Tabla de contenidos para October 2025 en CHOICE

In June this year, CHOICE released its sunscreen testing. You may remember this, because it was absolutely everywhere. A worrying 16 out of 20 sunscreens tested failed to meet their SPF claims. That was the headline and it was a shocking one. But the real story was Ultra Violette. Of all the sunscreens we tested, Ultra Violette’s Lean Screen failed the hardest. It claimed an SPF of 50+ but returned an SPF of 4 – a result so surprising we tested it a second time at a completely different lab (that time it returned an SPF of 5). Given the buzzy, TikTok-friendly nature of the Ultra Violette brand, we expected this result would inspire intense online discourse – but I was not prepared for just how weird it got. As…

It looked like the funeral industry was taking financial advantage of the bereaved When CHOICE launched its funeral pricing investigation in 2019, we uncovered an array of tactics aimed at sneakily separating mourners from their money. They ranged from massive markups on coffins to charging late payment fees before the invoice was even due. The overriding issue was a total lack of transparency regarding what people dealing with the loss of loved ones were paying for. It really looked like the funeral industry was taking financial advantage of the bereaved. Following our investigation, several states adopted funeral pricing transparency laws. WA’s funeral pricing code of practice, for instance, requires funeral directors to publicly display prices for all services on their websites and businesses. This allows customers to compare costs, rather…

Consumers worried about the use of soft plastics in Australia are in for both disquieting and heartening news. Around 540,000 tonnes were used by manufacturers between 2022 and 2023, but only 6% of that was recovered. This follows the collapse of the REDcycle soft plastics recycling program due to receiving substantially more soft plastics than it could recycle. Despite the good intentions, the infrastructure simply wasn’t there. The stockpile of unrecycled plastics is huge. Now the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has authorised a new scheme – a necessary move, in order to allow competing businesses to collaborate – to be run by Soft Plastics Stewardship Australia (SPSA). Its inaugural members are Woolworths, Coles, Aldi, Nestlé, Mars and McCormick Foods. “We believe the proposed scheme will result in an…

A report from the Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman (TIO) has found that telcos are failing to adequately respond to the financial hardship of customers, at times making their financial stress worse. The TIO reviewed 900 complaints between 2024 and 2025 and found customers were often pressured to accept payment plans they could not afford. Other customers reported prioritising staying connected over rent, food and other essentials. “Access to phone and internet service should never be a luxury, it is an essential service that is vital to our everyday life. The consequences of losing access to your phone and internet can be serious, it can lead to people losing work and being unable to access critical support. From there, things can continue to spiral. Losing income and support services can compromise people’s…

Despite positive signs that a scam-weary nation is exercising greater vigilance, plenty of money is still being lost. There were 108,305 scams reported to the National Anti-Scam Centre’s Scamwatch in the first half of 2025, amounting to a collective loss of about $174 million. That’s a 26% increase compared to the first half of 2024, despite the fact there were 24% fewer scams reported. The scammers mainly tricked us through fake websites and online advertisements, and by contacting us through social media. People who speak English as a second language and Indigenous Australians were disproportionately affected. The ray of hope is that the 2025 losses were 39% lower than the equivalent period in 2023. “Technology is helping scammers reach more people than ever before and we see scams becoming more…

Gift card or cash advance? I recently purchased a Woolworths eGift card for $475 using my CommBank credit card and noticed, to my surprise, that I was charged a cash advance fee of $14.25. I contacted CommBank and the response was: “Cash advance is when you use your credit card to access cash rather than goods and services”. Presumably CommBank interprets the purchase of a gift card as accessing cash and hence they can charge you in this fashion. I was informed that each time I make a cash advance transaction using my credit card, I will be charged a fee of $4, or 3% of the transaction amount up to a maximum of $300, whichever is greater. (Or $4 will be charged if the closing balance was in credit…

Regardless of the brand and model, here are some important things to look for when buying a stick vacuum. CHARGE AND RUN TIME Look for a stick vac that runs for a useful length of time and doesn’t take too long to charge. Some may need to charge overnight, or even longer. Our data shows that stick vacuums take roughly four hours to charge on average, and you may only get around 13 minutes of run time depending on the power settings and surface you’re cleaning. Some only run for six minutes on max, so if you have a large area to clean, you might need a stick vac that allows you to swap over to a spare battery. Using a motorised tool on the vacuum will also deplete the…

Soft, firm, foam, latex, down, or polyester? We analyse the best pillow type and filling for back, side and stomach sleepers. YOU SLEEP ON YOUR STOMACH A soft, flat pillow is best for stomach sleepers, because it gives support without raising the head and neck too far. Synthetic, wool, feathers and down are good options for keeping it low. YOU SLEEP ON YOUR SIDE A firm or extra-firm pillow is best for side sleepers, because it ensures your spine is supported properly at a consistent height. Latex and foam are the likely contenders if you love to sleep on your side. YOU SLEEP FLAT ON YOUR BACK A medium to firm pillow is best for supporting your head and neck while you sleep. Consider a pillow made from foam. YOU…

Accuracy: Our journalists use sources from trusted institutions with a reputation for careful and unbiased research. Our verifiers and subject matter experts check articles and reviews before publication, to make sure facts and quotes are accurate and data has been interpreted correctly. Corrections: If we’ve made an error in CHOICE magazine, we include the correction in the next available issue (usually in the Checkout section of the magazine). If you think we’ve got something wrong, please visit choice.com.au/contactus. Reviews and testing: Our testers put products through their paces in our own NATA-accredited laboratories. We use test methods based on Australian standards and develop our own to match the way consumers use a product in their homes. We buy most products we test, maintaining our independence from manufacturers and so we…

Commonwealth Bank has been caught charging excessive fees to thousands of people on low incomes who were eligible for low-fee accounts – to the tune of $270 million. It’s not the only bank that has been caught doing this, but while other major banks have committed to refund some of those customers, CommBank is refusing. The bank recently celebrated a record $10.25 billion profit for the 2025 financial year – salt in the wound for the 2.2 million customers who’ve been gouged. More than 20,000 people have already signed the petition calling on Commonwealth Bank CEO Matt Comyn to give the money back. Add your support: choice.com.au/CommBankFees.…

The Federal Court has ordered National Australia Bank (NAB) and a subsidiary, AFSH Nominees Pty Ltd, pay a penalty of $15.5 million for failing to respond to customers facing hardship. The action was brought by the corporate regulator, ASIC. Between 2018 and 2023, the two entities failed to respond to 345 hardship applications within the 21-day timeframe required by law. “This decision highlights the seriousness of the failures of NAB and AFSH to support their customers experiencing financial hardship. These failures likely made an already challenging time in people’s lives far worse,” says ASIC deputy chair Sarah Court. “These failures likely made an already challenging time in people’s lives far worse” “This penalty sends an important message to other financial institutions – customers should be at the centre of what…

Cavoodles have held the top spot for most popular dog breed in Australia for the past few years. They’re a cross between a poodle and a cavalier King Charles spaniel, but now they’re so popular, most puppies have a cavoodle mother and cavoodle father. The top three reasons cavoodles visit the vet are gastrointestinal illness, skin conditions and ear infections. And although cavoodles don’t tend to be associated with as high vet costs as some other breeds, treatments for these conditions still average hundreds of dollars. If you want to protect yourself against unexpected costs, pet insurance is definitely worth considering. On average, premiums for a three-month-old cavoodle are $58 per month, and $72 for a three-year-old. We found that Medibank Pet Max and Fetch Pet Insurance provide the cheapest…

It started early one Saturday morning when I answered the door to a young man enquiring about a Mazda he wanted to buy. After a brief, confused exchange, it was established that we weren’t selling a car and that he had the wrong address. I confidently informed him that the confusion was probably because there is both a lane and a road with the same name in my suburb, and sent him on his way. As the day wore on, it became apparent that this was no mere address mix-up. One after another, individuals, couples and groups came to the door asking to see the car, and it soon emerged that all of them had paid money to hold the vehicle and secure the inspection. In short, all of them…

Community choice.community What do you think about CBA’s new sign-in policy? @perry: Inconvenient for a number of reasons, one being the long-winded procedure each time I log in to NetBank. I’m supportive of security and would accept two-factor authorisation if it was confined to my desktop. @jezz: I get the need for 2FA. I also used to work in IT, particularly in security. But I am wondering now what will happen if my phone is stolen when I travel? It seems to be a single point of failure for accessing all of my financial services! @Witzend: I’m low-vision. I have the app on my phone for emergencies but the screen is too small for routine use. I would have thought that with all of that profit, they might decide to…

Pillow comfort is highly subjective, but our lab tests will give you a head start when buying your next pillow. Our expert testers have years of experience in putting pillows through their paces. They assess which pillows are the most supportive; which are the most durable; which return to their natural form over time; and the angle your head will be at when using the pillow. All pillows are tested to the same methodology, whether they’re latex or polyester, feather or foam. FATIGUE TEST We compress each pillow in our compression rig to 100kg for more than 100 hours and assess how well the pillow bounces back. SINK TEST We assess how much the average head will sink into each pillow by dropping a 5kg head probe weight onto each…

CHOICE, 57 Carrington Road, Marrickville, NSW, 2204 Email ausconsumer@choice.com.au Customer Service 1800 069 552 (Mon to Fri, 9am to 5pm AEST or AEDT) ADD WEBSITE ACCESS To browse all our test reports and reviews, when and as often as you like, contact Customer Service to add website access to your membership package. KNOW YOUR CONSUMER RIGHTS Got a problem with a product or a service? Learn about your rights at choice.com.au/consumer-rights. If you need further guidance, email ausconsumer@choice.com.au. VOICE YOUR CHOICE Get involved in our research through surveys and focus groups, and have your say on what’s important to Australian consumers. This research feeds directly into our future content and campaigning work. Visit choice.com.au/voiceyourchoice. View the CHOICE Privacy Policy: choice.com.au/privacy-policy. Shop Ethical ratings Shop Ethical rates the environmental and social…

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 Kim G (No glow), Vince Haines (Airy floss), Viviean Laycock (Not so zuppa) and Linda Smith (Tummy bug). AIRY FLOSS Vince believes that this packaging is not just wasteful, it’s deceptive. NO GLOW Apart from the contradictory warning, this is just too dangerous for words. NOT SO ZUPPA Maybe the taste of this soup is what’s special. TUMMY BUG The result of not paying attention in Biology class.…

Almost 170,000 people reached out for financial counselling support through the National Debt Helpline (NDH) in the last financial year, making it the service’s biggest year since 2018–19. Coordinator of the NDH, Vicki Staff, says cost-of-living pressures are hitting the community hard. “Many of life’s essentials are just more expensive than they used to be. Our financial counsellors are hearing from many people struggling to pay for their utility bills and housing,” she says. “These people are very distressed and worried about their financial future and families.” The top issues people called about in the year were housing stress (mortgage and rent), utilities, credit card debt, personal loans and ATO debt. People can seek support from confidential and professional NDH financial counsellors via the 1800 007 007 phone line or…

APRA’s annual superannuation performance A test is designed to put the spotlight on under-performance, with real consequences when products fall short. This year, 556 tested investment options passed, but seven failed and will have to notify their 8500 members that they’ve under-performed. Four have failed for the second time, triggering the obligation to close to new customers. You can find the list of failed products at apra.gov.au. If you wish to choose a super fund, the ATO’s YourSuper comparison tool (ato.gov.au/calculators-and-tools/super-yoursuper-comparison-tool) provides the fees and historical returns for all default, or MySuper, options. “The fact that only seven options failed means the test is doing its job,” says Super Consumers Australia deputy CEO Katrina Ellis. “It’s a glaring gap that retirement products, like account-based pensions, aren’t subject to the same…

The Australian Communication Consumer Action Network (ACCAN) has welcomed the office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) bringing legal proceedings against telco provider Optus for allegedly breaching the Privacy Act. OAIC says Optus breached the privacy of 9.5 million Australians by failing to keep their data safe during a 2022 data hack. ACCAN says the action sends a message to the telco sector that regulators will act when harm is caused by companies failing to protect customers. The action sends a message to the telco sector that regulators will act when harm is caused CEO Carol Bennett says cultural change is needed in the telco sector to put customers first. “We have a long way to go to remedy the sorts of practices and behaviours we have seen from Optus…

As part of our mission to fight for fair, just and safe markets for all Australians, CHOICE launched a Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) in October 2022. We recently marked the completion of the first stage of this journey with our Reflect RAP. Following our RAP has helped us to deepen our understanding and commitment to supporting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander consumers. We made strides in promoting cultural awareness among our staff, establishing key relationships with First Nations organisations, and focusing our advocacy on areas where First Nations consumers face disproportionate challenges. During our Reflect RAP we participated in Save Sorry Business – a coalition of 130 organisations led by First Nations groups calling for compensation for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander policyholders of the Youpla funeral fund. We also…

Q I live in Darwin and it can get pretty hot at night here. I’ve seen some mattresses that advertise themselves as being “cool”. It sounds like a tempting idea, but is it actually possible for a mattress to be cool or is that just marketing spin? A CHOICE mattress expert Peter Zaluzny: In the past, your suspicions would have been right that such claims were empty marketing promises. But in recent years we’re seeing more mattresses come into our labs that actually deliver on these promises. In fact, eight of the 21 mattresses in our 2025 test batch measured as cool or very cool – although it’s worth noting that our measurements didn’t always correspond to what the manufacturer claims. Some claim to be cool but return a warm…