Thanks to the CHOICE member, Tracey, who got in touch with a worrying product:  children’s light-up thongs with soles that were wearing through to expose dangerous button batteries. We alerted the ACCC, and Big W agreed to recall the products. 

The Federal Court found timeshare provider Ultiqa breached financial services laws when signing up customers. We’ve made 5 complaints to ASIC about misconduct in the timeshare industry, including a complaint in 2017 about the conduct of Ultiqa.

After we called for regulation, ASIC announced a 5-year extension of the product intervention power restricting the sale of harmful and high-risk financial products called contracts for difference. This will protect consumers from financial harm. 

In 2020, CHOICE and our international counterparts found Tinder Plus users in 5 out of 6 countries were paying more depending on their age. Now, Tinder has promised to stop charging consumers different prices based on age, but hasn’t yet committed to stopping all price discrimination.

NSW introduces a minimum information standard to help people better understand what will happen if their trip is cancelled. It is the first state to act on the cancellation chaos caused by COVID-19.

Troubled company Ultiqa faces court for allegedly breaching financial advice laws following a 2017 complaint from CHOICE. The timeshare industry is now on notice: to clean up harmful sales practices or risk more legal action.

The CBA announces it will no longer run dodgy school marketing scheme the Dollarmites. This comes off the back of 4 states and territories banning bank-run school marketing schemes.

The big 5 health insurers announce they will give refunds for profits made while customers couldn't access health services.

Chubb and GIO Insurance drop claims against renters for damage they didn’t cause. This comes after CHOICE reveals unfairness in the landlord insurance market. Now the pressure is on for industry-wide reform.

The ACCC continues to stamp out unfair fees in the funeral sector, penalising Alex Gow Funerals for allegedly misleading consumers on funeral pricing. 

CHOICE testing discovers the portacot has suffocation, strangulation and limb-entrapment risks. The product is recalled, meaning it can no longer be sold in shops, online or in secondary markets.

A landmark CHOICE report calls for 7 sensible changes to Australian travel regulations, putting the power back into the hands of consumers. The solutions are welcomed by Rex airlines and independent politicians.

The laws that would remove safe lending protections are stuck in the Senate thanks to CHOICE supporters and not-for-profit allies persuading cross-bench Senators to protect consumers. 

Super Consumers Australia helped the “Your Super, Your Future” reforms pass parliament. They’ll save an estimated $17.9 bn over 10 years by ending costly duplicate accounts, getting rid of poor-performing funds and making it easier for people to find better options via a new comparison tool.

Last year a CHOICE member tipped us off to dodgy hand sanitiser being sold by Mosaic Brands. After our tests revealed the label was misleading, Mosaic was fined $630,000 for selling hand sanitiser without enough alcohol and will refund customers. 

Thanks to community pressure, all major Australian home and contents insurers with previously bad definitions of fire have made or committed to making their definitions fairer.

Two new jurisdictions will end school marketing schemes like Dollarmites. Now it’s time for other states and territories to step up and end programs targeted at Australian kids.

Propel Funeral Partners was issued an infringement notice by the ACCC for making false and misleading claims about the "local and independent" ownership. The fine comes after CHOICE discovered instances of misinformation and poor transparency in the sector. 

When CHOICE lab tests found some Hitachi fridges used more energy than claimed, the regulator forced the company to hand customers back $174 to reflect the extra cost of using the product.