Rent increases: Do tenants have any rights?
Your landlord has just hit you with another rent rise. But this one isn’t just incremental, in keeping with inflation or the cost of living. It’s a jump of several hundred dollars a week. How are you going to afford it?
Privacy risks: Tackling facial recognition technology head on
Have you seen any signs about the use of facial recognition technology when you’ve been out shopping? CCTV is one thing, but this controversial technology raises more concerns about breaches of our privacy.
Smart money: How to avoid PayID scams
Have you heard about PayID scams? Perhaps you or a friend have fallen foul of the electronic payment system?
More than 18 million Australians have signed up to use PayID since its launch six years ago. The attraction is simple: it’s easy to use, free, and money is transferred quickly – whether you’re paying or being paid. The unique identifier (the ID part) is linked to your bank account and you only need a mobile number or email (and an ABN or CBN if you’re a business) to send and receive money.
The Australian Banking Association maintains it’s one of the most important steps customers can take to prevent scams, but the mobile-friendly service hasn’t been immune to scammers. Even the tech-savvy younger generation - least likely to be caught in other financial scams - has been caught out.
Online platforms such as Facebook Marketplace and Gumtree are popular hunting grounds for PayID scams.
Join Handle My Complaint and reap the rewards
If you’ve ever spent hours on the phone trying to sort out an issue with a product or service, or been given the run-around by a company’s complaints department, you’ll see the value in getting someone else to do the legwork for you.
Consumer law update needed to combat ‘junk insurance’
Handle My Complaint is urging the Federal Government to protect consumers from so-called ‘junk insurance’ by making the Australian Consumer Law clearer.
Maurice Blackburn Lawyers filed a class action against JB Hi-Fi in the Supreme Court of Victoria last week, claiming that extended warranties offer no benefit to consumers.
Driving data: Your car could be invading your privacy
Did you know you could be driving a privacy nightmare? The computer on wheels that enables you to find your way and navigate traffic hazards is sharing information you never thought possible, including your sexual activity.
Buckle up: Tips to trim the budget this Christmas
Are you feeling the pinch? Perhaps you’ve already cut back on discretionary spending. Or are contemplating a much more frugal Christmas season.
You’re not alone. New research shows while Australians are tipped to spend almost $5 billion on online shopping in the leadup to Christmas this year, almost half of those surveyed are planning to spend less than the same time in 2022. And almost 80 percent said they plan to cut back on non-essential spending in the same period.
Sales season: Stay out of the red this Black Friday
The emails are lobbing into your inbox with increasing regularity. You may even be getting alerts on your phone. The flashing ads are all over websites. All of them promise you amazing deals and unprecedented discounts.
There is no escaping the fact we’re hurtling toward Black Friday. And peak spending season. This mad day of discounts traditionally marks the start of Christmas shopping in the United States, falling just after Thanksgiving.
Network failure: Let us help you get what Optus owes you
Are you one of the millions of Australians affected by the Optus outage? Are you wondering if it’s worth your time and effort to put in a claim for compensation?
The good news is, yes, it is - despite what you might be hearing from Optus. And we can help you do it with the minimum of fuss.
Close call: Should you upgrade your phone?
It’s that familiar feeling in the lead-up to the launch of the latest and (if advertising is to be believed) greatest smartphone ever to come on the market.
You look at the one in your hand, the one that has done its job very well for the past year. And suddenly, it doesn’t seem so appealing.