A report of the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission’s activities
The ACCC’s SCAMwatch website provides consumers and small businesses with information about scams. The Scamwatch website attracted 445 026 unique visitors this quarter
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- 37.Support a vibrant small business sector
- During the December quarter the ACCC Infocentre served 2562 contacts from small businesses.
- 38.Franchising Consultative Committee
- 39.Small Business Franchising Consultative Committee
- 40.Identify and address the risk of serious injury and death from safety hazards in consumer products
- 41.Product safety recalls
The ACCC’s SCAMwatch website provides consumers and small businesses with information about scams. The Scamwatch website attracted 445 026 unique visitors this quarter.Four Scamwatch radar alerts were issued to 37 928 subscribers warning the public to beware of scammers pretending to be from Microsoft and Centrelink, and to be cautious of fake sellers when shopping online for Christmas. Scamwatch also alerted the public to a fake parcel delivery scam that is a guise for downloading ransomware. The ACCC also operates SCAMwatch Twitter which alerts the public to scams targeting consumers and businesses how to recognise, avoid and report them. Our Scamwatch Twitter account continued to expand its reach with almost 10 000 followers by the end of the quarter, and 89 tweets posted during the quarter.37.Support a vibrant small business sectorThe ACCC helps to ensure small businesses understand and comply with their obligations and encourages them to exercise their rights under the CCA. The ACCC’s aim is to promote a competitive and fair operating environment for small business and to ensure that small businesses understand how the legislation can help them.During the December quarter the ACCC Infocentre served 2562 contacts from small businesses.The ACCC continued to promote its three free online education programs:a program for small businesses - where more than 20 700 users have accessed this program since its launch in April 2013 including almost 1500 this quarter a program for tertiary students - where almost 21 000 users have accessed this program since its launch in November 2013 including more than 4000 this quarter, and a franchising pre-entry education program, administered by Griffith University - where more than 9600 people have enrolled in this program since July 2010 including around 460 this quarter.
The new business-to-business, unfair contract terms (UCT) law received Royal Assent on 12 November 2015. The new law extends the protections available to consumers in relation to small business standard form contracts which are entered into or renewed on or after 12 November 2016.The ACCC commenced an education campaign to raise awareness among businesses of their rights and responsibilities under the new UCT law. This education campaign will run throughout the 12 month transition period and activities to date have included a:media release website guidance social media release of two animated videos, and digital advertising and promotion through key small business stakeholders. A joint webinar with ASIC about the new law will be held on 16 March 2016. From the campaign’s commencement in November to 31 December 2015: Facebook advertising activity reached almost 920 000 people and received approximately 5000 likes, 1200 shares and 500 comments tweets were seen more than 265 000 times, and the new web pages were viewed more than 8600 times.
During the transition period the ACCC is engaging with five industries including franchising, retail leasing, advertising services, telecommunications services and independent contracting to identify potentially unfair terms in standard form contracts and invite businesses to make voluntary changes to their agreements to address any concerns.This quarter more than 20 email updates were sent through the ACCC's small business, franchising, horticulture and cartel information networks, reaching a combined total of more than 6800 subscribers. The updates informed subscribers about recent ACCC enforcement action and other relevant topics including the new business-to-business UCT law and the membership review processes for the ACCC's consultative committees.Small Business Consultative Committee The Small Business Consultative Committee (SBCC) was established to inform the ACCC of emerging competition and consumer law issues relating to small businesses. The ACCC held its 16th SBCC meeting on 16 October 2015. Issues discussed included recent ACCC enforcement activity and the Infinity Cable recall. The Treasury provided an update on the implementation of the Small Business & Family Enterprise Ombudsman.38.Franchising Consultative CommitteeThe Franchising Consultative Committee (FCC) was established to provide a forum through which competition and consumer concerns relating to the franchising sector and other franchising issues could be considered and addressed collaboratively. The ACCC held its 16th FCC meeting on 23 October 2015.39.Small Business & Franchising Consultative CommitteeAfter consultation with SBCC and FCC members a decision was made to amalgamate the SBCC and FCC into one committee, the Small Business & Franchising Consultative Committee (SBFCC). The first meeting of the SBFCC will be held in May 2016.40.Identify and address the risk of serious injury and death from safety hazards in consumer productsThe ACCC uses an intelligence-led approach to assess current and emerging safety risks. The ACCC reviews numerous data sources to identify safety issues. Data sources include mandatory reports of serious illness, injury or death, recalls that have taken place internationally and information received from the community. The ACCC assesses information received and takes action including:negotiating the recall of goods educating industry and consumers negotiating voluntary changes to packaging labelling or product design working to introduce changes to voluntary or mandatory requirements, and introducing and/or working to implement changes to product safety mandatory standards and bans.
Note: ACCC-negotiated recalls are prompted by consumer complaints, supplier intelligence, market-place surveillance, overseas recalls and other Commonwealth and state/territory regulator referral. Samsung top-loading washing machines recall Directory: system -> files files -> Haiti Relief – esf 15 Support Organization Situation Report # 17 1/28/10 files -> Haiti Relief – esf 15 Support Organization Situation Report # 16 1/27/10 files -> Right to Carbon or Right to Life: Human Rights Approaches to Climate Change files -> Enhancing interactive learning in the classroom with Turning Point files -> Curriculum vita files -> - files -> Acknowledgements files -> Nw, Washington D. C 20037 Telephone: (202)884-1080, (202)939-6125/7 files -> Grey-headed Flying-fox Management Strategy for the Lower Hunter Grey-headed Flying-fox Download 352.6 Kb. Share with your friends:
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