Tabla de contenidos para February 2024 en CHOICE

The gap between average fixed-line broadband internet service speeds in rural and urban areas is narrowing, as both show signs of improvement. The ACCC says average upload speeds have improved in regional areas and are now an average of just 1.8% lower than in urban areas. This compares to an average of 5% lower in February 2022. “The internet is an essential service for Australians, making it vital that all consumers receive reliable internet speeds irrespective of where they live,” ACCC Commissioner Anna Brakey says. “It is encouraging to see the gap in broadband speeds narrowing and regional Australians receiving largely similar speeds to those in urban areas.” While average speeds increased across the board, regional consumers continue to face underperforming services more than their urban counterparts. The lower speeds…

Technology research and policy organisation Reset Australia launched an eye-opening new report on targeted advertising at the end of 2023. Australians for sale used briefly available public data from Microsoft ad platform Xandr to show that data brokers were segmenting consumers in exploitative and manipulative categories. Reset found that businesses could use characteristics such as credit risk, social security income and bank balances to target people who gamble; people who consume alcohol; children and young people; and financially vulnerable consumers. Data brokers were also able to target people based on their location, including whether they’d visited specific places like a playground or hospital. CHOICE and the Consumer Policy Research Centre co-signed the report’s foreword, proposing a number of guardrails on the power of the opaque data broking and targeted advertising…

Arecent survey commissioned by Super Consumers Australia has shed new light on how older Australians use their superannuation. Around 80% of those surveyed report feeling financially comfortable or that they’re getting by on their current income. However, renters, people living with a disability, and people who no longer have any super reported much lower levels of financial comfort. Another key finding was that many older Australians are confused about the tax and policy settings around super in retirement. For example, only 38% definitely knew that pre-retirement investment earnings from super are taxed at 15%. These results also showed that less than half of older Australians sought advice on money in retirement. Further, only one in five of those surveyed said they would trust advice from their super fund. These results…

Train pain A year ago we had an expensive and very underwhelming train trip on the Ghan from Alice Springs to Darwin. We were required to give our email address to make the bookings. We never want to go on any of Journey Beyond Rail group’s large range of experiences ever again, but we are being incessantly badgered by marketing emails. Over the last year I have unsubscribed to all of their companies a dozen times. I have emailed them and called to complain many times, and have been told they have unsubscribed me, and have twice received emails saying I have been unsubscribed. But still they come! Ian Brake, Mackay, Qld The Australian Communications and Media Authority outlines the rules for businesses sending emails and how to take further…

Few will be surprised to learn that scammers are continuing to target Australians. When we surveyed consumers in June 2023, 52% told us they believe they’re being targeted by some form of scam every week. Many are impersonation scams, which the ACCC’s Scamwatch revealed accounted for more than 70% of the reports it received between January and September of that year. We’ll show you how to spot these sophisticated scams, and what to do if you encounter one or lose money or personal information. 52% told us they believe they’re being targeted by some form of scam every week What is an impersonation scam? Impersonation scams are when scammers pose as trusted businesses, government agencies, family members or friends in order to steal your money or personal information. Impersonation scammers…

If you haven’t been targeted by a scammer in recent years, you’re in a special club whose numbers are rapidly diminishing. And it seems likely your day will come – which is why it’s so important to maintain a scamsresistant mindset. This means slowing down and thinking twice, or even three times, before responding to any contact that could be a scam. According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, two-thirds of Australians over the age of 15 were contacted by a scammer in 2021–22. And there’s a good chance that some of the proportionately small but numerically large segment that responded to the scammer (2.7%) were in a vulnerable state of mind when they found themselves on the receiving end of the sinister phone call or text. The evidence shows…

For keen barbecuers who have mastered steaks and snags and are looking to up their grilling game, smoker barbecues have been steadily gaining in popularity. These days there’s an array of sophisticated grills and smokers that are specifically designed to impart that delicious smoky flavour to everything from slow-cooked briskets, succulent ribs and pork shoulders to whole smoked chickens or fish and vegetables. CHOICE experts have put a few smoker barbecues through their paces in our labs; here, they outline the pros and cons to help you decide if it’s time for you to fire up. You’ll get the best results from foods that benefit from cooking low and slow How do smokers work? Instead of putting your food over direct heat to cook as you would in a traditional…

Hard floor cleaners, a relatively new product to hit the market, promise to cut down your cleaning time by mopping and sweeping your floors in one hit. For a home with a lot of hard flooring, this appliance could be a game changer. Some models even have a carpet cleaning mode, which can be useful if you have rugs and other small carpeted areas around your home. It’s the first time we’ve put hard floor cleaners to the test in our labs, and we’ve reviewed models ranging in price from $398 to $1649. Our testing shows that some are definitely better than others when it comes to cleaning dried stains and mess. The cleaning heads vacuum up dirt and dust while simultaneously washing the floor What is a hard floor…

If you love to entertain outdoors, you’ll want a trusty barbecue that shows off your skills on the grill. But the design of the barbecue plays a huge part in your success, including how evenly and consistently your food is cooked. Factors like the number and intensity of burners; heat diffusers; hotplate/grill material and thickness and burner positioning all play a role in heat distribution and evenness, not to mention external weather conditions – for example, if it’s windy and the barbecue has no side panels to protect food and flame from drafts. Evenness refers to how well heat is distributed across the whole hotplate, and it’s a major part of our performance assessment. Previously we measured evenness by cooking steak and sausages, but we’ve developed a new method that…

CHOICE calls for ban on unfair business practices Most people believe that Australian businesses are required to act fairly towards consumers. But a gap in the law means Australian consumers are being exposed to a number of dodgy business practices – things like subscription traps and unfair pricing. It’s clear that consumer laws have not kept up with community expectations. Other jurisdictions like the EU, UK and US already have laws in place to address unfair business practices, but Australia is lagging behind. The good news is that the government is currently considering what new fairness laws could look like. Recently, CHOICE, the Consumer Policy Research Centre and a range of other consumer groups made a joint submission to the government’s consultation on unfair business practices, calling for a new…

The Australian Charities and Not-For-Profits Commission is urging Australians to check the registered charity status of any organisation before donating, as charity scams are on the rise. “Cyber-criminals are out there, trying to take advantage of our kind-heartedness and generosity. Official data shows Australians lost $3.1 billion to scammers [in 2022]. There were hundreds of reports of fake charity scams to Scamwatch, but we know it is likely that significantly under-represents the actual incidence,” Commissioner Sue Woodward says. “We recommend that if you get a text, email or phone call asking you for a donation to charity, don’t click that link, and don’t tell anyone your name or banking details.” The Commission recommends you visit its charity register at acnc.gov.au/charity/charities, search for the charity in question, and then navigate from…

A yoghurt manufacturer has wound back claims about the source of its plastic packaging, and admitted it likely broke Australian Consumer Law. Moo Premium Foods will no longer say its yoghurt tubs are made of ‘100% ocean plastic’, after the ACCC became concerned that this gave consumers the false impression the tubs were made from plastic waste collected directly from the ocean. “Our investigation revealed the plastic resin used in the manufacture of Moo’s yoghurt packaging was collected from coastal areas in Malaysia, and not directly from the ocean,” says ACCC Commissioner Liza Carver. The messaging, which Moo had included on the packaging until late last year, was accompanied by a disclaimer, but the regulator considered this insufficient, and argued the claims were giving the manufacturer an unfair advantage. “Making…

The phrase ‘like money in the bank’ conjures images of trustworthy institutions whose integrity is ironclad. But that image has been tarnished, as many banks have made it all too easy for scammers to take advantage of their customers. Bank transfers are the most common method for paying scammers in Australia, with over $210 million lost to fraudulent bank transfers in 2022 – an increase of about 63% over the previous year. Many scammers have been taking advantage of the fact that Australian banks haven’t been checking that BSB and account numbers match the name of the account that customers are sending money to – a basic anti-scam measure that has blocked many fraudulent transactions in other countries. But this is set to change. Initiatives designed to prevent bank transfer…

When we surveyed Australian consumers in July 2023, 52% told us they believe they’re being targeted by a scam weekly, and nine out of 10 said they had come across at least one suspected scam in the past year. It’s hardly surprising, then, that Aussies lost almost $400 million to scams in 2023, and that’s just according to reports received by the ACCC’s Scamwatch. Finding out you’ve been scammed can be nothing short of devastating. Scam victims have told us of the emotional toll the experience has taken on them and their families. Here’s what to do if you’ve lost money or personal information to a scammer, or even just had a near miss. 1. Break off contact completely Scammers will often come up with a series of reasons for…

Toasters can be disappointing appliances, especially as so many of them fail and need to be replaced after just a few years. Quite a few frustrated members have told us how they’ve struggled with levers that don’t engage, unevenly cooked toast or toasters that simply stopped working altogether. Ultimately, many of these members have ditched their toaster and moved on to a new one much sooner than they’d like. Some manufacturers do produce models that are designed to last. A decent mid-priced toaster should last you around four years Dualit and Milantoast toasters have serviceable parts and a five-year warranty (compared with one- or two-year warranties for most other models). While we welcome the focus on sustainability, they are relatively expensive ($300–$500 for a two-slice to four-slice Dualit and $490…

Stains are an unavoidable everyday occurrence, whether it’s oil splatters from cooking, grass stains from kids’ sports, or just plain old sweat. It’s important to get to stains quickly or they can set in, which is when you may need to reach for a pre-wash stain remover spray. We tested all the stain remover sprays we could find at the major supermarkets and found they vary greatly in terms of performance and price. If you’re after an all-rounder, look no further than the Aldi Di-San Pro Ultra Degreaser With Enzymes. It performs consistently well across the range of stains we tested, and at only 29 cents per 100mL, it’s also one of the cheapest we tested. On the other hand, there are three products that performed no better than using…

Printers have been one of our cornerstone tests for over two decades. In that time, we’ve been asked just about every printer-related question you can imagine. So, we decided to gather our answers to all the most common queries that have landed in our inbox over the years to help you choose a printer that suits your needs. Inkjet vs. laser printers – which is better? Inkjet printers were once the go-to option for top quality, vibrant prints. But ink costs for these machines were high and they needed regular maintenance. Laser models, which use toner, were the affordable workhorse, suitable for churning out pages and pages of documents, at the expense of good-looking graphics. These days the gaps in quality and costs are closing, and you can get good-quality,…

Electric bikes have a motor that kicks in when you need some extra power, making it easier to cycle over long distances or hilly terrains. You can choose from a number of settings to adjust the amount of assistance you’re getting from the motor based on your needs and the conditions. There are a wide variety of models and different motor types to consider, from commuter bikes and folding bike models through to off-road mountain bikes that can go virtually anywhere. For our first e-bike test, we’ve chosen to focus on standard, full-frame e-bikes, which are the most popular option for commuting to work or replacing public transport. A further test of standard step-through e-bikes, as well as cargo and folding e-bikes, is scheduled for later this year. TOP PERFORMERS…

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 Robyn Gibson (Go with your gut), Wayne Keogh (Take a hike), Dr Erik Paling (Off the boil) and Martin Turnbull (Joker in the pack). GO WITH YOUR GUT We think it’s the least of the rat’s worries. OFF THE BOIL We hope they mean 8 minutes boiling time from 23°C, otherwise this is a lot to pay for room temp water. JOKER IN THE PACK The sustainability is admirable, though our reader Martin would…

In December last year, CHOICE joined over 20 consumer groups from 19 countries in a joint international statement calling on governments to require social media and other tech companies to implement stronger protections against online scams. These companies are failing to detect and prevent scams from reaching consumers through their platforms, while online scams continue to rise. Tech platforms currently provide a low-cost way for unscrupulous actors to efficiently target large numbers of consumers, and the number and total amount of losses to scams on tech platforms has been increasing. In Australia, losses reported to Scamwatch from scams on social media grew to over $66 million in 2023, an increase of more than 40% on the same time period in 2022. In the global statement, the alliance of organisations is…

The communications regulator is pushing ahead with setting up a registry to combat impersonation SMS messages. The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) is developing a pilot Sender ID Registry to make it harder for scammers to impersonate trusted organisations over SMS, after telcos already blocked over 336 million scam texts between July 2022 and September last year. “These figures provide stark evidence of the scale of scam activity, with approximately 16 scam texts being blocked for every adult in the country,” says ACMA Chair Nerida O’Loughlin. “Every scam stopped is a win for consumers and helps make Australia a harder target for these criminal syndicates.” The regulator says the registry will “protect the message headers of brands and government agencies”, after scammers were able to pose as these institutions…

The consumer regulator is reminding social media influencers and businesses to follow Australian Consumer Law (ACL) after it found many were making potentially misleading posts or manipulating online reviews. The ACCC will release special guidance for social media influencers after a sweep of 118 online personalities last year found 81% were making posts that raised concerns under misleading advertising rules. “The influencer industry is complex and constantly evolving, with many parties involved that may not be fully aware of good practice,” says ACCC acting chair Catriona Lowe. “Many of the influencers we reviewed did not make adequate disclosures in their posts where it appeared they were receiving payment, gifts or other incentives to promote brands, products or services.” The ACCC says it will be advising influencers and the businesses enlisting…

Utility company Sumo has been taken to court by Victoria’s essential service regulator for allegedly marketing to thousands of the state’s consumers in an illegal door-to-door sales scheme. The Essential Services Commission (ESC) says Sumo Power and Sumo Gas engaged in unlawful door-to-door marketing of energy contracts to at least 5941 consumers and signed up some customers without obtaining proper consent. The ESC alleges the two Sumo subsidiaries set up agreements with third parties, which then marketed the company’s electricity and gas contracts door-to-door between December 2021 and August 2022. Energy laws prohibit retailers or their agents from calling on customers at home to negotiate an electricity or gas contract. The ESC has also accused Sumo of signing up “several” customers to its energy plans by getting their signatures without…

In November last year, CHOICE and the Consumers’ Federation of Australia (CFA) made a joint submission for the government’s Aviation Green Paper. Our submission was based on the results of a survey of almost 9000 CHOICE supporters. The survey found that two in five respondents had experienced a cancelled or delayed flight in the past year and 65% who had their flight cancelled were given no reason for the cancellation. Consumers continue to experience difficulties with airlines in relation to the frequency of cancelled and delayed flights, and attempting to get a refund or compensation. Of those who pursued a refund for a flight cancellation, 47% received it within one month. Others faced significantly longer wait times, with 20% having to wait over six months for a refund. We heard…

Cover double up? Member Ben wrote to us about a problem he was having with a travel insurance claim with Allianz. He made a claim for a pair of prescription glasses that he lost while traveling overseas. The glasses cost $645 and the excess for the claim was $100, but instead of paying out the difference of $545, the insurer deducted $350 from their payout, only agreeing to pay out $195. They explained that the reason for this was that Ben’s private health insurance extras policy had paid $350 towards the purchase of the glasses (insurance policies usually contain a clause that precludes them from paying out for something that is covered by another insurance policy). Ben felt that this was unfair, because under his extras policy he can only…

With all their endless resources and revenue, shouldn’t the biggest digital platforms have safeguards in place to prevent scammers from posting fake ads? The fake ads, of course, lead to fake websites that have been set up to steal our money. Whatever hurdles Google, Facebook and Instagram have in place, they’re not stopping the scammers. So it’s no surprise that more than six out of 10 Australians think social media and digital platforms are not doing enough to protect us from scams, as recent CHOICE research revealed. Scam ads rife on local platforms The CHOICE anti-scams team has been trawling the internet, and we’ve had no trouble finding ads on Google, Facebook and Instagram that have all the hallmarks of promoting scam shopping websites. The fake sites spoof the websites…

It’s been hailed as a way to keep us safe from scams, but PayID has become a weapon for criminals attempting to fleece Australians of their hard-earned money. PayID is a payment method that lets people send or receive money within minutes, just by using a phone number, email address or some other identifier that the user has registered as a PayID with their bank. When making a transfer via PayID, you can check that your money is going to the right person or organisation, because you can see the name associated with the identifier. The method is offered by more than 100 banks and financial institutions across Australia. How scammers are using PayID to rip people off PayID scams were responsible for over $260,000 in losses in 2022. So…

Having a valid will is important. Dying without one is called “dying intestate”, and it means the things you own will be distributed according to a formula set by government legislation. Certain relatives will receive a defined percentage of your assets, regardless of what you may have wished. Traditionally you’d have your will drawn up by a lawyer, but now there are online services that offer ‘will kits’ that you complete yourself. These range from interactive quizzes to more standard types of documents with various sections for you to fill out. Will kits let you prepare a standard will without legal advice But could a DIY will kit work for your circumstances? And if so, which ones will help you prepare a better will? What is a will? A will…

One of the ongoing complaints CHOICE members have about their electric kettles is that they’re noisy. Some members even say that their kettles get noisier over time, usually after a year or two of continuous use. Because we know how important it is to users, noise accounts for 40% of our CHOICE Expert Rating. We measure the noise levels around halfway through the boiling process in our climate-controlled lab, with the meter placed 50cm from the kettle. Why are kettles so noisy? The process of heating water at the base of the kettle causes bubbles to rise up and then collapse into the cooler water, creating a roaring noise. Kettle-maker Russell Hobbs claims that it makes quiet kettles by using a specially coated diffuser ring on the floor of the…

When it comes to laundry, is it important to you how long the task takes? Or are you more concerned with how well the load is washed? If you’re a performance purist then you might prefer a front-loading washing machine, as these get your clothes cleaner and are far gentler than top loaders. But they also take a lot longer to complete a cycle. If time is of the essence then a top loader might suit you better – their shorter cycles mean you can wash multiple loads in a day. On the downside, they tend not to be as good at getting the dirt out, and they’re harsher on fabrics. While front loaders with long wash cycles have long been the norm in the UK and Europe, Australians are…