Spon cons: ACCC says 81% of influencers could be breaching consumer law
Australia's consumer watchdog says social media influencers continue to push the boundaries of consumer law, raising the prospect of penalties against online personalities and small businesses that don't label paid posts correctly.
ACCC alleges Bloomex Australia duped customers with old reviews and phony discounts
The ACCC is alleging that the online star ratings on Bloomex Australia's website were misleading customers because they had not been updated with customer feedback since 2015.
Gorman issues scam warning to customers after websites appear pretending to sell its products
The Australian fashion label is urging customers not to be fooled by illegitimate scam websites pretending to sell genuine Gorman products.
John Durie: ACCC pushes for new laws to deal with fake reviews and scams on Google and Meta
The federal government has yet to commit to the reforms, but said Treasury would consult before potential legislative changes are introduced next year.
John Durie: ACCC to rule on Woolworths’ buyout of a local IGA as watchdog ponders creeping acquisitions
Creeping acquisitions are a key issue for small business, as the best hope of a lucrative payday is often when a big retailer like Woolworths buys them out.
John Durie: ACCC rejects Virgin’s Alliance Aviation FIFO bid
The competition watchdog has rejected Virgin’s request for clearance to continue a five-year agreement with Alliance Aviation to jointly bid for fly-in fly-out contracts throughout the country.
ACCC flags greenwashing and scams as areas of concern in 2021 annual report review
On Tuesday, the ACCC attended the standing committee for economics for a review of the commission’s 2021 annual report. Here are four key takeaways from the session.
ACCC greenwashing crackdown earns startup support as sustainability claims go unchecked
Australia's competition watchdog will soon "sweep" company websites for false or misleading claims about environmental sustainability, with penalties on the cards for serious breaches.
John Durie: ACCC launches civil action against architectural firm over alleged bid rigging
The ACCC has stepped up its war against bid rigging with a civil cartel case against national architects Ashton Raggatt McDougall for allegedly trying to fix a bid for Charles Darwin University in 2020.
ACCC to lead year-long Albanese government inquiry into the increasing cost of childcare
Next month’s budget will include $10.8 million to fund the inquiry, with government sources emphasising the probe would be very rigorous and operators would be put on the spot to explain high fees.
John Durie: ACCC’s criminal cartel case record remains mixed, while civil cases bring more success
The ACCC has a decidedly mixed record in its criminal cartel cases, with the latest being the Vietnamese money case that saw charges dropped against the only defendant who challenged the proceedings.
ACCC launches Qantas investigation, says airline wasn’t ‘realistic’ about flights it could deliver
ACCC is investigating a "number of complaints" about Qantas and warned if "evidence of misleading statements" was found, the watchdog would act accordingly.
