirements,…

Under the Telecommunications Act, most telcos are required to join an external dispute resolution scheme – namely the TIO. The TIO can rule on a customer’s behalf when there’s a dispute with a service provider, which is not an uncommon occurrence. The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) recently issued a formal warning to three telcos for failing to join the TIO, a failure the ACMA says “denied their customers proper access to dispute-resolution avenues”. The TIO made several attempts to get the telcos to join before the ACMA stepped in and forced the issue. All three telcos are now TIO members. If you switch to a new telco, it’s a good idea to make sure it’s a TIO member. You can check at tio.com.au/members/who-we-work-with.…

Mycar Tyre & Auto has been hit by a $1 million fine for sending over 1.7 million emails and texts that breached spam laws. The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) says that between January and August 2022, the company sent out texts and emails that did not contain an unsubscribe function. The ACMA Chair Nerida O’Loughlin says people could not easily opt out of receiving the company’s commercial messages and this led to a significant level of consumer frustration. “In one campaign, Mycar sent more than one million text messages that didn’t have an unsubscribe function,” O’Loughlin says. “This is unacceptable, especially from a well-established national retailer. “The action taken by the ACMA on this matter, as well as our recent action against the Commonwealth Bank, sends a strong…

Signing up to an online subscription service is easy these days, but cancelling it can be a nightmare, especially with so many providers auto-renewing their plans each year. Recently, the CHOICE computer lab tested virtual private network (VPN) services. They’re the little programs you fire up to encrypt your data when you’re using public Wi-Fi, or when you want to make it look like you’re browsing from another country. These services are subscription-based, and almost all auto-renew the subscription each year. If you leave that auto-renewal on, chances are you might forget about it, and I’m sure the companies don’t mind if you do. If you’re lucky, you’ll get an email a few days before it occurs, but you might actually end up paying more to auto-renew than you would…

Community choice.community What are your thoughts about buying electrical goods from offshore e-commerce sites? @mark_m: It’s important to consider whether the electrical product purchased was a safe product. @person: You really don’t know what electrical safety standards it might comply with and whether those standards are more stringent, less stringent or only partially overlap with Australian standards. @Buzz3: I would always buy an electrical item that I have seen instore or that’s also in its online store. Way too risky buying stuff from elsewhere. Facebook @choiceaustralia Do you use an electric blanket? Susan W: We throw electric rugs on the sofa in winter for a snug spot. Marianne M: Much prefer my hot water bottle. Amanda L: Had one my whole life. They are the best. Only use it to…

There’s so much to love about baked beans. They’re incredibly versatile and equally at home as a meal for breakfast, lunch or dinner. You can liven them up by pairing them with a cheesy jacket potato, or fried eggs to create huevos rancheros. Or just keep things simple and eat them piled on top of buttered toast. The meals to be had from a humble can of baked beans can often be ready to eat within minutes of opening the lid, which is always a bonus. And of course, their low cost means that baked beans are super easy on the hip pocket. No pantry cupboard is complete without a can (or three). So which store-bought baked beans are best? We compare the price, ingredients, nutrition and country of origin…

These days, choosing a cooking appliance means considering more than just price and convenience. There’s the impact on the environment, how much it costs to buy, run and maintain, and even how it might affect our health. Warnings about the health implications of using gas in the home, particularly for children and people living with asthma, combined with soaring gas bills and a desire to minimise reliance on fossil fuels, have understandably led many households to investigate alternatives to gas cooktops and gas heating. If you’re thinking about extinguishing the flame in favour of an induction cooktop, here are some things to consider when it comes to shifting from gas. Efficiency While many chefs and home cooks swear by their gas cooktop, the reality is that induction is superior when…

With the cost of living continuing to climb, it’s no surprise that more people are struggling financially. It’s often not a particular financial calamity that’s getting people into trouble in today’s economic climate; it’s simply the widening gap between what they earn and the cost of food, housing, fuel, electricity and other must-haves. In March 2023, 94% of households told us they’d seen their bills go up over the past 12 months. It’s the highest level of financial stress we’ve recorded in our last seven years of quarterly Consumer Pulse surveys. In the 12 months to the end of May 2023, the National Debt Helpline (NDH) received 56,618 calls, a 29% increase on the previous 12 months. Visits to the debt problems page of the NDH website were up 22%.…

These are real-life examples of unsuccessful claims submitted by people who’d relied on travel agent advice. • A couple said the travel agent told them the policy they were sold covered them for pregnancy. However, the policy provided by Zurich Insurance didn’t cover them for pregnancy, and when they complained, they were unable to provide evidence that the travel agent said this.• A man with an existing medical condition booked an overseas holiday. He said he wasn’t given a PDS or asked any questions by the travel agent about pre-existing medical conditions, and if he was asked, he would not have booked a holiday for that time knowing he may lose the money. AFCA said there was no indication the travel agent provided misleading or incorrect advice regarding the coverage.•…

Who doesn’t love a warm toasted sandwich, stuffed with your favourite fillings? It’s a quick, easy and affordable meal that the whole family can enjoy. There are two types of appliances that will make a toasty: a sandwich press and a jaffle maker. A sandwich press uses two open-ended hotplates to press and toast a sandwich, while the hotplates of a jaffle maker are shaped to clamp and seal the sandwich’s crust to create a ‘closed’ toasty. Because of the fixed size of a jaffle maker you’ll be limited by the types of breads you’re able to use and how many fillings you can add. We’ve only included one jaffle maker in our review this time around. Sandwich presses are more versatile than a jaffle maker, especially if you choose…

Dutch ovens (also known as cast-iron pots or casserole pots) are a handy, durable and sustainable piece of cookware. Made from either enamelled cast-iron or non-enamel ‘raw’ cast-iron, they’re praised for their excellent heat distribution and heat retention. They’re perfect for cooking meals that require searing and then slow cooking, as they can be used on both the stovetop and in the oven and they allow flavour to develop over an extended period of time. You can spend hundreds of dollars on this type of cookware, so it’s important to do your research first, consider how often you’ll be using your Dutch oven and shop around for discounts. If you’re new to this type of cooking and want to give it a test run first, the $30 Dutch oven from…

A microwave is a useful appliance that can be used to reheat leftovers, defrost meat or cook vegetables and rice relatively quickly. Once you’ve chosen the right size for your needs, you’ll also need to consider whether you want a conventional or an inverter microwave. Manufacturers claim inverter microwaves offer superior performance, but is this actually true? While they have their benefits, our testing shows that there’s more to consider when buying a microwave. Inverter vs conventional: What’s the difference? Both types contain a magnetron that produces microwaves, which are reflected inside the metal interior of the oven, and then absorbed by the food, causing the water and fat molecules in the food to rotate. This process generates the heat needed to cook, reheat or defrost your food. The main…

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OLED technology is fairly common in premium-priced TVs and smartphones, but uptake in laptops has been a bit slower due to higher production costs compared with standard LCD screens. The vibrant, punchy picture also tends to put a strain on a laptop’s battery. Although Acer’s new Swift Go 16 won’t win any awards in this regard, it strikes a good balance between picture quality and power consumption, as well as portability and performance. There’s no doubt that the 3200 x 2000 16-inch screen is the real highlight. Not only does the high-resolution OLED picture look gorgeous, it has deep blacks, rich colours and plenty of brightness (358 nits in our test). This makes it ideal for watching video content, but it can easily handle high-performance tasks too, such as gaming.…

Six major banks, including the big four, have been found to be mishandling deceased estates in a failure to comply with the Banking Code of Practice, according to a report from the Banking Code Compliance Committee (BCCC). The inquiry’s report found poor practice in three main areas: fees and charges for services no longer provided, failing to act within timeframes, and a lack of respect and compassion. “Our inquiry found instances of fees being charged for service no longer provided on deceased estates in all six banks we reviewed. And delays in responding to requests or acting on instructions from people managing a deceased estate were too common,” independent chair of the BCCC Ian Govey says. “As a result of these poor practices, customers perceived a lack of respect and…

The difference in price between diesel and petrol has narrowed, according to the ACCC, as diesel prices around the country drop and petrol remains steady. Quarterly average retail petrol prices to March fell marginally by 0.5 cents per litre (cpl) to 182.2 cpl, while diesel prices in Australia’s five largest cities fell by 10%. The difference between the two has narrowed to 17.5 cpl, down from 40.2 cpl the previous quarter. “We are pleased that developments in international diesel markets have led to a decrease in the retail price of diesel, a crucial input to many parts of the economy,” ACCC commissioner Anna Brakey says. “Retail petrol prices in the five largest cities were less volatile in the March quarter, following significant volatility in 2022 due to fluctuating international crude…

Q My partner and I are off to the USA in September, and have ordered a rental car in Boston. We plan to take out travel insurance that will have an $8000 rental car excess waiver, but I’m confused about whether we need additional insurance cover for the rental car. The rental company is offering “Collision Protection” (covers collision damage, theft and vandalism) for an additional cost – do we need to purchase this as well as our existing insurance? A CHOICE travel expert Jodi Bird: You’re not alone in your confusion. The travel insurance rental excess waiver will generally only cover things that are already covered by the car rental company. So, for example, if the agreement you have with the car rental company excludes cover for things like…

Toasted versus raw? Premium versus plain? No added sugar? When you enter the muesli aisle at the supermarket, trying to make sense of packaging claims while finding the best value for money can be overwhelming. In this guide we’ll help you find the healthiest muesli, and we explain common muesli jargon. When determining the top three healthiest raw and toasted muesli products, we looked at the Health Star Rating (HSR), the added sugars per serve, and the percentage of wholegrains. In general, when choosing a muesli, always check the nutrition information first and don’t be swayed by nutrition claims alone – despite its reputation as a ‘health food’, muesli can be high in added sugars and low in nutritional value. Muesli can be high in added sugars and low in…

If you’d rather not add yet another appliance to your kitchen, you can still create delicious toasties without buying a dedicated toasted sandwich maker. Simply place your sandwich on a pre-heated pan and use a weight to press the bread down, remembering to flip it part way through cooking. For the weight you could use a flat heavy lid, a pot, or even a cast-iron grill press – you may also see these advertised as a bacon press, burger press or panini press. We put a cast-iron grill press to the test to see if it helped to produce a good toasted sandwich on the stovetop. While there are many brands and models available, we tested the Victoria Grill & Bacon Press ($69.95). It’s made of enamelled cast-iron with a…

Food processors are a versatile appliance that can take the grunt work out of food preparation. Most models can chop, slice, dice, shred, grate, zest, mash, puree, mix, knead, grind and emulsify. Some even come with a blender attachment, adding the ability to blend soups and smoothies, crush ice and chop nuts to their repertoire. And if that’s not enough, some also have internal scales to weigh ingredients directly into the bowl. You can spend anywhere from $55 to $1399 on a food processor, but before you fork out the cash, consider how often you’ll use it and for what purposes. If you’re preparing larger quantities of food, a model with all the bells and whistles might be helpful. However, to get the most out of a food processor, it…

If you’ve ever unsubscribed from a marketing email but continued to receive it, you’re not alone. Under the Spam Act, businesses are required to have a working unsubscribe option and to stop sending you emails if you opt out. Many, however, ignore such requests or ask you to log in to your account to unsubscribe. When the Commonwealth Bank of Australia (CBA) was recently caught out for sending more than 65 million emails that didn’t comply with spam laws, the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) fined the bank $3.55 million, the biggest spam fine the ACMA has imposed to date. “The scale and duration of the breaches by the CBA is alarming, especially when the ACMA gave it early warnings it might have some issues and the steps it…

The Federal Trade Commission, the agency that enforces federal consumer protection laws in the United States, is suing Amazon. The Commission has accused the company of duping millions of customers into enrolling in Prime, a paid subscription service, by using “manipulative, coercive or deceptive” design tactics, known as ‘dark patterns’. Furthermore, once consumers discovered they had subscribed and wanted to cancel, Amazon made it extremely difficult to unsubscribe (what’s known as a ‘subscription trap’). Amazon denies this, saying that the Commission’s claims are “false on the facts and the law”. Both dark patterns and subscription traps are examples of unfair trading, which refers to business models that manipulate or take advantage of consumers. The United States’ Federal Trade Commission Act prohibits “unfair or deceptive acts or practices”, but Australia doesn’t…

Consumer advocates and industry ombudsmen have joined forces to push for stronger regulation of the telco sector, declaring current rules unfit for purpose and calling for a registration scheme for companies. The appeal comes after the Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman (TIO) released a report criticising industry-made codes and guidelines, arguing they were leading to telcos not meeting the needs and expectations of customers. “The current telco framework is no longer fit for purpose,” says TIO Ombudsman Cynthia Gebert. “Direct regulation should be front and centre to protect all consumers.” Alongside recommendations for more government oversight to mitigate consumer financial hardship, the TIO used its report to say a registration scheme for telcos will set minimum entry requirements that would protect consumers. The industry-based dispute resolution service argues more regulation is needed…

In our most recent consumer pulse survey around superannuation, 85% of respondents agreed that super funds should have to demonstrate that they’re managing people’s money well. 78% of the survey respondents also thought that super funds that don’t manage people’s money well should be disqualified from the system. Earlier this year, the government responded to a review of the annual super fund performance test and committed to keeping the test in place. Funds that fail two consecutive tests are barred from accepting new members. The government also committed to extending the test to cover more products. Yet a substantial section of the market, including around a third of all super funds overseen by the regulator, still won’t have to face the test. Super Consumers Australia director Xavier O’Halloran says the…

Mitsubishi has offered refunds to members of a Queensland farmers’ organisation following concerns the car maker’s advertising targeting the group may have been misleading. The ACCC raised the concerns after Mitsubishi told members of the Queensland Farmers Federation that they were entitled to a 15% discount off the entire range of its vehicles, when the deal was actually only applicable to certain models. ACCC deputy chair Mick Keogh says the promotional material spruiking the discount may have been misleading. “This should serve as a timely reminder to the motor vehicle industry to closely review all marketing material before it is published or distributed to ensure compliance with the Australian Consumer Law.” Following the consumer regulator’s intervention, Mitsubishi provided partial refunds to affected consumers to ensure they received the full 15%…

Electricity retailers CovaU and ReAmped Energy recently found out that the rules under the Electricity Retail Code actually have to be followed. These include having to provide detailed information to customers about price changes, so they can compare those prices with other retailers. Neglecting to do so cost the companies $33,300 each, in a case brought by the ACCC. “Providing the required information is essential, particularly in the current economic environment when consumers need confidence to switch providers to save money as rising energy costs and cost-of-living issues hit households and small businesses,” says ACCC commissioner Liza Carver. She adds that the ACCC “will continue to closely monitor the retailers to ensure that customers have the right information”. It’s not the first time CovaU has run afoul of the regulator.…

Muesli has gone upmarket. For $20 (or more!) a kilo, you can get stylishly packaged organic grains mixed with exotic ingredients like wild figs, biodynamic pears, white mulberries and pistachios. While posh muesli may be delicious, the extra dollars you fork out – which can be more than $40 per kilo for some brands – won’t necessarily buy you a healthier product. At the cheaper end (for as little as $3/kg), the fruit ingredients are more likely to be sultanas and apricots than barberries and goji berries. You’ll also usually get fewer nuts in the mix (mainly almonds), but you’re just as likely to get a nutritious start to the day.…

Whether you forgot to order groceries, or you’re struggling to make your money stretch until payday, there will always be times when you’re stuck trying to pull a meal together from what’s left in the cupboard. To save you from having to settle for dry crackers with tomato sauce, we’ve compiled a list of staples to always keep in your pantry. They’re cheap, nutritious and filling, so they’re perfect for back-up meals or snacks when the cupboard is (almost) bare. We’ll reveal which cheap products are the best tasting so you won’t have to skimp on flavour We’ll also reveal which cheap products are the best tasting so you won’t have to skimp on flavour, even if you’re trying to stretch your dollar further. Plus, our resident nutritionist and food…

Date marks indicate the shelf life of a food – the length of time a food should keep before its quality begins to deteriorate or, in some cases, it becomes less nutritious or unsafe. All food with a shelf life of less than two years must carry a date marking, and there are two main types: BEST BEFORE This is the date up until which you'd expect a food to retain all of its quality attributes – colour, taste, texture and flavour, for example – provided the package is unopened and it has been stored correctly. It's safe to eat past this date, but its quality may have diminished. USE BY This is the last date on which the food is safe to eat, again provided the package is unopened…

Lockable top plate So you can cook more than just toasties. Cord storage Storage underneath the bottom plate helps keep the benchtop tidy and keeps the cord away from little hands. Storage latch This locks the top and bottom plates together for easy carrying and compact vertical storage. Indicator lights A sandwich press should have ‘power on’ and ‘ready’ indicator lights, and ideally, they should be labelled. Chargrill plates Ribbed plates are handy for grilling meats. Some models have reversible plates so you can have flat or grill plates. Drip tray A removable drip tray is useful if you’re grilling meats or cooking bacon. Non-slip feet These keep the sandwich press stable. Weight The sandwich presses we’ve tested range in weight from under 2kg up to around 7kg. If you…

Short days and cooler weather mean two things: a desire to hibernate, and a craving for comfort food. Benchtop cookers can help on both fronts, delivering rib-sticking, satisfying meals while minimising dinner prep (so you can spend more time next to the heater and less time in the kitchen). Slow cookers, multi-cookers and pressure cookers all fit the bill, but how do you decide which one is for you? CHOICE kitchen expert Fiona Mair shares her thoughts on these three quite different appliances, plus we bring you our latest test results for 23 slow cookers so you can find the best one for your needs. Should you buy a slow cooker? For a little bit of planning and a few minutes’ prep in the morning, you can be rewarded with…

Hands up if you’ve pressed the instant start ‘Add 30 seconds’ button on your microwave a couple of times thinking it’s the quickest way to reheat a meal? We’ve all done this in our rush to get things done, but the truth is it doesn’t give a great result. When we press this button, the microwave uses maximum power for the duration of time selected. This doesn’t allow it to distribute heat evenly, resulting in hot and cold areas and requiring you to stir manually to achieve even heating. This becomes particularly troublesome for solid foods like lasagna that you can’t stir during reheating. The fact is, not all foods should be blasted with maximum power in a microwave – using a lower power level may take longer but you’ll…

A nice fresh cup of good coffee is essential to the morning routines of many of us. But this daily indulgence may come at a cost if you prefer to get your fix from the local cafe. Most single-use paper cups are an environmental nightmare, which is why a good-quality reusable cup can be handy. It’s an affordable investment that can help reduce landfill and give you the freedom to take homemade coffee on the go, which is cheaper than cafe-made coffee in the long run. However, not all reusable cups are capable of holding their heat over long periods of time. Our test will help you find the ones that do. Australians throw away 2.7 million coffee cups every day Environmental cost Single-use coffee cups are particularly bad for…