AI can work for you while you sleep. But if your chatbot or AI agent gets it wrong, you could be the one who pays the price.
Articles on Australian Consumer Law
Displaying 1 - 20 of 27 articles
A legal expert explains the allegations against Amazon Australia and US – and why the new case is already making global headlines.
Two experts explain what the new Virgin rules mean, the options for chasing a refund – and how to make it simpler for consumers in future.
Showing one product, but pairing it with the price of a different product, is common on online shopping sites. It’s not just wasting your time: it can be illegal.
Can consumers be confident the products we buy online now are safe? Not really. Changing the law to catch up with other countries would help.
These cases will set the rules for what ‘truth in advertising’ means in Australia – and how closely buyers will need to beware discount price claims.
More than 8 million customers could have a stake in this upcoming court case. The clock is now ticking for them to decide if they want to be involved, or opt out.
Yes, these exclusions are in the fine print of most policies. But with thousands now facing bills for cancelled plans – is this fair? And what can you do about it?
Before you box up your unwanted presents and head to the shops, here’s what Australia’s consumer law says about asking for a return, exchange or refund.
The consumer watchdog has warned retailers it will be on the lookout for a range of misleading sales tactics, from fake countdown clocks to hard-to-read fine print.
There’s no specific ban on adding fees to an advertised price before checkout – also known as drip pricing. But the practice can fall foul of laws that prohibit misleading conduct.
Class actions are a growing trend in the ways consumers access justice. That’s important, as many avenues for consumer protection are too difficult for individuals to pursue.
Meaningful action has largely been delayed. Australians will need to wait for yet another discussion process to be complete before they see what protections may eventually be introduced.
The ACCC has prioritised getting timely compensation to affected customers over pursuing the airline on the more serious charge of collecting fees for no service.
The High Court has found that consumers can be protected even if they haven’t fully read their terms and even if they were outside of Australia when they accepted them.
In dealing with both a digital platform and a private owner, your legal rights as an Airbnb renter can be unclear.
Younger people aged 18 to 28 were more likely to be negatively impacted by manipulative designs on websites and apps.
Australian needs a ‘general safety provision’ that obliges firms to be proactive, not reactive, in ensuring they supply safe consumer products.
As Melburnians are encouraged to wear masks in public, shops and cafes around Australia can already make mask-wearing a condition of entry.
Builders compete for customers by touting the features of their homes. Some builders promote ‘six-star’ home energy ratings in ways that could mislead consumers and breach Australian Consumer Law.
Top contributors
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Professor of Law (consumer protections and credit law), The University of Melbourne
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Senior Lecturer in Law, Adelaide University
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Associate Professor, Faculty of Law & Justice; Lead, UNSW Public Interest Law & Tech Initiative, UNSW
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Professor of Comparative and Transnational Law, University of Sydney; University of Tokyo
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Adjunct Professor of Law, University of New England
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Associate Professor, QUT Law, Faculty of Business and Law, Queensland University of Technology
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Emeritus Professor in Law and Criminal Justice, Adelaide University
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Senior Lecturer, Sydney Law School, University of Sydney
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Erika Bartak is a Friend of The Conversation.
PhD Candidate (& ESD Consultant), Melbourne School of Design, The University of Melbourne
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Senior Lecturer in Law, Adelaide University
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Senior Lecturer in Law & Justice, UNSW
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Professor of Law, University of Newcastle
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Associate Professor in Property, The University of Melbourne
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Honorary Senior Lecturer, UNSW Aviation, UNSW
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Adjunct Professor, School of Law, Swinburne University of Technology