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Insider Tips

How can we be of service? Let us count the ways. We actually mean service – unlike those who have promised it before and didn’t show up when it counted most. Consider these insider tips your key to consumer affairs.

Are you one of the thousands of Australians affected by Qantas flight cancellations? Forced into a long layover at an international airport? Or hundreds of extra dollars out of pocket after your flight was rescheduled at the last minute?

You would be furious to learn that the national carrier had cancelled those flights well before you booked. Or that even if you had booked a real flight, rather than a ‘ghost’ one, Qantas delayed telling you that it had cancelled your flight for an average of 18 days.

With everything from fuel, utility, to grocery bills rising constantly, Australians are watching their pennies – cutting back on luxuries, leaving heaters off, adding more blankets in winter, and catching the bus instead of driving.

But food isn't just another bill—it's a necessity. We have to eat, ideally healthily - shunning fast food and snacks in favour of fruit and vegetables, lean meat and seafood. But with food prices increasing an average of eight percent a year (many items have risen a lot more), the grocery bill is taking a bigger and bigger slice out of household budgets each week.

If you’re a serious collector, chances are you’re not prepared to part with anything in your possession without good reason.

But what if you found out something that’s been gathering dust on top of a shelf or hidden in boxes under the stairs was highly collectible and therefore valuable? Perhaps it’s the coin or stamp collection you started when you were a kid and abandoned when you discovered the Xbox?

The world moves fast, but the internet often doesn’t. If you’re one of the two million Australians whose internet speed is slower than a wet weekend, you’ll no doubt be pleased to hear this big tech update: you can now upgrade to full-fibre. But there’s a catch.

And it’s not the only news you should be across in the tech world. Let’s take a look at some of the changes worth wrapping our heads around.

Superannuation is our retirement safety net, a nest egg no one wants to access too early. But there are many reasons why you might need to do so, not the least of which is financial distress.

The Australian Financial Complaints Authority (AFCA) says the number of complaints involving delays in the handling of superannuation claims has jumped in the past year, from 18 percent of all complaints in 2022 to 24 percent in May 2023.

More than one million Australian families used childcare last year. If you were one of them, you know how expensive it has become.

After a six-month investigation, the Australian Consumer and Competition Commission (ACCC) handed down its interim report into the sector earlier this month.

The ACCC found that childcare fees were rising faster than inflation and wage growth, and government subsidies have failed to keep pace.

Are you being hounded by a debt collector? Are there endless phone calls and texts? Perhaps they are even calling or texting family members or friends to try to get hold of you. Here’s how to handle debt collectors.

No one wants to be chased for money, especially at a time they are feeling vulnerable and under financial stress. While businesses are entitled to expect payment for a product or service, there are rules and regulations around debt collection. There are also places you can go to get help dealing with debt collectors, so don’t feel backed into a corner.