Travel trap: Beware of Booking.com scammers
Booking travel and accommodation has never been easier thanks to the internet but, as those who have fallen victim to Booking.com scams have found, the modern convenience is not without its traps.
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.
Staying power: What are your rights if an Airbnb host cancels?
You’re one of the lucky ones who secured tickets to a Taylor Swift concert. You’ve even been organised enough to book a reasonably priced Airbnb for the occasion. The excitement level is rising. Then you get a message: the Airbnb host is cancelling your reservation.
You will have to find somewhere else to stay closer to the event when almost everything is booked out or is really expensive. Worse still, you later discover the host has relisted your accommodation for a higher price for the same time.
Hyundai drivers demand action over peeling paint
Angry Hyundai drivers whose cars are worth little more than scrap due to a common paint peeling issue have ramped up their push for compensation.
About a dozen owners and their supporters drove their shabby looking cars to Channel 7 in Perth for a public protest just before Christmas.
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.