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But without penalties, businesses have continued to use unfair contract terms in their consumer contracts. In late July the Minister for Small Business Julie Collins and the Assistant Minister for Competition, Charities and Treasury Andrew Leigh announced that the government would be introducing legislation to implement penalties for businesses that propose or rely on unfair contract terms. [Extracted from the article]

CHOICE has welcomed the Treasury's proposed legislation to better protect people from unfair contract terms. But unfortunately, the proposal maintains courts as the only way for consumers to challenge unfair contract terms. The proposal includes massive fines for big businesses that do the wrong thing, making it illegal to propose, and to rely on, unfair contract terms and giving courts more flexibility to respond when they do. [Extracted from the article]

The telecommunications provider Superfone recently received a costly reminder that there are rules around unsolicited telemarketing sales. In a case brought by the ACCC, the Federal Court ruled that Superfone had contravened the Australian Consumer Law between June 2017 and December 2018 when cold-calling consumers and signing them up to unsolicited new contracts. [Extracted from the article]