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Spot Check: Are your price reduction ads putting you at risk?

By on 2 August 2009 in advertising, Spot Check, Trade Practices Act

NEW mobile phone!! WAS $399 NOW $199!!

BRAND NEW phone!!  $199 – SAVE over 50%!!

1052433_shoppingAds that show ‘two price’ or ‘was / now’ pricing are common, effective and legal … provided they’re not misleading. There are special rules about how to get ‘was / now” pricing ads right. While care needs to be taken, getting it right is relatively easy.

Getting it wrong can be costly, as the former owners of the Zamel’s jewellery chain have found – the ACCC took them to court over allegedly misleading ‘was / now’ price ads in one of their catalogues. In January 2009, the court handed down a fine of $380,000.

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Test yourself: Does a telco or ISP have to undertake a customer credit assessment ?

By on 30 January 2009 in Code compliance, Spot Check

walletWith tougher times upon us, credit management and credit obligations should be at the forefront of every telco and ISP’s mind.  So does a telco or ISP have to undertake a customer credit assessment ?

Hint - the Telecommunications Consumer Protections Code (C628:2007) (‘TCP Code’) has the answer.

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Test yourself: Who is a Consumer and what is a Consumer Contract ?

By on 27 January 2009 in Code compliance, Making sense of contracts, Spot Check

shopping_trolleyOne of our recent posts raised an interesting question which many ISPs and telcos seem to overlook; Who is a ‘Consumer’ under the CommsAlliance Telecommunications Consumer Protections Code 628:2007 (the “TCP Code”) ?

 The answer has some pretty serious consequences.

When the word ‘Consumer’ is used, one usually thinks mum, dad and the kids, right ? Well, its potentially more like mum, dad, the kids, the local milk bar operator, the local accountant, the local builder and the local solicitor, just to name a few under the TCP Code. So this puts a heap of contracts for telecommunications services into the contracts with ‘Consumers’ pile.
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Spot Check: Thinking of running a competition?

By on 28 July 2008 in Spot Check

Competitions can be an excellent marketing tool – a great way to promote your business, attract new customers or generate interest in a product.

But competitions, where they involve an element of chance, are often regulated as a type of ‘lottery’. In this spot check we’ll look at how a little forward planning can save some unwanted pain down the track.

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Spot check: Does your outbound telesales contract comply with section 12 of DNCR Act?

By on 16 July 2008 in DNCR Act, Spot Check

The Australian Communications and Media Authority is showing that the Do Not Call Register Act 2006 has teeth. $100k+ penalties have already been imposed.

In this Spot Check, we’ll see if your outsourced contract for outbound sales calls complies with section 12 of the DNCR Act.

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