A Trade Practices Act consumer product safety standard for children's portable folding cots was listed on the Federal Register of Legislative Instruments on 22 February 2008 (FRLI No. F2008L00550).
The standard will take effect from 1 March 2009 and will mandate key safety requirements of the Australian and New Zealand standard for portable folding cots—AUS/NZS 2195—including requirements for the security of the folding mechanism, the elimination of entrapment hazards, the safety of the mattress and the provision of safe use warnings.
Amendments to the Franchising Code of Conduct came into effect on 1 March 2008. In light of this, in February the ACCC released both new and updated franchising publications, including:
Recently the Australian Government also released a consolidated version of the code which incorporates the amendments.
The ACCC also began calling for subscriptions to its new Franchising information network—a free subscription service for people who wish to be kept up-to-date with developments on the Franchising Code of Conduct from the ACCC.
For more information about the amendments and the publications or to obtain a subscription form, visit the ACCC franchising webpage. Alternatively, contact the ACCC Infocentre on 1300 302 502.
The ACCC has also consulted extensively with industry stakeholders on the issue of carbon offset claims as part of its information-gathering process ahead of releasing guidance on this topic later in the year.
In February the ACCC participated in Fraud Fortnight, which ran from 24 February to 8 March 2008. Fraud Fortnight raises awareness about the increasing dangers of scams and the steps consumers can take to protect themselves from scams. Week one of the campaign focused on 'seductive' scams and week two focused on deceptive scams.
Fraud Fortnight is a campaign of the Australasian Consumer Fraud Taskforce. Established in March 2005, the taskforce comprises 19 federal and state government regulatory agencies and departments (including those from New Zealand) with responsibility for consumer protection relating to frauds and scams.
The taskforce is part of the Mass-Market Global Fraud project of the International Consumer Protection Enforcement Network. Due to the exponential growth of global scams, over 30 ICPEN consumer regulatory agencies around the world participate in campaigns to warn consumers about global scams and fraud.
ACCC launches new SCAMwatch tool in Fraud Fortnight
The ACCC announced changes to its SCAMwatch website to help Australians recognise and protect themselves from scams. The ACCC now publishes 'mock' scams and examples of real scams on its SCAMwatch website to educate consumers about the elements of common scams and the warning signs to look out for.
SCAMwatch lists a range of the different types of scams reaching consumers and provides practical advice and information about how to recognise, avoid and report scams.
The changes to SCAMwatch coincided with the second week of the Australasian Consumer Fraud Taskforce's annual Fraud Fortnight campaign. The campaign, which ran until 8 March, raised awareness and educated consumers about the dangers of scams and the steps that they can take to protect themselves from scams.
Launch of revised 'The little black book of scams'
A revised version of The little black book of scams was released in February. It highlights a variety of popular scams that regularly target Australian consumers and small business in areas such as fake lotteries, internet shopping, mobile phones, online banking, employment and investment opportunities. It also offers consumers tips on how to protect themselves from scams, what they can do to minimise damage if they do get scammed and how they can report a scam.
