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CommBank has found itself in hot water after it was revealed that 2.2 million of its customers were collectively overcharged by $270 million in unjust fees, according to de Silva. This substantial figure highlights a significant issue within the banking sector’s treatment of its clientele.
The bank made $25 million in goodwill payments to approximately 87,000 First Nations concession customer accounts following a 2024 ASIC report, they said.
An ‘unsafe haven’
In 2024, Choice randomly tested 15 products from Temu, all of which failed at least one requirement of Australian regulations designed to keep children safe.
While Temu is popular for its wide range of products and low prices, it’s been criticised for poor customer service, among other issues. Source: Getty / Bloomberg / Raul Ariano
All 15 products were removed from sale. But Temu has “continued to make headlines for safety issues”, de Silva said, referencing an incident last year where a Queensland child suffered burns after a hoodie purchased from Temu she was wearing went up in flames when “rogue sparks” from a firepit landed on it.
A spokesperson for the platform said items were “promptly removed” after safety issues were raised by Choice, and it had further strengthened oversight.
The spokesperson said the company had invested significantly in measures such as vetting sellers, pre-listing checks and monitoring by both automated systems and human review.
Energy retailers’ ‘sneaky’ tactics
The Australian Energy Council, the peak body for energy retailers, said retailers’ marketing practices and how they described their offers were heavily regulated by the Australian Energy Regulator (AER) and monitored by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC).
The spokesperson said the energy council had not seen any modelling to support Choice’s $65 million figure or an explanation of how the group arrived at it.
It’s the 20th year Choice has run its Shonky Awards. Source: Supplied
Private health insurer HCF also received a Shonky Award this year for what Choice described as a “price rise in disguise”.
It argued HCF had done this to bypass the government approval process for health insurance premium increases on existing policies.
The insurer added that challenges with the sustainability of Gold-level coverage reflected broader pressures within the sectors, driven by “higher costs from complex claims, particularly in mental health”.
