New regulations for warranties against defects on 1 January 2012

From 1 October 2026, Visa, Mastercard and eftpos can ban businesses from adding surcharges to card transactions, enforced through merchant agreements.

Misleading pricing occurs when a business creates a false or misleading impression about the true cost of goods or services, even where the advertised price is technically correct. Under the Australian Consumer Law, businesses must ensure consumers can understand the real price they will be required to pay, including any unavoidable fees, charges, surcharges or conditions affecting price.

Understanding how long unpaid debts remain on Australian credit reports is crucial for managing financial reputation and planning recovery from financial difficulty. This comprehensive guide examines retention periods for defaults, court judgments, bankruptcy information, and other credit listings, while explaining the regulatory framework that governs credit reporting in Australia.

Recent cases demonstrate the importance of ensuring that businesses do not mislead consumers. Tips on how to comply with the ACL.

In its judgement delivered on 14 May 2026, the Federal Court has found that Coles engaged in misleading conduct in relation to its long-running “Down Down” promotion, accepting the ACCC’s case that many advertised discounts were not genuine. The Court held that 13 of the 14 sample “Down Down” tickets examined in the hearing conveyed false or misleading price discount representations because the stated “was” price had not applied for a reasonable period before the promotion.

A reminder that there is a Spam Act which sets out rules relating to spam messages as explained here.

An 11-year-old student suffered a back injury during a long jump trial at a school athletics carnival, leading to a significant Court of Appeal decision that clarifies schools' duty of care obligations. The case examines whether basic safety measures like adequate sand depth and regular pit maintenance constitute reasonable precautions that schools must take to protect students during sporting activities.

The ACCC has made it clear that misleading product descriptions will result in fines and orders for remedial action.

Sometimes a third party who relies on misleading & deceptive conduct may be entitled to damages.

If you're part of the supply chain, you'd be used to the current way of handling product safety incidents which is mostly left in the hands of suppliers to manage and investigate.