Acting on advice from the ACCC, the Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasurer, the Hon. Chris Pearce MP, issued an unsafe goods notice banning the supply of toothpaste containing more than 0.25 per cent by weight of diethylene glycol (DEG) on 3 August 2007.
DEG has a meaningful risk of toxicity and injury to consumers, particularly to children and to individuals with kidney or liver disease. Although toothpaste is not intended to be swallowed, the unintentional swallowing or ingestion of toothpaste containing DEG is a matter for concern, particularly if it is present in significant concentrations.
The ban follows a warning notice on toothpaste containing DEG on 12 June 2007, in which the Parliamentary Secretary advised consumers to discontinue using any toothpaste listing DEG as an ingredient.
Regulation 6 of the Trade Practices (Consumer Product Safety Standard)(Bicycle Helmets) Regulations 2001 incorporates a 'sunset' provision providing that the standard expires on 31 August 2007. Minor amendment has extended the operation of the regulations to 12 December 2008. This will permit finalisation of reviews of the current mandatory standard and the Australian Standard on which it is based.
The ACCC launched a new ‘must read’ publication for franchisees—The franchisee manual.
This manual is a comprehensive publication that will assist persons considering buying a franchise and existing franchisees to understand and comply with the code at all stages in the franchise relationship, including before the purchase, when evaluating and signing the agreement and throughout the ongoing relationship.
The ACCC has released a new series of publications for consumers about refunds and warranties and warranties for services. The flyers and a revised version of the popular refunds 'wallet card' complement the ACCC's brochure, Warranties & refunds, and give consumers a snapshot of their rights under the Trade Practices Act.
The flyers will provide consumers with information on the steps they can take to resolve a dispute involving a refund or warranty, and how to complain to the ACCC.
You can view these publications on the ACCC website.
Dealing with debt: your rights and responsibilities
The ACCC and the Australian Securities and Investments Commission have issued a joint consumer publication, Dealing with debt: your rights and responsibilities, in six languages. The free booklet, designed to assist consumers experiencing problems dealing with debt or with debt collectors, is now available in Arabic, Chinese, Greek, Italian, Turkish and Vietnamese.
The booklet contains practical advice and information about what to do in situations that can arise when handling debts; it also provides useful guidance and tips on how to manage debts and where to go for more help in a debt crisis.
You can view these publications on the ACCC website.
Resale price maintenance and power tool sales—the Tooltechnic decision
The ACCC also released Resale price maintenance and power tool sales—the Tooltechnic decision. This is a fact sheet for small businesses that explains the resale price maintenance provisions of the Act and discusses the recent proceedings in the Federal Court against Tooltechnic Systems (Aust) Pty Ltd.
This fact sheet can be viewed on the ACCC website.
