CHOICE magazine - August preview

AUGUST 2018

STRAIGHT TALK

YELLOW FEVER

Extras health cover for orthodontics

What’s so good about turmeric?

PET FOOD

BAD MEDICINE TESTS

Not as safe as it should be

The pharmacy products you don’t need

Kettles and toasters Washing machines Mobile power banks Dryers Ovens Printers

COUNT ON THESE

The most reliable product brands

01 cover.indd 1

232 products reviewed

19/07/2018 9:55 AM

COMMENT

Unsung umpires Strong ombudsmen make business play fair

W

hen there’s an outbreak of complaints in an industry, the popular response is often to blame the ombudsman.

We saw that prior to the banking royal commission and now we’re seeing it in telecommunications, with the government responding to the wave of complaints about NBN services by suggesting that the Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman lose some of its powers.

You can always find people who are unhappy with an ombudsman’s decision – and yes, ombudsmen don’t always get it right – but we need to be careful about pulling apart a system that serves most consumers very well.

Through 2016 and 2017, I worked on an independent review of complaints and dispute resolution in the financial system. We looked at how complaints were resolved, spoke to consumers who’d used ombudsmen, consulted the community legal centres that often assist them, and examined how complaints are handled overseas.

All of this led us to one conclusion: that if you get the ombudsman model right, it’s one of the best ways to provide justice for consumers.

We recommended that the ombudsman model be strengthened,

and the government acted upon this by establishing the Australian Financial Complaints Authority.

Of course, ombudsman schemes aren’t without their critics. Some say they’re controlled by industry. That’s just not true. Their boards typically have equal numbers of directors with industry and consumer advocacy experience, and an independent chair, so industry representatives are in the minority.

Critics also point to the fact that ombudsman schemes are industryfunded. But that’s a huge strength.

The funding model typically means that the firms that generate the most disputes pay the most. This creates a powerful incentive for firms to resolve customer disputes as early as possible.

Industry funding also means that ombudsman schemes are free to consumers, which is important. People who have lost their savings through shonky financial advice are in no position to pay to lodge a complaint.

And before we consider dismantling ombudsmen, think of the alternatives.

The last thing we want to do is force consumers to pursue complex complaints through courts or tribunals, because those processes will always favour the party with the biggest legal budget. That’s never the consumer.

Ombudsman schemes aren’t perfect. But at their best, they’re a fast and efficient way of resolving complaints. If we give them the right powers and resources, they can be the answer rather than the problem.

Alan Kirkland, CEO Email: alan@choice.com.au Twitter: @AlanKirkland For general membership and consumer enquiries, phone 1800 069 552

CHOICE CHOICE gives you the power to choose the best goods and services, and avoid the worst. We pay full price for the products we test, so we remain 100% independent.

We don’t take advertising or freebies from industry.

We’re not a government body and our consumer publishing and advocacy is almost entirely funded by membership. Memberships include online access and services such as CHOICE Help. CHOICE product ratings are based on lab tests, expert assessments

and consumer surveys. CHOICE staff also research a wide range of consumer services. They reveal the truth behind the facts and figures, and investigate the quality and the claims.

BECOME A MEMBER To review the full range of membership options and benefits go to choice.com.au/signup.

MEMBERSHIPS/RENEWALS Call 1800 069 552 or email us at ausconsumer@choice.com.au.

2 /// AUGUST 2018 CHOICE

02-03 Contents comment.indd 2

19/07/2018 9:57 AM

CONTENTS

19

38 4 Checkout

News, views and sneak peeks

36 Energy bills How CHOICE Transformer is saving people hundreds of dollars a year

14 Your Say

16 Fool’s gold?

38 Ditch the plastic

19 Pet food regulation

41 Tow trucks

We investigate the health claims around turmeric The risks to your furry friends

23 Remove item from the bagging area

Ten pharmacy products you don’t need

26 Extras health cover

Policies for orthodontics, seniors and all-round value

30 Restricted health funds

Delivering on hospital cover

32 On the road again?

The best multi-trip travel insurance policies

34 Bag a TV bargain

Knowing your model codes could help you save

02-03 Contents comment.indd 3

Five plastic alternatives that you can switch to now

Broken down? Don’t get taken for a ride

46 55 Push the button

Washing machine and dryer settings explained

59 Printers

Ink costs can make budget buys more expensive over time

62 Fully charged

Power banks that pack a punch

66 Product reliability The brands you love and loathe

44 Ask the Experts 75 Index 76 Hard Word TESTS

Spice up your life P16

46 Breakfast of champions

Start your day right with the best kettles and toasters

52 Ovens

High-end doesn’t always mean high performing

19/07/2018 9:57 AM

4 FIRST LOOK Fitbit Versa

T

on your wrist at night, use the continuous heart rate tracking and listen to lots of music.

The latest OS update also includes women’s health tracking, which lets you log menstrual periods, track your cycle and gauge ovulation.

Various exercise modes will let you track your session when you’re connected to your smartphone, and the subscriptionbased Coaching app (with in-app

he Fitbit Versa is a smaller, cheaper, more stylish sibling of the Ionic, which performed well in our CHOICE May 18 review of fitness trackers. While you don’t get everything on the Versa that the Ionic offers, most notably onboard GPS, you do get a fitness watch with battery life measured in days rather than hours.

Lifestyle and leisure The Versa has some features that would be considered more lifestyle than fitness, including: ● a weather app ● tap and pay, which lets you buy stuff without using your phone or wallet ● support for text, email and calendar notifications.

Android phone users will be able to select a number of replies to texts straight from the watch but unfortunately for iPhone users this feature isn’t supported for iOS. While notifications are the most requested feature in a smartwatch, app support for things like transport, maps and social networks will add further to the appeal of the Versa.

The Versa is somewhat lacking in entertainment options for Australian users. This model doesn’t support Spotify, and while it does provide access to Deezer and Pandora, this isn’t very useful for Australians as these services are either no longer available or not particularly popular. However, it’s easy to move your favourite songs or playlists to the watch using the Fitbit media app on your PC or Mac. You can also download and listen to podcasts as long as they’re not copyright-protected.

The Versa has great battery life, stylish design and enough smarts to be useful, not complicated Serious fitness Fitness and health features include: ● a heart rate monitor with continuous tracking ● water resistance to 50 metres for swim training ● wireless syncing to Bluetooth headphones so you can listen to your music (300+ songs with 2.5GB storage) on your watch while on a run ● sleep tracking.

While sleep tracking is a very useful feature, the claimed battery life of more than four days is going to take a hit if you leave the watch

purchases) is available for some serious curated workouts.

CHOICE verdict If you’re an Android smartphone owner looking for a reasonably priced fitness watch that looks like an Apple Watch, look no further.

The Versa is a true fitness device with great battery life, stylish design and enough smarts to be useful without being complicated. If you own an iPhone, the Apple Watch Series One is still a better option for the price, with stronger integration with Apple apps and notifications.

4 /// AUGUST 2018 CHOICE

04-05 Checkout 1.indd 4

19/07/2018 11:36 AM

CHECKOUT

Portacots fail multiple safety tests

T

en out of 12 portacots recently tested by CHOICE failed to meet mandatory Australian safety standards, posing suffocation and injury risks to babies, and all 12 failed a stricter voluntary standard.

It’s estimated that these 12 portacots represent about a third of models currently available through major Australian stores. However, portacots have a long history of safety concerns.

“We have tested more than 91 portacots since 2000, and the great majority of models fail to completely meet the mandatory safety standard, let alone the more stringent voluntary standard,” says Chris Barnes, who leads our household products team.

IMAGES: SHUTTERSTOCK AND ISTOCK

MATTRESS FIRMNESS A RISK FACTOR Most of the safety failures relate to the portacot mattress either being not firm enough or not fitting snugly inside the portacot base.

Soft or poorly fitting mattresses can increase the risk of sudden unexpected infant death.

The mandatory standard requires that mattresses be sufficiently firm, but doesn’t define the test that should be used to assess firmness. Our tests used the method outlined in the voluntary standard, released in 2010, to determine whether a mattress is firm enough to be safe.

Big W issued a voluntary recall of its Dymples portacot after being presented with our findings. Several companies promised to retest their cots after we approached them, but if they have we are yet to see the results. However, some companies maintain that there is nothing wrong with their products and have refused to retest or offer refunds.

REFUND RIGHTS If you’ve bought a portacot that fails to meet the safety standard, you may be entitled to seek a refund – although you could have a battle on your hands to get one.

“If the product has failed our tests, we believe it does not meet the consumer guarantee laws and people who have these Bottom of the class cots should take them Mandatory Voluntary back to the manufacturer Product standard standard or retailer to seek a 4baby Liteway Travel Cot Fail Fail refund,” says Sarah Babyhood Bambino Dormire 2 in 1 Porta Cot Pass Fail Agar, CHOICE head of Baby Solutions Travel Porta-cot (Kmart) Fail Fail campaigns and policy.

Childcare Trio 3 In 1 Travel Cot Fail Fail “People also need Dymples Portacot (Big W) Fail Fail to know that it may Ingenuity Smart & Simple Travel Cot Fail Fail not be easy to get a Joie Excursion Change & Rock Travel Cot Fail Fail refund, which is why our Love N Care Playland Travel Cot Fail Fail campaign to create safer Phil & Teds Traveller 4 Fail Fail products is so important.”

Steelcraft Snooze-n-Play Portable Cot Pass Fail* To find out more and Target Holiday Portacot (Target) Fail Fail join the campaign, visit Vee Bee Amado Travel & Play Cot Fail Fail campaigns.choice.com. * Passes CHOICE key safety tests when used without bassinet. au/safeproducts.

04-05 Checkout 1.indd 5

19/07/2018 11:36 AM

6 Ruler is the new rule on country of origin

S

tronger country of origin labelling laws will give shoppers a clearer picture of where their food comes from, but some food manufacturers have left it to the last minute to change their packaging.

The new standard came into effect on 1 July, and requires most foods sold in shops and supermarkets to carry a country of origin label. This includes a ruler showing the proportion of Australian ingredients in the product, as well as the iconic green and gold kangaroo logo for foods grown, produced or made in Australia.

A two-year transition period should have given businesses plenty of time to adapt their packaging to the new regime. But when CHOICE headed to major supermarket freezer sections in early July, we found that some big brands still weren’t with the program.

Frozen vegetable packets from Birds Eye carried a simple ‘Made in Australia’ label, while Heinz frozen greens were labelled ‘Made in New Zealand from imported and local ingredients’. If you want to know where the vegies were grown, these labels are useless.

The new rules allow food packaged before 1 July to be sold with the old labelling. The ACCC has begun market surveillance to make sure new products are sticking to the rules.

“Some consumers are willing to pay extra for products grown, produced or made in Australia, and producers and importers should be aware that any claim which is likely to mislead consumers will also be a breach of the law,” says ACCC deputy chair Mick Keogh. “We just want to ensure that consumers can make informed choices and businesses have a level playing field to compete fairly in relation to these claims.”

AMP faces court over bad advice

A

t least half a dozen financial advisers told clients to temporarily go without life insurance in order to maximise the commissions they’d be paid, according to the corporate regulator.

The Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) is taking AMP Financial Planning to court, alleging that the company knew that several financial advisers were engaging in conduct that went against their clients’ best interests, and failed to take appropriate action.

The case centres around financial adviser Rommel Panganiban, who between 2013 and 2015 advised at least 30 clients to drop their AMP life insurance policies and apply for a new, similar policy. Advisers got a much better commission with a new application than when clients simply transferred policies. Meanwhile, his clients ran the risk of being uninsured during the process.

Panganiban was permanently banned from providing financial services in 2016, with ASIC finding he was “not of good fame and character”. The regulator now alleges that up to five other AMP advisers gave the same dodgy advice to at least 10 clients.

According to ASIC, AMP failed to take reasonable steps to deal with the misconduct. Such a failure is against the Corporations Act and might see the company fined $1 million per breach.

6 /// AUGUST 2018 CHOICE

06-07 Checkout 2.indd 6

19/07/2018 10:01 AM

CHECKOUT

Dispatches from the royal commission

T

he royal commission has heard evidence of dodgy sales tactics for junk funeral insurance products in Indigenous communities.

Back in 2015, Let’s Insure ran competitions pitting sales reps against each other. With holidays to Las Vegas and a Vespa scooter on offer for the biggest closers, sales of funeral insurance in Indigenous communities spiked.

Unfortunately, so did misconduct and pushy sales tactics that crossed into illegality. The spike was also blamed on referral programs, which encouraged people to give over the contact details of friends and family in exchange for vouchers.

Another funeral insurer targeted Indigenous people under the misleading name Aboriginal

Community Benefit Fund (ACBF), despite the fact that it was not an Aboriginal organisation. ACBF had been required by court order to put a disclaimer in its ads to this effect since 1999, and the commission was shown several instances when the company had ignored this order.

The commission heard from Tracey Walsh, who bought a policy with ACBF thinking it was an Aboriginal organisation, in part because the business used the rainbow serpent in its marketing material.

“On the posters it had the rainbow serpent, which is very important to the Indigenous community,” she says. She was charged total premiums over $10,000, even

though the policy would only ever pay out $8000. She was only able to increase her cover after a complaint to the ombudsman.

$9 million dollar slap on the wrist for Apple

IMAGES: SHUTTERSTOCK

T

hat’s how much tech giant Apple was fined for misleading customers about their consumer rights over faulty iPhones and iPads.

After a botched operating system update led to some devices becoming unuseable, some owners sought a fix through third-party repairers. At least 275 people were told they’d be unable to get repairs or refunds from Apple if they went through a third-party repairer.

The Federal Court found this was a misrepresentation of their rights under the Australian Consumer Law. Apple made $US229bn ($310bn) in revenue in 2017.

With a $9 million fine, they might think twice before doing that again.

Correction

I

n our review of hospital insurance (CHOICE Jul 18, p44) we stated that Medibank Standard covers hip/knee replacements in a public hospital, when in fact the policy excludes this treatment altogether.

This does not change our recommendation of this policy in our accident cover category in NT.

CHOICE AUGUST 2018 /// 7

06-07 Checkout 2.indd 7

19/07/2018 10:00 AM

8 Vale The Checkout

T

Plastic bags gone, sky remains intact

S

hoppers in Tasmania, SA, NT and Canberra might be wondering what the fuss is all about.

Woolworths ditched single-use plastic bags in all its stores in late June, replacing them with thicker reuseable bags sold for 15c each. The decision to take bags out of all stores came ahead of bans in WA and Queensland which came into effect in July.

In the first week the supermarket received a barrage of complaints from cranky customers and in WA a Woolies staff member was allegedly assaulted by an irate customer.

The backlash was so emphatic that Woolies opted to give away the new bags for ten days. Coles did the same after its own ban came into effect on 1 July.

“For some, it can be difficult to get into the routine of bringing your own bags to the supermarket or know exactly how many you may need for your entire shop,” Coles chief operating officer Greg Davis says. “We want to do everything we can to help our customers.”

Unions are also running radio ads asking the public not to threaten supermarket staff.

Single use plastic bags have been banned since 2009 in SA and 2011 in the territories.

he ABC won’t be renewing the consumer affairs show The Checkout, citing budget cuts and the cost of production.

“The Checkout was very much a program shaped by information that ABC viewers of all ages sent in,” executive producer Julian Morrow wrote in a statement.

“The Checkout’s inbox was always overflowing with rip-offs, corporate double-speak and advertising fails from the sinister to the silly. The rip-offs will continue, but unfortunately it seems The Checkout will not.”

On air since 2013, The Checkout used satire and detailed investigations to offer a fresh and entertaining perspective on consumer rights issues. The producers often collaborated with CHOICE – our lifestyle editor Kate Browne was a regular writer and presenter on the show.

“The Checkout has made an enormous contribution to raising general awareness of consumer rights,” says CHOICE CEO Alan Kirkland. “The people behind it – including Julian Morrow and Craig Reucassel, as well as the newer talent they’ve supported – are genuinely passionate about consumer rights. Craig and Julian have also been generous with their time, each of them hosting the CHOICE Shonky awards on a pro bono basis.

“We’ve helped them out along the way through providing space for filming, workshopping story ideas, verifying facts and providing actors for some of their segments. Kate Browne’s scriptwriting and presenting of Guilty Mum was a particular highlight. In the past few seasons it was hard to watch a show without seeing multiple mentions of CHOICE’s research.”

8 /// AUGUST 2018 CHOICE

08-09 Checkout 3.indd 8

19/07/2018 10:01 AM

CHECKOUT

WORLD VIEW

Don’t let the meat bug you, this is a tasty burger

T

he life of a professional product tester isn’t just about playing with the newest gadgets and most cuttingedge consumer technologies.

Sometimes it means chowing down on a burger made from insect mince.

With the introduction of Germany’s first (and so far only) insect burger in April, it was only proper that testers

at CHOICE’s sister organisation Stiftung Warentest overcame their natural revulsion and taste tested Bugfoundation’s Insekten Burger.

Pitched as an environmentally friendly alternative to beef, the patties are made from soy and the larvae of Alphitobius diaperinus, known as buffalo worms. The larvae are farmed in the Netherlands, and so far the

burgers are sold in the frozen food sections of supermarkets in western Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands.

With a loose, “falafel-like” structure, the bugburger has a spicy, slightly nutty flavour. The testers were unable to discern any sign of the source protein, either visible or gustable.

“You do not see whole worms,” says the review. “According to the provider they are finely minced.”

Sadly, the packaging wasn’t clear on just how much of the burger is made of bug larvae. Other ingredients include rapeseed oil, onions, soy sauce and tomato paste.

The 100g patty had 18g of fat – more than a beef patty overall but a greater proportion of unsaturated. The bugburger is rich in protein and iron, but also salt, having at least a quarter of the recommended daily intake.

The verdict from our German compatriots? Don’t be a wuss and just give it a go, essentially. The reviewers stand by the nutritional value of the buffalo worm patty, and think it tastes similar to vegetarian burgers. We’ll take their word for it.

Fitness app not fit for purpose

IMAGES: SHUTTERSTOCK

A

popular brand of fitness tracker remained on sale for weeks after support for its companion app was discontinued.

An investigation by consumer group Which? found that the Jawbone UP line of wearables was still being sold by Amazon, Groupon and Selfridges four weeks after the manufacturer stopped supporting the app which connected the tracker to users’ accounts. The retailers removed the products from their websites after being approached by Which?

Jawbone went into liquidation last year and sold off its remaining stock to a third-party reseller. Problems transferring the UP app service to the new provider caused the outage, which began in late May and continued into July with no end in sight. Users had reported not being able to sync data between their device and account, and some were unable to log in at all.

Which? encouraged Jawbone owners who were affected to seek a refund from their point of purchase.

CHOICE AUGUST 2018 /// 9

08-09 Checkout 3.indd 9

19/07/2018 10:02 AM

10

THE MEMORY HOLE 1977 It’s August 1977. The country is in the grip of rising unemployment, and “Advance Australia Fair” has just been voted our national song.

Meanwhile, tabloids are having a field day as royals descend on the country in celebration of Queen Elizabeth’s Silver Jubilee

T

he Australian Consumers’ Association (which publishes CHOICE) was busy pushing the product safety agenda. Two of our council members had recently been appointed to the national Consumer Affairs Advisory Council. New laws now permitted the minister for consumer affairs to slap an 18-month ban on businesses selling certain goods if their safety standards weren’t up to scratch.

All well and good, we wrote, but without government facilities for product testing and research, dangerous goods would only come to light when “they are already on sale and have killed or injured someone”. The minister also had no power to institute a recall, just ban things from sale. Time to act!

Speaking of time, this month we featured a review of digital watches, which were quickly becoming more affordable – more than half of all timepieces sold in America were now digital, and it was Australia’s turn to get a piece of the action.

With prices ranging from $19.95 to $345 ($109 to a staggering $1889 today) we decided to limit our survey to more reasonably priced watches – under $60 ($328). We ordered 10, and received nine, and never got our money back for the one that disappeared – always take the registered post option!

We ran these watches through their paces, testing their accuracy over a week at room temperature, minus 5 degrees, and sweating it out at 40 degrees. The extreme

10-11 Checkout 4.indd 10

conditions made the watches go up to 85 seconds off.

In the end, the dizzying array of features – who really needs to know what second it is? – and the cost of replacing the battery (up to $9.50, $52 today) made us question whether digital watches were really a product for everyone. They are “an acquired taste. In most ways they are less convenient to use than conventional watches. What you get for your money is a promise of higher accuracy than you probably need.”

Best to wait and see if prices drop more, or the fad passes.

Speaking of technological advancements, our review of SLR cameras gave the thumbs up to new automatic models. These were great for amateur holiday snaps, since they took the trouble out of having to fiddle with aperture or shutter speed settings. Pick up an Asahi Pentax K2 if you’ve got a spare $558 ($3056) laying around.

We also looked at low-joule foods that claimed to be “suitable for diabetics”. What we found was a sample of dodgy nutritional claims and high-priced rip offs. Alexander’s Milk Sugarless Chocolate contained 50% more than the claimed carbohydrates. Favourite Diabetic Mocca Wafers had nearly twice as much as the pack claims – at more than double the unit price of a “normal” Arnotts’ biscuit.

19/07/2018 10:11 AM

CHECKOUT

RANTS AND RAVES My year of consumer wins

IMAGES: SHUTTERSTOCK

I

’ve learned a lot of valuable lessons from my time working at CHOICE, like how much almond is actually in your almond milk, and that you don’t need to rinse your plates before putting them in the dishwasher. But the most powerful thing I’ve learned is that consumers have rights.

Like many people I often fall into the mindset where, if a relatively cheap product breaks or is faulty, it’s simpler and easier to just go out and buy a new one. It was only $20 and who even knows where the receipt is?

When I bought a relatively cheap portable phone charger from Officeworks and it suddenly stopped working, I decided to exercise my consumer rights. Pre-CHOICE Erin would’ve gone out and bought a new one without a second thought. Not anymore! I popped into my local store and explained clearly and as nicely as possible that I didn’t have a receipt, but I did have a bank statement with a credit card purchase for the amount the charger was worth and the date I bought it. This was sufficient enough for them to just swap the broken charger out for a new one. Success!

Now I say that I was as nice as possible because it’s hardly the casual employee’s fault that the product I bought was faulty. If you’re polite and show a little empathy, they’re more likely to go out of their way to solve the matter without a fuss. I’ve taken this approach many times over the last year and it’s really worked in my favour.

While I had a win at Officeworks, another tip I’ve learned is to go straight to the manufacturer. I buy a lot of things online, so when I bought a pair

of shoes from a specialist footwear store and a hole developed on the footbed after only five months of wear, I thought that wasn’t satisfactory for a $180 purchase. I emailed the company directly and politely explained the problem. Lo and behold they quickly responded, asking me to return the shoes for free and then promptly provided me with store credit. Success!

Going straight to the manufacturer has worked for me a number of times in the past, and honestly, it’s the best way to get results without engaging in a lengthy back-and-forth or in-person encounter with the local store.

I think with the rise of online shopping in recent years, many

companies are compelled to have good customer service in place.

We’ve all seen those Facebook ‘rants’ where an unhappy customer has unleashed on social media only to score a ‘please contact us to resolve the matter’ in response.

My key takeaway here is not to settle. If you’ve spent your hardearned money on something that’s faulty, no matter how much it costs, hold the manufacturer accountable and take it back or get a refund.

We gotta fight! For our right! To a refund, repair or replacement as guaranteed under the Australian Consumer Law! ERIN FARRUGIA

CHOICE AUGUST 2018 /// 11

10-11 Checkout 4.indd 11

19/07/2018 10:10 AM

12

CAMPAIGNING TOGETHER

CHOICE head of campaigns and policy Sarah Agar shares our recent news, battles and wins.

Outnumbered, but not outclassed by Xavier O’Halloran

W

hen working on consumer issues like fairer banking or safer products, it’s easy to feel outnumbered by slick lobbyists and lawyers. Often I’ll be the only one in the room representing Australians against more than a dozen corporate lobbyists. This is certainly the case for the financial services royal commission, with the banks reportedly spending hundreds of millions to defend their decades of misconduct.

But on a cold day in Canberra on 25 June, the consumer movement cancelled out the big banks’ dollars with some sense. Forming six groups made up of advocates, financial counsellors and people hurt by banking misconduct, we spread out among the offices of Parliament House. Sixteen consumer organisations came together to send a clear message to our political leaders: it’s time to fix the banks.

Going from office to office, we told politicians how

people have been harmed by irresponsible lending and dodgy insurance sales practices.

We were joined by Irene Savvidis, who’d bravely appeared before the royal commission to tell her story of being sold junk credit card insurance by CBA. The insurance was to cover credit repayments if she became unemployed.

As a full-time mum, Irene said she didn’t need the insurance as she wasn’t in paid employment. The CBA staff member continued to apply pressure and Irene felt forced to take out the junk insurance.

And it turns out that CBA staff, pressured to meet sales targets, have sold useless insurance to 65,000 other unemployed people.

We shared Irene’s story and others with all sides of parliament. We also came with solutions and let the politicians know that we’ll be back, knocking on doors as soon as the royal commission hands down its draft report.

The banks need to know that we expect better. Add your voice to the thousands of supporters demanding more from their banks at campaigns. choice.com.au/fixthebanks.

The Fair Finance Team in Canberra. L to R: Karen Cox (Financial Rights Legal Centre), Drew MacRae (Financial Rights Legal Centre), Xavier O’Halloran (CHOICE) and Sarah Agar (CHOICE).

Dangerous products spark call for new laws

W

e’re calling for urgent reform to Australia’s product safety system as hundreds of kids’ products fail CHOICE lab tests for voluntary and mandatory safety standards, raising serious safety concerns: ● Portable cots (60 tested 2011–2018): 44 had serious failures that included the risk of suffocation, falls or head/ neck entrapment. ● Strollers (129 tested 2012–2018): 85 had serious failures that included the risk of strangulation, falls, head entrapment or instability (leading to stroller collapse or tips). ● Cots (139 tested 2012–2017): 51 had serious failures that included the risk of strangulation, suffocation, falls, limb entrapment, instability or head/neck entrapment.

Currently there’s no market-wide proactive legal requirement in Australia for manufacturers or retailers to ensure that what they’re selling is safe. Some high-risk products must meet mandatory safety standards, although our test results show that compliance is a concern.

Other countries including the UK and Canada have stronger legal protections, including a general obligation in consumer law for businesses to sell safe products.

Tell the government to introduce a new law that requires businesses to sell safe products at campaigns. choice.com.au/safeproducts.

We campaign for fair, safe and just markets.

Your support helps us make changes for all consumers.

12-13 Campaigns.indd 12

19/07/2018 10:12 AM

IMAGES: SHUTTERSTOCK. PET PICTURES SUPPLIED BY MEMBERS

CHECKOUT

Win for honest vitamin labelling

I

n response to public pressure from people like you, we’ve had a major win for safer and more transparent vitamin labelling: the federal opposition has promised to change the way vitamins and supplements are regulated if they get voted in at the next election.

Previously Labor had backed the government’s new legislation, allowing therapeutic goods companies to make claims without scientific evidence.

Now, they’ve promised to introduce

a disclaimer on vitamins and supplements so that consumers are warned about claims that have no scientific basis.

This is a great step in the right direction for consumers, and is all thanks to pressure from our community.

Thousands of people emailed, called and posted on social media to put this issue on the national agenda.

It’s now our job to keep Labor accountable to this promise if elected, and encourage the government to

reconsider its position and put consumers first.

If you think this was a good decision, email the shadow assistant minister to say thanks for changing his stance on this issue. That way, he’ll know you’re watching and expecting action on this promise.

Visit choice.com.au/vitaminclaims for more information.

Standing up for safe pet food

W

e’ve launched a new campaign to champion ‘Safe food for our pets’. Pets can be an integral part of our families: we need to be able to trust that the food we’re buying for them is safe and won’t do them harm. However, this isn’t always the case.

In March 2018, dog food product Advanced Dermocare was recalled after it was linked with the rare and debilitating condition megaesophagus. It’s been reported that 17 dogs have died and 100 have been afflicted with the lifelong condition after consuming the product.

Following a public outcry, a senate inquiry has been called into the regulation of pet food. Australia has no national law regulating the quality and safety of pet food – this is left in the hands of the pet food companies. Along with support from consumers, we’ll be championing national regulation of pet food, including the ability to recall products, improved labelling of products, and minimum standards of quality.

We’ve heard thousands stories from pet owners supporting this campaign and received countless adorable photos of your dogs and cats. Here are just three of our favourites:

We’d love to hear your story and see your photos of your beloved pets. Join the campaign for safe pet food at campaigns.choice.com.au/safe-pet-food.

Sign up to support CHOICE Campaigns at choice.com.au/campaignsupporter CHOICE AUGUST 2018 /// 13

12-13 Campaigns.indd 13

19/07/2018 10:12 AM

14

YOUR SAY

CONTACT US! Email us at

We want to hear from you. If you’ve had a bad experience, been ripped off or scammed, tell us and help other CHOICE members avoid the same traps.

If you’ve had a great response to a complaint you’ve taken to a manufacturer or retailer, our members want to know about that too! Letters may be edited for length and clarity.

yoursay@choice.com.au or write to Your Say, CHOICE, 57 Carrington Road, Marrickville, NSW 2204.

Given the cold shower

I

’d like to relate an experience we had which may prevent others from making the same mistake we did.

Our off-peak hot water failed on a Saturday night a month ago. The system is just over 10 years old and in the past we’ve had to replace a thermostat on a previous hot water unit of the same age. We gave our system the benefit of the doubt to see if it would heat up on Sunday night but alas, it let us down again. Not knowing whether it was an off-peak issue or a water heater issue – and thinking we’d have to pay for a technician either way – we opted to contact our local hot water specialist

Thumbs We’re farmers and electric fences are important to us.

We got a solar-powered energiser from Clarke Farm Equipment a couple of years ago. It’s done sterling work keeping bulls separated, curious calves isolated and troublesome horses contained. But a couple of weeks ago it stopped working. I tried to fix it but couldn’t. After emailing Clarkes to ask for advice I sent it back to them. They were completely upfront – letting me

know what a new battery would cost and promising to check it out.

Today I got it back. No charge at all – monetary that is, plenty on the electrical side. They upgraded the software and replaced the battery all under a warranty that I thought was long past. Great service and the sort of attention to customers that deserves a big thumbs up.

Jane Cameron & Simon Wallace South Grafton, NSW My 2.5-year-old Bosch cordless Athlete Zoo vacuum failed – the turbo brush stopped operating. I took

14-15 Your say.indd 14

it back to Harvey Norman (in Richmond) and got very good service there, but they couldn’t replace it. They did confirm it was the turbo brush only, by testing their demo model head on mine. They gave me a copy of the invoice from January 2016, and advised me to contact Bosch. I was told that our consumer laws were very strong and that an appliance should last the expected life of the equipment – and to quote Australian Consumer Law if necessary. So I phoned Bosch who was equally helpful and a new turbo head arrived within a few days.

Barbara Darvall, Ivanhoe East, Vic

19/07/2018 10:12 AM

IMAGE: SHUTTERSTOCK

IMAGES: SHUTTERSTOCK

YOUR SAY

plumbers. They promptly came out on the Monday, diagnosed an off-peak controller problem and advised us to contact our energy provider. The plumber charged us a service call fee of $125.

We contacted EnergyAustralia who then diverted us to Ausgrid. Ausgrid came out that afternoon and did a makeshift repair to get the hot water working temporarily. This temporary repair has still not been rectified – the technician’s temporary repair tag is dated 7/5/18. The Ausgrid technician advised this was a free callout. When I asked him about the wasted call-out to our hot water plumber, which we paid for, he said “if you think you are hard done by I am authorised to tell customers of a claims form”.

We’ve since contacted both EnergyAustralia and Ausgrid using each of their claims forms for reimbursement of the $125 service call, but in both instances the request has been politely declined.

From this experience I’d recommend people contact their energy provider in the first instance regarding any failure of an off-peak hot water system.

Greg Johnston via email

We live in a rural area and installed Crimsafe security doors to our house nine years ago.

When minor electrolysis corrosion was recently observed in a small section of the doors, we contacted Crimsafe. Their representative inspected, removed the doors and had the corroding section replaced and then refitted the doors – all within two weeks.

To offer a 10-year standard warranty on their product is outstanding in itself, but to honour it without issue is even more praiseworthy. We think Crimsafe’s customer service is exemplary.

Keith Bauer, McLeods Shoot, NSW

Kitchen nightmare C

HOICE member Celia purchased an Omega oven in May 2015. She paid $1529.95 for the oven and for product care, which extended the two-year warranty that came with the oven to three years.

In June 2018 the digital clock in the oven became faulty, so Celia contacted Omega but was told there was nothing they could do since her extended warranty had expired 24 days earlier. Omega suggested she contact the service centre, who said she had to pay $357 upfront.

Celia contacted CHOICE Help to ask about her options.

We encouraged Celia to write to the retailer, Harvey Norman, stating that under Australian Consumer Law products need to be of

acceptable quality and free from defects for a reasonable period of time, taking into account the type of product and how much it cost. The consumer law applies above and beyond any warranties, so consumers can often rely on these rights even if a warranty period has expired.

We told Celia to let Harvey Norman know that CHOICE was aware of her complaint, and that we were interested in the outcome.

We also suggested she mention that her extended warranty had only just expired. Eventually, Omega replaced Celia’s oven clock and even paid for the installation as a gesture of ‘goodwill’.

Celia was happy with this outcome. “Thanks for all the great work you’re doing... Love everything about CHOICE.”

CHOICE Help is our in-house advice service for CHOICE members. We’ll arm you with the information and tools you need to tackle your consumer issue and help you work towards a solution.

CONTACT US at choice.com.au/choicehelp.

CHOICE JULY 2018 /// 15

14-15 Your say.indd 15

19/07/2018 10:12 AM

16

Turmeric terrific?

Can turmeric really help with joint pain, arthritis, lower cholesterol and improve your memory? Rachel Clemons looks at the evidence

O

nce confined to the spice rack to add to curries, turmeric is now turning up in everything from muesli and kombucha to wafer crackers and flavoured nuts. ‘Golden lattes’ (made from turmeric) now feature on the menu of any self-respecting hipster cafe, and it’s also available as a supplement, in your choice of

capsules, tablets or gummies. So what’s all the fuss about?

What’s it good for?

This yellow spice, prepared from the root of a plant called Curcuma longa, is used widely in Indian and South East Asian cuisine. It has a warm, bitter taste and is frequently used to flavour or colour curries and a range of other

£ More evidence is needed to support tumeric’s health benefits. £ Research focuses on the effect of turmeric’s extract, curcurmin.

foods including mustards, butters and cheeses.

Turmeric – specifically, its extract curcumin – has also been used in both traditional Indian (Ayurvedic) and Chinese medicine to treat a broad range of ailments affecting the blood, liver, joints, immune system and digestive tract. Not only is it thought to provide pain relief, it’s touted as a

16 /// AUGUST 2018 CHOICE

16-18 Turmeric.indd 16

19/07/2018 10:13 AM

TURMERIC

potential cure for diabetes, heart disease and even cancer.

But does turmeric’s golden reputation stand up to scrutiny?

IMAGES: SHUTTERSTOCK

Known issues: Although much of the research looks promising, there are issues worth considering before you fork out on curcumin supplements.

POOR BIOAVAILABILITY One of the major limitations of curcumin use in humans is that it’s poorly absorbed – the body quickly processes and excretes it. This is known as poor bioavailability, which along with curcumin’s reputation for being unstable and reactive, has prompted some researchers to warn that positive outcomes of trials suggesting a therapeutic effect may not necessarily be attributable to curcumin.

Chemists have found ways to enhance the bioavailability of curcumin, such as encapsulating it in lipids (fats) or combining it with piperine (the substance in black pepper that gives it flavour), although the improvement in bioavailability does vary depending on the approach.

It’s possible that bioavailabilityenhanced supplements will be more beneficial than those that aren’t, but don’t rely on drinking turmeric-laced lattes or eating the occasional handful of turmeric-dusted nuts to deliver a significant dose of curcumin. On top of this, it’s difficult to maintain effective levels of curcumin in the bloodstream (it has a short half-life), so it’s only effective if it’s taken regularly – as in a traditional Indian diet which might include turmeric twice a day.

DEFINITIVE EVIDENCE LACKING Many of the clinical trials using curcumin have been conducted with small sample sizes and are short in duration. Even if it’s a good-quality randomised placebo-controlled trial, a limited number of participants reduces the strength of the evidence. It’s difficult to draw a conclusion on a beneficial

16-18 Turmeric.indd 17

dose and how long to take curcumin, or even the population group that can benefit the most from curcumin.

Authors of a number of the studies themselves suggest small sample sizes and other issues with methodology mean there isn’t sufficient evidence to draw definitive conclusions about the effectiveness of curcumin and that more rigorous and larger studies are needed.

Research suggests curcumin might be helpful for: JOINT PAIN AND ARTHRITIS Probably the most common use for curcumin supplements found in chemists, supermarkets and health food stores – according to the label claims – is to help reduce inflammation and relieve joint pain associated with arthritis.

Results of a 2016 systematic review and meta-analysis of eight randomised clinical trials (of mixed quality, with sample sizes ranging from 45 to 367 people) suggest that turmeric extract may be helpful in the treatment of arthritis, especially osteoarthritis.

The review reports that in the three trials using a placebo as a control, daily

Is the research definitive?

It’s promising, but there’s not enough of it. Until more high-quality, randomised controlled trials are conducted to confirm the benefits of curcumin, it’s probably best to simply include turmeric spice as part of a healthy, nutritious diet.

curcumin supplementation over six to eight weeks resulted in reduced pain compared with placebo, and that the effect on pain wasn’t significantly different between curcumin and antiinflammatory pain medicine available commercially, such as ibuprofen, in studies where they were used.

HEART DISEASE AND DIABETES A 2017 meta analysis looked at seven randomised controlled trials involving

Curcumin is showing potential for improving cognitive function

19/07/2018 10:13 AM

649 patients that assessed the effect of curcumin significantly improved turmeric and curcumin on blood depressive symptoms in patients. cholesterol levels, including ‘bad’ lowDr Adrian Lopresti of Murdoch density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol and University is a clinical psychologist who triglycerides and ‘good’ high-density conducts research in this area, and the lipoprotein cholesterol. author of one of the trials reviewed in the The researchers found that turmeric analysis. “In my double-blind, placeboand curcumin significantly reduced controlled studies curcumin has been blood LDL and triglycerides and shown to effectively reduce depressive therefore may protect patients at risk and anxiety symptoms in adults with mild of cardiovascular disease. to moderate depression,” he says.

Another meta analysis set Dr Wolf Marx, postdoctoral up to evaluate the effect of fellow at Deakin University’s The price turmeric on blood sugar Food and Mood centre, per 1000mg levels reviewed 11 studies says that while current where in total 1144 curcumin ranges research indicates that participants were curcurmin may be an from 45 cents to randomised to receive effective treatment for $15.73 either curcumin or a depression, “people who placebo. It found that are interested in using curcumin supplements helped curcumin as a treatment for lower concentrations of blood glucose depression should do so under medical of people with pre-diabetes, diabetes or supervision to ensure they are receiving metabolic syndrome, but not in healthy the most effective and safe treatment for individuals. their needs.”

MENTAL HEALTH “There is a need for further studies There’s growing interest in the use of that investigate curcumin in larger trials curcumin as an antidepressant. A 2017 and with longer timeframes to be able to meta-analysis reviewed six clinical trials properly assess the effect of curcumin encompassing a total of 377 patients on symptoms of depression but also to with depression, comparing the use of ensure it is safe to use over extended curcumin with placebo. It found that periods of time.” he says.

Curcumin is also showing potential for improving cognitive function. For Professor Andrew Scholey, director at Swinburne University’s Centre for Human Psychopharmacology, it was trends in health at a population level that kicked off the idea that curcumin might provide important benefits for memory and mood.

“On a population level we know that people in India, where consumption of turmeric-containing foods like curries and dahl is high, are less prone to cognitive decline. There may be other reasons for it, but the curcumin seems to have an effect,” he says.

In 2015 his research team published the results of a clinical trial on 60 healthy adults aged 60-85. “We found curcumin improved people’s performance on various memory tasks within a few hours of taking it, compared with placebo,” he says. This randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial also found that working memory and mood were significantly better after four weeks of treatment. The study was funded by the manufacturer of the turmeric supplement used, but Scholey advises it had no input into the study design or its findings.

Are turmeric supplements worth buying?

Curcumin supplements vary widely, making them very difficult to compare.

Differences include: Active ingredient quantity: curcumin content in supplements we’ve seen in supermarkets and chemists range from 36 to 1200mg per pill.

Recommended dosage: this could be one, two or three pills a day.

Bioavailability: this depends on whether or not they’ve been formulated for enhanced bioavailability, as well as the method (eg. lipid encapsulated vs added piperine).

Format: they’re available as tablets, capsules and gummies.

Price: the price per 1000mg curcumin – a typical daily dosage used in many clinical trials – ranges from 45 cents to $15.73 in the supplements we’ve seen.

18 /// AUGUST 2018 CHOICE

16-18 Turmeric.indd 18

19/07/2018 10:14 AM

PET FOOD REGULATION

Has pet food gone to the dogs?

Recent recalls highlight a lack of regulation in the pet food industry. Karina Bray investigates

W

ith almost half of Australian households owning a dog or cat, pet food is big business, worth around $2 billion per year.

However, the industry has surprisingly little oversight, and while food recalls and major incidents are few and far between, it doesn’t mean all is well.

Earlier this year, Advance Dermocare dry dog food was recalled when it was linked with the condition megaoesophagus, which affected over 100 dogs and led to the death of at least 17, with life-long feeding problems for others.

The episode has renewed calls for pet food regulation in Australia, and in June Senator Stirling Griff secured

So what’s the story with pet food regulation in Australia?

Who watches over pet food?

Different types of pet foods are subject to various standards and codes of practice, but there are no overarching regulations. Some government departments and agencies have jurisdiction over aspects of pet food – for example, the ACCC has the power to intercede over false and misleading claims under Australian Consumer Law, while the Department of Agriculture and Water Resources has an interest in imported pet food and biosecurity.

The main types of pet food and the rules that apply are as follows:

The standard is voluntary, and there’s no authority to enforce compliance a Senate inquiry into the safety and regulation of pet food, which has been supported by the Agriculture Minister David Littleproud.

PREPARED PET FOODS Wet foods – canned food, pouches and rolls, dried foods and packaged raw food are covered by the Australian

£ Currently there are no overarching regulations. £ CHOICE is campaigning for pet food regulation.

Standard for the Manufacturing and Marketing of Pet Food, AS 5812:2017, which outlines requirements for production, food safety, nutrition and labelling. However, the standard is voluntary, and there’s no authority to enforce compliance.

PET MEAT Pet mince and other raw meat products sold as pet food are covered by the Primary Industries Standing Committee Technical Report 88 – Amended 2009 Standard for the Hygienic Production of Pet Meat.

Processors are ‘obliged’ to meet the standard but it’s not enforced.

A long-standing problem with some of these foods is the use of sulphite preservatives, which keep the meat looking red and fresh. Sulphite depletes thiamine levels in the meat and a pet

CHOICE AUGUST 2018 /// 19

19-22 Pet food regulation.indd 19

19/07/2018 12:08 PM

fed exclusively on thiamine-deficient meats can develop neurological problems that can cause death.

Preservatives are permitted, according to the standard, provided they’re “applied at such levels that they do not cause adverse impact or undue risk to the well-being of pets”.

TREATS Pet treats are included in the Australian Standard for the Manufacturing and Marketing of Pet Food, AS 5812:2017.

Some imported treats, such as jerky, tenders and pigs ears, are irradiated before being sold in Australia for quarantine purposes. Cats are particularly sensitive to irradiation, which was behind the Orijen cat food recall in 2008. Imported canned cat foods are no longer required to be irradiated, but these sorts of dog

Minister Barnaby Joyce as part of treats must be labelled “Must not a red-tape cutting measure. This was be fed to cats”. expected to make it easier to get THERAPEUTIC FOODS products on the market and cut costs Therapeutic foods, including so-called to companies (which they’d prescription diets, are designed ostensibly pass on to to help pets with certain consumers). medical conditions Some The voluntary – kidney disease, imported treats Australian Standard AS diabetes, joint care 5812:2017 for packaged and so on – but don’t are irradiated pet food applies, contain any medicines. before being sold and companies are These sorts of in Australia expected to hold publicly foods used to be available evidence that the regulated by the food lives up to any claims Australian Pesticides and made, but it’s not checked.

Veterinary Medicines Authority SUPPLEMENTS AND MEDICINE (APVMA), which assessed the claims Pharmaceutical products, and evidence before allowing the complementary medicines and products on the market. supplements (for example vitamins However, these foods were or glucosamine) and pesticides (such deregulated in 2015 by then Agriculture as worm and flea treatments) are regulated by the APVMA.

What happens if there’s a problem?

In the absence of government regulation, the Pet Food Adverse Event System of Tracking (PetFAST) was developed in 2012 as a joint initiative of the Pet Food Industry Association of Australia (PFIAA) and Australian Veterinary Association (AVA), and overseen by the latter.

Vets can report any negative health effects they suspect are linked with a pet’s food, and reports are monitored by both associations. While they don’t look into each and every individual report, if trends emerge with any particular food – that is, three or more cases are reported – they’ll investigate the issue.

However, Dr Bronwyn Orr from RSPCA Australia points out, “As it’s a voluntary initiative, potentially not all vets are aware of, or involved with, the program. Additionally, pet food companies aren’t under any legal onus to initiate a recall based on a pet food safety concern, so it requires negotiation with the industry.”

Many pet food companies, including the major players in the Australian

19-22 Pet food regulation.indd 20

19/07/2018 12:09 PM

PET FOOD REGULATION

market, are members of PFIAA. Its purpose, unsurprisingly, is to look after the interests of its members, though it does “encourage” members to be certified to the standard. It was involved in the development of the pet food standard, and is in favour of self-regulation of pet food, which it says is “working well”.

What happens in other countries?

In some countries, the manufacturing and marketing (labelling and advertising) of pet food is regulated by national governments, or in the case of Europe by various EU-wide regulations that are upheld by the governments in each country.

In the US, pet food is regulated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which also regulates food for humans.

Japan, Singapore and New Zealand also have enforceable pet food regulations.

Canada, on the other hand, has a largely voluntary system like Australia. As a case in point, many products are sold in both the US and Canada, and in 2013 when several brands of jerky treats were recalled in the US, the same products weren’t recalled in Canada.

IMAGE: SHUTTERSTOCK

The case for regulation Vet Dr Richard Malik is an outspoken proponent of pet food regulation, and his main concern is the current ad hoc and variable response to pet food concerns. He’d like to see a more precautionary and pre-emptive approach to potential pet food safety issues.

“If it looks like there might be a problem with a food, take the product off the shelves, investigate it properly, then decide if there really is a problem. Some companies drag their feet for months, others fight tooth and nail and threaten legal action. If it turns out there’s a real issue, by then it’s too late. At that stage a recall is shutting the gate after the horse has bolted.”

There have been very few recalls in Australia. Since the standard was introduced seven years ago, the only recalls announced have been for Advance Dermocare dog food (linked with megaoesophagus), Weruva BFF cat food (thiamine deficiency), Whiskas dry cat food (contained foreign objects) and Woolworths dog biscuits (foreign objects).

In contrast, the US FDA issues loads of recalls, especially for raw food and treats. In the first five months of 2018 there were 29 recalls, mostly due to bacterial (Salmonella, Listeria and Botulinum) contamination.

The low number of recalls in Australia is used by industry to suggest that self-regulation is working well. However, we know some foods that appear to have problems are quietly withdrawn from sale, and any pet owners that complain to the company are compensated. Recalls are very expensive and can damage the company’s reputation, so it’s

MOULDY DOG FOOD? In May 2018 there were complaints in the media and social media about Applaws’ It’s All Good Duck & Venison dry food. Consumers reported mouldy dog biscuits in packets from one particular batch and the company responded that it was due to a manufacturing problem and it had been fixed.

People who complained received a refund or other compensation, but Applaws didn’t issue a recall and a few weeks after the first complaints were made public, we were still able to buy a pack from that same batch at Woolworths.

When we opened it, it looked mouldy, but we couldn’t be certain. It also smelt a bit odd. If we weren’t looking for it, we may not even have noticed – and we know some consumers have unwittingly fed it to their dogs before noticing.

We sent it off for analysis at the National Measurement Institute, and they found that while it didn’t contain mould, it did contain yeast (which is also a fungus) at levels that were higher than would be expected.

While the tests couldn’t determine whether or not the food was a safety risk, consumers shouldn’t have to get food independently tested to ensure it’s safe for their pets.

We contacted Applaws about the issue, but they wouldn’t comment.

understandable they want to avoid them. But this comes at a price for consumers and their pets.

The limitations of regulation When food is mouldy or off, or contaminated with foreign objects, the problem is obvious. When food causes illnesses, problems can take a while to develop and there have been recent cases when the microbe or toxin causing a problem hasn’t been discovered.

In 2008, Kramar dog treats were recalled after being associated with kidney problems, but it wasn’t clear that it was the food that caused it. Then there are cases where it seems like a food or treat may have caused a problem, like diarrhoea or vomiting, but it turns out to be something else altogether.

In the case of Advance Dermocare and its link with megaoesophagus, it’s questionable whether improved regulation of food would have helped prevent the problems before they escalated, as megaoesophagus isn’t usually associated with food. In fact it’s only because the condition

CHOICE AUGUST 2018 /// 21

19-22 Pet food regulation.indd 21

19/07/2018 12:09 PM

• PFIAA – pfiaa.com.au • ACCC, if you think the claims are misleading – accc.gov.au • APVMA adverse experiences reporting program, if related to a product containing medicine or veterinary chemicals. Email aerp@apvma.gov.au • The food regulation authority in your state, if it’s related to food sold for humans (raw chicken for example) – foodstandards.gov.au • CHOICE – email ausconsumer@choice.com.au You could report on any of the following: • Packaged pet food, including therapeutic food • Treats • Nutritional supplements • Commercially available raw food • Pet meat or mince Problems may include: • Unusual behaviour or symptoms in your pet • Foul odour • Off colour • Swollen can or pouch • A leaking container • Mouldy food • Foreign object/s found in the product.

The more information you can provide, the The better, and your vet will be required to provide low number of a lot of information to PetFAST. If reporting yourself, as a minimum include: recalls in Australia is used by industry to • The brand name, variety and package type and size of the product. happened to be linked with nine police suggest that self• Where and when you bought it. dogs fed the same food that the link was regulation is • The lot number and the best before, suspected in the first place. use-by or expiry date. working well What to do if you suspect • The reason for reporting it. something is wrong • The species, breed and age of animal/s, along with any pre-existing health issues (only if your If you think something is wrong with your pet pet has eaten it and been affected). food, particularly if you suspect it might be related to any unusual symptoms or behaviour in your pet, The bottom line you should report it. But in Australia this can be easier said than done.

We’re concerned that Australian pets and their owners are Unlike some countries, where members of the public getting a raw deal when it comes to problems with pet food can report issues directly to the regulator, the only official and support the introduction of regulating pet food. reporting stream is via PetFAST, through your vet. This will “Self-regulation of any industry comes with concerns mean taking your pet to a vet to be examined, even if there around transparency and conflicts of interest,” says Dr are no longer any symptoms (such as vomiting or diarrhoea, Bronwyn Orr of the RSPCA. which may pass). If you do take your pet to the vet, request “Voluntary, self-regulation cannot control those who act that they report the issue via PetFAST. outside of the system. It also relies on everyone doing the If the symptoms have passed, or the issue is related to right thing for the ‘common good’ of the industry.” the food itself rather than its effect on your pet (like it’s “For these reasons and more, the RSPCA believes there mouldy), you should consider other avenues of reporting, should be mandatory minimum standards for pet food. such as the: Pets need our protection, while owners need the reassurance • manufacturer or distributor they’re not risking their pet’s health and welfare by feeding • retailer you bought it from them unsafe or poor-quality food.”

22 /// AUGUST 2018 CHOICE

19-22 Pet food regulation.indd 22

19/07/2018 12:09 PM

PHARMACY PRODUCTS

£ Some products might do more harm than good. £ Often it’s better to see your GP instead of buying over-the-counter medicines.

Bad medicine Some over-the-counter medicines, supplements and health products don’t live up to their claims. Karina Bray reveals 10 products that are best left on the shelf

Y

ou might think pharmacies only sell products worth buying, and certainly the medicines sold from behind the counter would fall into that category.

But we found a surprising number of products that couldn’t possibly live up to their claims, others that might do more harm than good and some that don’t offer very good value for money.

IMAGE: SHUTTERSTOCK

Blooms Back, Neck & Shoulders + (RRP $42.75) Including turmeric, black pepper and magnesium, this supplement’s label suggests it targets muscle and joint pain in the upper back, neck and shoulders.

There is limited evidence that these ingredients will have any effect for immediate or short-term

paracetamol or ibuprofen, or use pain relief. Moreover, the implication heat packs or ice. For chronic pain, that it can target a specific area visit your doctor or a physiotherapist of the body is spurious – after to find out what’s causing being absorbed into the it and how to manage it. bloodstream, substances “The spread through the implication that Dick Wicks Magnetic body; if they were it can target Knee Support to have any effect a specific area of on muscles or joints, (RRP $49.99) they would do so Alternative medicine the body is everywhere, not just promotes magnets spurious” the upper back area. as pain relief. Weak, static Nurofen was fined magnets (as opposed to $6 million for suggesting strong electromagnets) are placed their products targeted certain on different parts of the body and parts of the body, and we it’s claimed that the power of the hoped that other companies magnets interferes with nerve would learn from that. The signals and relieves pain. ‘+’ in the product name is Pharmacies sell a range of different a bit of a get out – Blooms magnetic support bandages for says it’s “for back, neck, knees, ankles, elbows and backs. shoulders and more”.

There have been very few scientific studies evaluating the effectiveness Verdict: For acute pain of magnet therapy – the company or inflammation, take admits that only “some [studies] have simple painkillers like resulted in positive conclusions”.

CHOICE AUGUST 2018 /// 23

23-25 Pharmacy Products CM.indd 23

19/07/2018 10:17 AM

Others have noted there’s no good quality evidence they work.

It’s likely at least part of the treatment effects comes from the pressure and support you get from the wraps and bands containing the magnets – and you can buy these for less than half the price of the magnetic versions.

Verdict: Save your money and buy a regular support bandage.

Bioglan Melatonin (RRP $25) Melatonin is a hormone that helps you sleep, and is produced by the body when it gets dark.

Melatonin supplements can help you get to sleep, particularly if your body clock is out of sync with your desired sleep-wake cycle.

In Australia, the only way to get melatonin is with a prescription, or by buying it from overseas. But some people are misled by homeopathic melatonin, like Bioglan Melatonin, which can be bought at pharmacies.

Sometimes it’s clearly stated that the product is homeopathic, other times in the ingredients there’ll be a notation like 6X, which tells you it’s been diluted to one part per million.

As there’s no evidence that homeopathic products, including melatonin, have an effect better than placebo, you’ll be wasting your money.

Verdict: If you’re having trouble with sleeping or think you may benefit

from medication for jetlag or shiftwork, see your doctor.

Toddler and junior formula (RRP $20–$35) Targeted at parents anxious about their toddlers eating healthily, toddler formulas offer peace of mind when “consumed as part of a healthy, varied diet”. Toddlers can be fussy eaters but most can safely drink cow’s milk, so is formula necessary?

Paediatric experts and health authorities worldwide say ‘no’. Yet there are plenty of products available on pharmacy shelves, which cost about $20–35 per tin.

As well as the high price, some have less protein and calcium than fresh or powdered milk. There’s also a concern that kids filling up on these drinks won’t eat the nutritious foods they need.

Verdict: If you’re worried about your child’s diet, talk to a doctor, community nurse or dietitian.

Combined painkillers – paracetamol + ibuprofen (RRP 30c to $1 per tablet) [Mersynofen, Maxigesic, Nuromol] Research has shown that taking a combination of paracetamol and ibuprofen can be more effective at relieving some types of pain than taking one or the other.

Combination pills became available a few years ago. The catch? They cost more than the separate pills combined.

Instead of around two cents per pill for

generic paracetamol, and six cents for ibuprofen, these combo tablets cost from 30c to one dollar.

NPS MedicineWise, a nonprofit organisation that provides information about medicines, cautions people to read the dosage instructions of combination products carefully.

Different brands have different amounts of active ingredients and different dosage instructions. They also point out that taking paracetamol and ibuprofen together increases the risk of side effects beyond either drug alone, and they’re not suitable for children under 12 and adults over 65.

A 2017 report noted a spike in calls to the NSW Poisons Information Centre after the pills were downgraded from “pharmacist only medicine” to “pharmacy medicine” and people could buy it without consulting a pharmacist. Typically, people were taking two tablets instead of the recommended one, because that’s what they were used to doing.

Verdict: Combination pills are a convenient but more expensive type of painkiller that may be more effective than paracetamol or ibuprofen alone. However, they’re not suitable for all types of pain, so you may still need to have paracetamol and ibuprofen on hand to take instead.

Sudafed PE and others The drug pseudoephedrine is a decongestant that helps relieve that stuffedup feeling you get with head colds, sinusitis,

24 /// AUGUST 2018 CHOICE

23-25 Pharmacy Products CM.indd 24

19/07/2018 10:17 AM

PHARMACY PRODUCTS

red or itchy eyes, it’s likely not an issue, unless you’re sensitive to benzalkonium chloride.

and allergies. In 2006 it became an over-the-counter, pharmacist-only medication, so you had to ask for it and give ID. As a result, many cold and flu and sinus products switched from using pseudoephedrine to phenylephrine (PE). While it’s safer, has fewer side effects and can’t be used to make methamphetamine, studies have unfortunately found that PE isn’t an effective decongestant.

Verdict: If you regularly use eye drops for chronic problems like dry eye, consider switching to a product

Verdict: If used as recommended, fluoride toothpaste is safe and effective. For people over 18 months, choose a toothpaste with the right level of fluoride for your age.

Vitamin lollies and goat milk chews

Verdict: Ask your pharmacist about more effective alternatives, which will depend on whether your congestion is caused by a cold, sinusitis or allergies.

Cough medicine Some cough medicines will be effective for some people, sometimes, but a large review of studies found that results were mixed and conflicting, and overall there’s no good evidence for – or against – the effectiveness of cough medicine.

Verdict: Experts recommend you drink plenty of fluids, and use a steamy shower to help loosen mucus and clear airways.

Eye products with benzalkonium chloride Benzalkonium chloride is a preservative used in cosmetics and therapeutic products, including various eye drops. But in some people it causes irritation, and there are concerns that long-term use can damage the surface of the eye. For occasional use on

23-25 Pharmacy Products CM.indd 25

your dentist will advise if this is necessary for you.

with a different preservative, or use preservative-free drops, which come in small, single-dose plastic droppers.

Fluroide-free toothpaste There are plenty of fluoride-free ‘natural’ toothpastes on sale in pharmacies. Some are aimed at babies, but many exploit people’s fear of fluoride or ‘chemicals’.

Newly forming tooth enamel is vulnerable to the effects of excess fluoride so babies and toddlers under 18 months shouldn’t use toothpaste that contains fluoride. For children 18 months to six years there are lowfluoride products available.

While there are rare circumstances when fluoride-containing toothpaste isn’t recommended, in general the Australian Dental Association advises children and adults brush their teeth twice a day (or more) with a toothpaste containing fluoride. For those with an increased risk of dental cavities there are stronger products and

Whether it’s fussiness, lack of appetite or allergies, making sure children get all the vitamins and minerals they need can be a real worry for parents.

But there are better ways than the vitamin lollies sold in pharmacies.

In 2017 CHOICE gave a Shonky to Vita Gummies and similar sugary vitamin lollies. As we said back then, “We’re not saying that children shouldn’t enjoy lollies as a treat from time to time, but it’s another thing to claim that those lollies are also good for teeth and health in general.”

Goat milk buttons or chews claim to be a great source of calcium and protein for kids who are lactose intolerant or who can’t drink cow’s milk. However, at the recommended serving sizes your child will get very little of either protein or calcium.

The amount of calcium found in these products ranged from around 23 to 60mg (the recommended daily intake for four to eight year olds is 700mg), while the amount of protein ranged from 54 to 600mg (the recommended daily intake for four to eight year olds is 20g). They also contain lactose.

Verdict: Save your money and buy real food and real (lactose-free or goat’s) milk instead.

19/07/2018 10:17 AM

32 What about credit card travel insurance?

Some credit cards come with “free” annual multi-trip travel insurance, but you’ll usually pay a premium in fees, and there can be high interest rates.

Endless holiday If you travel often, annual multi-trip travel insurance can be your ticket to worry-free holidays all year round, writes Elisabeth Baulch Is it cheaper? £ Consider annual travel insurance if you go overseas more than once a year. £ Check the small print to make sure you’re covered for everything you need.

W

e all know the drill: tickets, money, passport, travel insurance. You probably already do the smart thing and buy travel insurance before every trip, but could you be better off with long-term cover?

An annual multi-trip policy can take the hassle out of buying insurance every time you go away. One yearly premium will cover you for all your upcoming adventures, but you need to check the small print.

That depends on how much you’re going to use it. The annual premium will be high, but compare it with the cost of multiple single-trip policies and you could save a lot.

Taking a long trip?

Buying cover for a whole year doesn’t necessarily mean you can go on a 365-day jaunt around the world. Most policies have a limit on the number of days you can be covered per trip (in some cases as little as 15 days), but many will grant an extension for a fee.

Taking a short trip?

While single-trip policies cover either international or domestic travel, some annual policies cover both. Check the insurer’s definition of domestic travel; usually it involves travelling a certain distance from your home and some policies require that accommodation be booked – grey nomads be warned.

THE GOOD ● Coverage is often better than standalone policies. ● The limit on the number of days you can travel per trip is usually much higher, up to 365 days with some cards. ● Some policies have no age limit, which is good for older travellers. ● Cards that come with travel insurance usually also accrue rewards points, which you can put towards your travels. ● Credit card travel insurance generally covers you worldwide, rather than charging a different rate depending on where you’re going, though some US underwriters exclude Cuba and others might exclude risky areas like countries that are under UN embargo.

THE BAD Excesses tend to be higher for credit card travel insurance – you could be charged upwards of $250 to make a claim, compared to around $100 on most standalone policies. ● Activating your card can be trickier than expected. For example there might be a minimum spend on air tickets, the tickets might have to be return rather than one-way, you might need to notify the insurer to get full coverage, or you might not qualify for insurance if you use your card’s rewards points to book your tickets. ●

THE WARNING Credit cards come with high interest rates and fees, so factor those in and consider the financial risk if you can’t afford to pay your balance right away.

Go to choice.com.au/ccti for our latest comparison of credit card travel insurance.

32 /// AUGUST 2018 CHOICE

32-33 Annual travel insurance.indd 32

19/07/2018 10:23 AM

15,000 U

2000 15,000 3000

 

 (to 24 weeks)  

 Australian Seniors Insurance Annual Worldwide

617

84

89

73

79

U

U

10,000 U

1200 12,000 3000

 

 (to 24 weeks)  

 Medibank Travel International Comprehensive

572

79

90

53

70

6

U

20,000 U

2000 8000

4000

 

 (to 26 weeks)  

 Australia Post International Comprehensive with cancellation

614

79

90

53

70

6

U

20,000 U

2000 7500

3000

 

 (to 24 weeks) O

O

 Australia Post International Comprehensive without cancellation

304

79

90

53

70

6

U

20,000 na

2000 7500

3000

 

 (to 24 weeks) O

O

 NRMA International Comprehensive

572

79

90

53

70

7

U

20,000 U

2000 12,000 4000

 

 (to 24 weeks)  

 Flight Centre Travelsure with cancellation

1299

79

90

53

U

8

U

20,000 U

1000 6000

 

O



 Flight Centre International Plan I with cancellation

1652

79

90

53

U

8

U

20,000 U

2000 15,000 10,000  

O



 Cover-More Premium with cancellation

1299

79

90

53

U

4

U

20,000 U

2000 15,000 6000

 

 (to 24 weeks) O

O

 Cover-More Premium without cancellation

482

79

90

53

U

4

U

20,000 na

2000 15,000 6000

 

 (to 24 weeks) O

O

 Go Insurance Go Plus

643

78

89

53

75

8

U

U

 Columbus Direct Premier

598

78

88

53

69

5

25m U

 AIG Multi Trip

1529

77

85

57

69

U

U

20,000 U

300

 Good2Go Multi Trip

765

77

85

57

69

U

U

20,000 U

300

 Australia Post International Basic

380

77

87

53

70

6

U

20,000 na

na

 Virgin Australia Comprehensive

629

77

87

53

85

6

U

15,000 U

2000 5000

15,000 1000 7500

3000

2500

Domestic cruises

U

International cruises

5

Pregnancy

Medical expenses ($)

69

Rental car excess ($)

Dependants

73

Baggage ($)

Age limit

89

Delay ($)

Claims score (%)

84

Cancellation ($)

Policy score (%)

813

Funeral ($)

Overall score (%)

 American Express Travel Ultimate

Recommended

Annual premium ($)

COST PERFORMANCE COVER

Pre-existing conditions (unlisted, subject to approval)

Annual multi-trip travel insurance policies

Visit choice.com. au/travelinsurance for further details about these recommended policies and to see how they compare with more than 50 others

Pre-existing conditions (listed by insurer)

TRAVEL INSURANCE

 

 (to 20 weeks)  

x



 (to 25 weeks)  

15,000 4000

 

 (to 25 weeks)  

15,000 4000

 

 (to 25 weeks)  

na

na

 

 (to 24 weeks) O

3000

x



20,000 2000 10,000 5000

x

O

 

TABLE NOTES Annual premium For worldwide travel for a couple. May vary depending on age, activities, additional cover and more. Overall score The value for money of the policy, taking into account the policy benefits, claims performance and price of each policy. Policy score Based on policy benefits for medical, cancellation, baggage, public liability, pre-existing conditions, cover for dependants, rental car and activities. Claims score Claims performance based on the number of people who lodged a dispute about an insurer with the Financial Ombudsman Service, how far they progressed through that process and what the chance was of achieving an agreeable outcome. U Unlimited. O Optional. na not applicable.

IMAGE: SHUTTERSTOCK

About that small print Pre-existing conditions If you have any medical conditions, no matter how mild, make sure you’re covered for them – even if you have to pay extra.

Age limits Some policies cover travellers up to 100 years old, and some have no limits at all, but unfortunately it’s usually a case of the

older you get, the more likely you are to be excluded and the more you’ll pay.

Exclusions Check what you’re not covered for. Skiing? Asthma? Returning home if a relative gets sick? Grounded flights due to volcanic eruptions?

Cruising Not all policies automatically cover cruises, and

those that do might only insure you for international cruises. Check the insurer’s definitions – for example, a cruise might be considered ‘domestic’ if it leaves from Australia and returns to Australia with no stops – even if it travels through international waters.

CHOICE AUGUST 2018 /// 33

32-33 Annual travel insurance.indd 33

19/07/2018 10:23 AM

34

So last year Denis Gallagher explains how to drive a bargain on newish-release TVs

T

looking for a TV that performs well he first batch of 2018 and won’t break the bank, you’ll find TVs have been through several 2017 models that deliver the CHOICE labs and while fantastic value. they may be smarter, there’s no indication they’re much better How to tell a 2018 TV from than last year’s models when it a 2017 model comes to picture quality.

However, there has been a dramatic The latest range of TVs from the big increase in the size of TVs four brands (Samsung, Sony, found in most Australian LG and Panasonic) arrived If you’re lounge rooms, with in stores between looking for a TV 55-inch models now April and July. that performs well considered the most This means a range popular option and of very good 2017 and won’t break the 65-inch TVs likely TVs should still be bank, several 2017 to become the available at discounted models deliver new standard for prices for some fantastic value many homes. months. The TVs we If you’re after the latest tested in CHOICE April, 2018 models, our TV reviews August and December/ in next month’s issue will reveal which January 2017 may be discontinued, brands come out on top. But if you’re but it’s worth taking a look at how

£ You can tell whether a TV is a new or old by its model code. Knowing this means you can often negotiate a better deal. £ If you want a TV that works in your smart home, the latest 2018 models are a better buy than last year’s.

they performed as they’ll likely be available at certain retailers at a great discount over the next few months.

But how can you tell which TVs are last year’s models so you can drive a bargain with the salesperson? The secret is knowing what the product codes for each TV really mean.

There are two code systems to watch out for with LG TVs: OLED and LCD. LCD TVs The first two numbers in the product code are the size of the TV display (diagonally) in inches, and the second letter indicates the release date. So the code LG 55SK8500PTA means it’s a 55-inch display, with K indicating it’s a 2018 model. A 2017 TV will have the letter J, such as LG 55SJ850T, and a 2016 model will use

34 /// AUGUST 2018 CHOICE

34-35 TV Models.indd 34

19/07/2018 10:24 AM

IMAGE: SHUTTERSTOCK

TV BARGAINS

N means it’s a 2018 model. the letter H (e.g. 55HU605T), So, the Samsung which may still pop up It can be UA55NU8000WXXY on some catalogue rundifficult to drive is a 55-inch display out sales. Avoid TVs a better deal with from 2018. The 8000 with F in the code (and 8500) series (e.g. 55LF6300), Sony, as their 2017 denote the premium as these are from models may have only range, while the 7100 2015 and it would been available for series is the entrybe difficult to believe a few months level TV option. this is a new TV. Most 2017 models have OLED TVs These are LG’s an M after the display size premium offerings and can number (e.g. Samsung UA55MU7000). cost several thousand dollars, so But if you see a Samsung TV in store getting a previous year’s model could with a K after the display size, then it’s save you big bucks. a 2016 model and you should be able As with their LCD TVs, the first two to negotiate a much lower price. numbers in an LG OLED TV product code indicate the display size in inches, but it’s the last number that Panasonic indicates the year of release. So, the indicates the code LG OLED55E8PTA means that release year by the first letter after the it’s a 55-inch TV from 2018. display size, with F being a 2018 model The letter between the numbers for (e.g. Panasonic TH-55FX700A). the display size and year of release The last group of numbers in indicates its position in the range. The the series indicates the increase in C8 series is the most affordable, the quality and price from the cheapest E8 is mid-price and the W8 range is 32-inch TH32F400A through to the priced from $10,000 to $20,000.

FX600A series and so on, up to Expect to see some 2017 LG OLED the top-of-the-line FX800 series. bargains (e.g. OLED65G7T) in stores If the Panasonic TV you’re looking with the main difference between at has an E after the display size (e.g.

2017 and 2018 models being the Panasonic TH-65EX780A), tell the introduction of ThinQ, which is LG’s salesperson you know it’s a 2017 AI (artificial intelligence) smart home model and you want a better deal. voice assistant.

If it has a D after the display size, avoid it unless you’re getting a substantial discount as it’s a Samsung’s 2016 model. offerings Panasonic also have two new OLED include models (FZ1000U and FZ950U) at 55 QLED TVs (which is essentially their or 65-inches. You may still find some of answer to OLED TVs) and LCDs. last year’s models (e.g. TH-65EZ1000U QLED TVs The product code should or TH-55EZ950U, with E indicating show a QA followed by the screen 2017) in store at a significant discount. size in inches and a single number to show the position in the range.

For example, the Samsung Sony’s 2018 QA65Q9FNAWXXY is a 2018 65-inch releases QLED TV in the premium series 9 didn’t appear in stores until June, (the range works down through so expect to see 2017 models on series 8, 7 and 6). the shop floor for several months.

LCD TVs The first number indicates the If the last letter on a Sony TV ends size of the TV in inches and is followed with an F (e.g. Sony KD-65X9000F) by a letter indicating the release date. then it’s the latest 2018 model. But if it

ends in a D or an E (e.g. Sony KD-55X8500D) it’s technically a 2016 or early 2017 model and you should be asking for a much lower price.

However, it can be difficult to drive a better deal as Sony tends to be one of the last TV companies to release its latest models. So even though you’re buying a 2017 TV, it may have only been available for a few months.

When it pays to buy a 2018 TV One of the biggest changes we’re seeing with the 2018 models is the move from a smart TV to a TV that’s a smart hub.

Like smart TVs, smart hubs let you access online apps such as Netflix and catch-up channels like iView and SBS OnDemand, which you’d expect to find in a 2017 or even 2016 model TV. But smart hubs are also more likely to interact with other smart devices on your home network, as well as using voice assistants such as Google or Amazon Alexa. Expect some of the latest TVs to answer queries about the weather, turn on your air conditioner, talk to your fridge and order more milk, and turn off the lights when you go to bed.

Other developments that you’ll notice with this year’s TVs are the wider support for HDR and almost universal support for 4K video on TVs with a display over 40-inches.

Streaming and smart TVs Keep track of your streaming video subscriptions. Signing up for the 30-day free trials with Netflix, Stan and other streaming services may sound great, but if you aren’t using them you could easily be throwing away more than $50 a month.

CHOICE AUGUST 2018 /// 35

34-35 TV Models.indd 35

19/7/18 12:34 pm

36 HOW DOES TRANSFORMER WORK?

Get on top of the electricity market

Transformer is unlike other energy comparison sites as it offers an ongoing, customer-focused switching service, with a comprehensive view of the market. This means: ● Transformer takes all of your bill details and accurately prices your current electricity costs. ● It then searches every policy on the market to find the best deal for you.

It prices these and compares them to your current costs. ● If Transformer finds a deal that offers savings equal to or above its $99 annual subscription fee, you’ll be asked if you’d like to join. ● The switching is done for you. ● The Transformer team continues to monitor deals in the market and will keep switching you every 90 days if there’s a better offer, so you keep saving.

Customers of CHOICE’s energy switching service Transformer are finding hundreds of dollars of ongoing savings, finds Alison Potter

I

n the face of rising electricity costs – up by 63% in the past decade – consumers are routinely advised to shop around for better energy deals, but it’s almost impossible for us to tell how much another deal will cost compared to what we currently pay.

There are approximately 3000 energy deals in the market, with around 100 to 200 that could be relevant to each customer. How can one person evaluate each and every one?

Transformer, CHOICE’s unique new electricity switching service, takes the guesswork out of comparing deals and does the switching for you. As a nonprofit consumer advocate, we’re delivering an independent service to

get you on – and keep you on – the best deal possible by comparing every electricity policy available on the market.

£ It’s difficult for people to make accurate comparisons between energy deals. £ Transformer compares every policy on the market to find you the best deal – and does the switching for you.

36 /// AUGUST 2018 CHOICE

36-37 Transformer.indd 36

19/07/2018 10:24 AM

ENERGY BILLS Accurate pricing Most comparison sites compare an estimate of your energy use with a limited set of offers, without truly comparing the prices you’re paying.

“As such they cannot accurately estimate the savings customers get from switching to the best offers or, indeed, whether customers are actually any better off from switching,” says Bruce Mountain, director of the Victoria Energy Policy Centre and co-founder of MI Retail Energy (the software that underpins Transformer).

Transformer is different as it logs all the details from your bill to accurately price your current electricity costs, and compare it to the market.

IMAGE: SHUTTERSTOCK

Searches every policy and keeps checking

WHY USE TRANSFORMER? Saves you money CHOICE member Harry Korpetutuncu was invited to take part in the Transformer pilot project in April last year. He submitted his EnergyAustralia bill and we found a deal with Globird that would save him $500 a year.

He accepted the deal and was switched over.

“You couldn’t do this on your own,” Harry says. “The Transformer team look at a previous bill, they know how much you’re paying and your average use.”

CHOICE member Belinda Barrie had been with Origin for a number of years but felt it was time to find a better deal.

Once her bill was submitted and analysed, the Transformer team contacted Belinda to say she could save $700 by switching to a new plan.

“I have solar so they took that on board when they took my details.

They came back really quickly with the savings and I made the decision to swap,” says Belinda.

Every day Transformer software scans and updates every deal that’s publicly available to the market. The software filters offers by taking account of your tariff type and Ends the confusion structure, your When it comes to location and things comparing energy like whether you deals, why don’t have solar. Your Australians simply current deal is then do it themselves? compared with all Unfortunately, it isn’t as competing offers. easy as comparing apples Every 90 days with apples. “One company Transformer reviews Start can quote you 20c per your deal. If a paying less kWh and you might better one is for electricity. compare that to another found and you Register for a free bill scan that charges 26c per approve it, we’ll and find out more at kWh, but with a pay on switch you again. canisaveonenergy. time discount of 20%,” Tailored results says Harry. com.au This sentiment is echoed While Transformer is

by Mountain. “It’s very hard for underpinned by patented customers to know whether they are software, the service is getting a good deal since the discounts delivered by CHOICE staff, who can are difficult to work out, and customers factor in your personal preferences to don’t know how the pre-discount price the comparison and recommendations. compares to the prices in the market.”

For instance, you may want to avoid a A July 2018 rule change bans particular retailer or choose one that discounts that are designed to lure supports renewable energy.

The problem with other comparison sites They only compare a small portion of energy providers. ●● Prices quoted vary widely and you may not get the best offer available. ●● They’re hard to compare because they calculate quotes using different methodologies. ●● Ts & Cs may not be properly explained. ●●

customers, but actually charge higher than the retailer’s standard rates.

While this is better for consumers, the rule change doesn’t address a large number of other discounts that make it difficult to understand just how much your power costs, such as exit fees and regional variations.

Trust and experience CHOICE has been fighting for consumers for over 50 years and we’ve identified electricity as a market where Australians get a raw deal.

Transformer’s fee for service means there’s no need for kickbacks or commissions from energy retailers.

Belinda tried other comparison sites but because they were paid commissions, she thought they might not give her the best deal and she felt CHOICE would be impartial.

Harry says he doesn’t trust the other companies, “because once there’s a commercial arrangement, straight away there’s a conflict of interest”.

When asked if he had any qualms about handing over his energy bill and usage details to a third party, Harry replied, “I’d have more qualms about handing over that information with your name, address, power usage and rates etc. to the other companies. As CHOICE is a consumer advocate, I feel more confident with it.”

“I think $99 is a good investment going forward,” adds Harry. “Straight away that $99 goes ‘tick’, I don’t have to worry about my energy bill.”

CHOICE AUGUST 2018 /// 37

36-37 Transformer.indd 37

19/07/2018 10:24 AM

38

Plastic not-so-fantastic In the face of a struggling recycling market in Australia, there are five common, single-use plastic items you probably don’t need filling up your bins, says Alison Potter

NEED TO KNOW £ All states except NSW have banned single-use lightweight plastic bags. £ Victoria’s ban comes in at the end of 2019.

T

he world has reached its fill of plastic – it’s been found in all corners of the globe including at the peak of Mount Everest and 11km down in the

With recycling in Australia in crisis mysterious depths of the Pacific due to China’s ban on importing Ocean’s Mariana Trench. many streams of our waste, Recycling isn’t the including soft plastics, answer as it isn’t it’s even more crucial keeping pace with Australians buy we reduce our use of production. As of more than single-use plastics.

2015, only nine Single-use plastic percent of the is about convenience 6.3 billion metric – something few of tonnes of plastic us like to give up. But waste generated tonnes of plastic drink here are five plastics globally had been bottles every year that have alternatives recycled, and 79% that won’t make your life was in landfill or the more complicated. environment.

130,000

38 /// AUGUST 2018 CHOICE

38-40 5 plastics to ditch.indd 38

19/07/2018 10:27 AM

DITCH THE PLASTIC

Plastic bags

1

ALTERNATIVES

Journal article, scientists say not enough is known about how these bags break down in rivers, oceans and lakes for us to confidently use them as an alternative.

A Western Australian Local Government Association study found that 9 out of 10 households line waste bins with single-use plastic bags or bin liners. It reported that after the singleuse plastic bag ban in South Australia, bin liner sales substantially increased.

The study found biodegradable plastic bin liners may sometimes be appropriate but “do not break down well in modern, highly compacted landfills”.

Use reuseable fabric shopping bags and cardboard boxes. ●● Use string bags when buying loose fruit and veg. ●● Do without plastic bin liners – compost food scraps, line the bin with paper or wash the bins out after emptying. ●●

WHAT’S THE ISSUE? Plastic bag bans As of this month, all states except NSW have either banned or committed to ban single-use lightweight plastic bags.

Major retailers Coles and Woolworths have implemented bans in their stores nationwide, instead offering customers heavier plastic bags for a fee.

Plastic shopping bags were patented by a Swedish company in 1965 and by the late 1980s most supermarket chains had ditched paper bags for them. They’ve been a routine part of the grocery shop ever since, but there’s a worldwide movement to ban singleuse plastic bags.

2

The problem with biodegradable bags Biodegradable or compostable plastic bags aren’t a simple fix either.

In a Royal Society Open Science

Practical solutions You can avoid using a bin liner by: ●● washing your bin out after emptying it ●● composting food scraps ●● wrapping food scraps in sheets of newspaper ●● freezing non-compostable foods scraps until rubbish collection day ●● lining bins with newspaper or paper towel.

Plastic milk, water and soft drink bottles

ALTERNATIVES

WHAT’S THE ISSUE?

The average consumption of bottled water by Australians is estimated to be 33.3L per person in 2018. Australians buy more than 118,000 tonnes of plastic drink bottles every year. Making your own carbonated water and refilling your own water bottle goes a long way to reducing your plastic impact.

Bottled water Some might think ditching bottled water is a no-brainer given that high-quality tap water is available free or very cheaply, and bottled water can cost more than $3 a litre.

However, Australian sales of bottled water are expected to grow more than three per cent per annum in the next few years.

The problem with recycling What about recycling? Less than half of the bottles sold are collected for recycling and most end up in landfill or the ocean.

Extracting the water, bottling it in virgin plastic and transporting it (often across the globe) exacts a heavy toll on the environment. And

Carry and refill reuseable bottles. ● Buy a SodaStream and make your own carbonated soda water. ● Buy milk in recyclable cartons or glass bottles. ● Avoid drinks in plastic bottles. ●

IMAGE: ISTOCK

More than 40 countries have either banned or partly banned single use plastic bags, or tax or fine individuals and companies for using them. Australia has no national policy on this.

the plastic waste accumulating in the oceans and on land is the most visible of these.

Some sources estimate that these bottles can take 450 years to break down in the environment – but as plastics were only invented last century, we have no direct evidence.

Plastics break down into tiny little pieces (microplastics) but do not decompose.

CHOICE AUGUST 2018 /// 39

38-40 5 plastics to ditch.indd 39

19/07/2018 10:28 AM

3

Australians use about

Plastic straws

ALTERNATIVES Do without. ● Tell the bartender, ‘Hold the straw, please.’ ● Buy alternatives like straws made from paper, glass, stainless steel, bamboo or pasta. ●

WHAT’S THE ISSUE? Plastic straws are used for around 20 minutes before being discarded as rubbish.

Plastic straws can’t be recycled and they can contain Bisphenol-A (BPA), a chemical that’s been shown to be toxic to the body when exposure is high.

The ABC has reported that Australians use about 10 million straws each day.

In April 2018 at the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting, the UK proposed to phase out single-use plastics

4

10 million

including straws and cotton buds.

And in May, the European Union proposed banning 10 of the most common single use plastic items, including straws, plastic cutlery, food containers, balloons, plastic cups and lids, cotton buds, drink bottles and plastic bags.

Taiwan leads the pack internationally with a commitment to ban plastic straws from all food and beverage outlets by 2020, and a complete ban on all plastic bags, disposable utensils, plastic shopping bags and disposable beverage cups by 2030.

Some venues in Australia are phasing out plastic straws, and in the UK, fast food chain McDonald’s uses paper alternatives.

Cling wrap

ALTERNATIVES

5

straws each day

Cotton buds

●

Beeswax wraps.

Silicone food wraps and container sealers. ● Glass or durable plastic sealed containers.

ALTERNATIVES

●

●

WHAT’S THE ISSUE?

WHAT’S THE ISSUE?

Like all plastics, regular cling wrap doesn’t truly biodegrade, is hard to recycle and ends up in landfill or the environment.

Supermarkets have been wrapping more and more of their fresh produce in cling wrap and single-use plastics.

Conservation groups, such as the Boomerang Alliance, 1 Million Women and Greenpeace, are campaigning to stop the overuse of plastic on fruit and vegetables.

Reuseable options are available online and include beeswax-coated cotton cloths as well as stretchy silicone wraps.

Buying sealable glass or durable plastic storage containers helps eliminate the need to use cling wrap to save leftovers.

Toilet trouble The plastic stems of cotton buds are being flushed down toilets and accumulating in the ocean. The stems are often made from polypropylene, which doesn’t biodegrade.

Peter Hadfield, spokesperson for water services provider Sydney Water, tells CHOICE that people misguidedly flush plastic cotton buds as well as wet wipes, tampons and other plastic items down toilets. These items clog up drains and sewers.

The plastic stems also float to the surface in the sewage treatment plants and end up in the ocean via sewage outfalls. Hadfield says Sydney Water must continually clear the plastic debris caught in special traps.

Clean ears using a cotton flannel with a finger or the end of a toothbrush. ● Source paper or bamboo-stemmed cotton buds. ● Try oil drops to clear ear wax.

40 /// AUGUST 2018 CHOICE

38-40 5 plastics to ditch.indd 40

19/07/2018 10:28 AM

CAR TOWING

Taken for a ride?

Some tow truck companies will try to take advantage of drivers after an accident. Alice Richard explains what to do if your car needs towing

IMAGE: SHUTTERSTOCK

I

“While it is safe to use most tow t’s impossible not to stress out truck providers, if you have a crash when you’ve had a bingle: you’re and your vehicle is not drivable we in shock, there’s traffic banking recommend you call your insurer as up behind you and all you can soon as possible and let think about is getting your car them organise the tow,” off the road and getting It’s an RACQ spokesperson out of there. Then illegal for says. “Insurers may suddenly a tow truck anyone to have limits on how driver arrives to move coerce you into much they will pay for your car and you’re so towing after a crash relieved you could just buying goods and you don’t want to about kiss them. or services be caught out of pocket.”

But do you just go with Remember too that it’s the first tow truck to arrive illegal for anyone to harass or on the scene and trust that coerce you into buying goods or they’ll take care of you? We’ll talk you services, so don’t let anyone pressure through what to do, what to watch you into accepting a tow if you’re not out for, and the rules around tow comfortable with it. trucks in your region.

Read the fine print With accident towing paperwork, any dodgy deviations from standard practice will be buried in the fine print, so make sure you take the time to read it thoroughly. Many states have regulated forms issued by the state government, so if it looks more like a brochure or contract than a standard form, be suspicious.

WATCH OUT FOR ‘CARNAPPING’ Some towing companies take advantage of your state of mind after an accident and get you to sign dodgy documentation while you’re frazzled and unlikely to check the fine print. This is known in the industry as ‘carnapping’.

CHOICE AUGUST 2018 /// 41

41-43 Car Towing.indd 41

19/07/2018 10:29 AM

Along with giving them permission to tow your vehicle, some of these contracts also contain unpleasant terms, like locking you into using a specific repairer who charges inflated fees for repairs or storage.

“If you get locked into charges over and above what your insurer covers under your policy, you may be left to foot the bill, so always contact your insurer before signing anything,” an RACQ spokesperson says.

“SIGNED MY LIFE AWAY” A bad day got even worse for CHOICE member Kieren following an accident in 2015. “Immediately after a head-on collision, I signed my life away to a dirty towing company that charged exorbitant storage fees,” he says.

He says the tow truck driver put the wrong date on the towing authority document, which effectively meant he only had 48 hours’ free storage, instead of the 72 hours he’s entitled to in Queensland. Kieren was then charged storage fees of $66/day. (Storage fees for accident towing aren’t regulated in Queensland, but for comparison, storage fees for cars removed from private car parks are only $25/day.)

When he went to have his vehicle towed from the company’s holding yard, he was told he could only use the towing company’s staff to move it – so the wrecker he’d engaged to take the vehicle away wasn’t allowed to access his vehicle. This meant he had to pay the company even more to have his vehicle towed to the wrecker.

A spokesperson for Transport and Main Roads says there’s never been a regulatory requirement for the same tow truck operator to be used for a subsequent tow from a holding yard – but there also aren’t rules against it.

While the company didn’t technically break the law, it found sneaky ways to get the most money they could from an unsuspecting person, even within the constraints of regulation. This is why it pays to double- (and triple!) check everything before you sign it.

What should I do if I need accident towing? ●

●

Contact your insurer Before you do anything, and particularly before you sign anything, call your insurance provider. They may be able to organise a tow for you and tell you what to expect.

Don’t sign on the dotted line Never sign a blank or incomplete towing authority form. Make sure it includes the full address of where the car is being towed to and the towing fee.

●

●

● ●

It’s your choice You get to decide where your car is towed to.

“Always contact your insurer before signing anything”

Check your cover Towing cover varies from insurer to insurer and you may not be covered for towing. It’s a good idea to review your product disclosure statement to check your policy’s limits.

Read the fine print Always read the Ts and Cs on a towing authority form. If it looks suspicious, don’t sign it – you could be signing up for more than you bargained for.

Take your time If you need time to consider your options, ask for the car to be towed to your home (that way you won’t be charged storage fees and you can make a decision when your head’s clearer – although you may end up having to pay for two tows).

42 /// AUGUST 2018 CHOICE

41-43 Car Towing.indd 42

19/07/2018 10:29 AM

CAR TOWING

What’s the deal in my state?

The accident towing industry is regulated on a state level, so the rules vary across Australia. In some regions, fees are capped and rules are enforced but in others, there’s little regulation and dodgy companies continue to rip consumers off.

NEW SOUTH WALES Fees are regulated. ● You can contact anyone you want before signing the authorisation form. ● You can decide who tows your vehicle, and to where. ● Make sure the tow truck driver has an accredited driver certificate. ● Towing companies aren’t allowed to offer any services other than towing. ● Touting for repairs and kickbacks like spotters’ fees are illegal. ● Accident towing trucks should have a ‘TT’ number plate with four numbers before the ‘TT’ – such as ‘1234-TT’.

There’s no roster system for accident towing in NSW, so several drivers might appear on the scene vying for your business. It’s illegal for them to harass or coerce you to sign a towing authorisation, and they can’t offer any services other than towing. They have to provide you with a complete quote of all fees and charges. ●

VICTORIA Melbourne, the Mornington Peninsula and Geelong have a crash allocation system. ● Fees are regulated in Melbourne and the Mornington Peninsula. For the rest of Victoria, VicRoads says fees need to be “reasonable”. ● You need to sign an authority to tow document. ● You can decide who tows your vehicle, and to where. ● Touting for repair work is illegal. ● Accident towing trucks should have ‘TOW’ number plates.

Before you sign anything, the tow truck driver should give you a leaflet: Towing from an accident scene. They also have to explain

IMAGE: SHUTTERSTOCK

●

We’ve taken a look at the rules and regulations in the most populous Australian states. For towing and storage fees in each of these states, and who to call if you have a complaint, see choice.com.au/cartowing.

your right to choose where the vehicle is towed.

The towing industry is regulated in parts of Queensland. ● Fees for towing and storage are capped (for less than 50km of towing). ● The first 72 hours of storage are free. ● You need to sign a towing authority. ● The tow truck driver must have accreditation. ● Kickbacks for repairs are illegal. ● Heavy fines for dodgy practices.

In 2017, the Queensland towing industry had a massive shake-up when the government ordered an independent investigation into the towing of vehicles from private property car parks, due to concerns about shady business deals, intimidating tactics and excessive fees.

The towing authority document should outline the terms of the tow, such as delivery destination and fees.

Read the fine print carefully so you don’t get caught out.

paying commissions to ‘spotters’, as well as overcharging and asking people to sign blank or incomplete towing authority forms.

Many WA towing companies openly advertise that they pay spotter’s fees of up to $200 per vehicle for fully insured vehicles, plus fees for owners’ calls. Spotter’s fees are illegal in many other Australian states but there’s no law against them in WA. Before they can tow your vehicle, WA tow truck drivers need to take a statement with details like the towing destination, your name and address, number plate and the driver’s licence details, plus the tow truck driver’s details. You’ll need to sign it and they should give you a copy. The WA Department of Transport (DoT) is considering making pricing information a mandatory part of the authority form, but this isn’t the case yet.

“Do not sign a towing authority form that does not disclose or include the total cost of the service or the towing location,” a DoT spokesperson says.

WESTERN AUSTRALIA

SOUTH AUSTRALIA

QUEENSLAND ●

Fees aren’t regulated. ● Many companies pay spotter’s fees. ● The WA towing industry has a history of dodgy behaviour. ● You need to sign a towing authority. ● Don’t sign anything that doesn’t show the total cost.

WA towing companies have been accused of ‘chasing’ crashes and ●

In Adelaide, accident towing operates on a roster system but everywhere else, you’ll need to organise towing yourself. ● You’ll need to sign an authority to tow form before they tow your vehicle. ● You can choose where the car will be towed. ● All fees need to be paid before you can collect your vehicle. ●

CHOICE AUGUST 2018 /// 43

41-43 Car Towing.indd 43

19/07/2018 10:30 AM

44

ASK THE EXPERTS Got a niggling question our team can help with?

Q

Recently, my local Aldi started to ask to look in everyone’s handbag as we go through the checkout.

When customers protest, they’re told it’s a direction from management and they don’t have a choice. There are small signs at the packing counter that state Aldi has the right to refuse service if you don’t comply but there is nothing at the entrance except advertising material. What are the rights of the consumer?

Senior consumer rights adviser Meredith Cridland: Many retailers make bag checking a condition of entry to their store. These policies are not regulated by the Australian Consumer

A

Law. There are some guidelines that the store and shoppers should follow: ● Before you enter the store, you have the right to know that the store does bag checks. Signs should be clearly displayed at the entrance. If you enter a store with such a sign you accept the store’s right to ask you to open your bag for checking. ● If you don’t let staff check your bag you can be asked to leave. ● Staff are allowed to look in your bag but they’re not allowed to touch the contents. They can ask you to remove something so they can see inside properly. ● Handbags the size of an A4 sheet of paper or smaller

ASK US

Do you have a question for one of CHOICE’s experts? Email us at asktheexperts@choice.com.au or write to us at: Ask the Experts, CHOICE, 57 Carrington Rd, Marrickville, NSW 2204.

should not be checked unless the staff are certain that it contains goods from the store that have not been paid for. ● Staff can only detain you and call the police if they’re sure an offence has been committed. ● If you are forcibly detained or searched and you have not committed an offence, you can complain to the police and the store management.

Q Q

I’ve bought an old cottage where there is no certificate of occupancy available. I checked with the council and there was a DA granted for the construction of the cottage. The actual building on the ground generally conforms to the submitted plan accompanying the DA, but not exactly.

If the building was destroyed can I be assured the insurance company (NRMA) would honour the policy?

Finance journalist Daniel Graham: NRMA’s PDS has an item called “Rebuilding Fees” which covers the costs “if a listed event causes loss or damage

A

to your home and you need to pay certain fees to repair or rebuild your home”. An exclusion to this is “fees to rebuild any part of your home which was an illegal construction”.

This is targeted at sheds, pools, decks etc. that have been built without council approval.

I can’t find anything else in the PDS that would suggest the insurer would renege on a claim because an old building didn’t perfectly conform to a DA plan.

My guess is that they would honour the policy, but there’s no way of knowing without asking them. If the answer is a yes, get it in writing.

I’m thinking about changing our health insurance. I’m told that the waiting period for pre-existing conditions doesn’t apply to people changing funds, only to those taking out insurance for the first time. Is this true?

Senior content producer, money and services Uta Mihm: Yes, but waiting times will apply if you’re switching to a policy with added benefits or better conditions. For example, if the new policy has a lower excess than your previous policy, you’ll have to pay the higher excess for the first 12 months if you need to go to hospital.

The Commonwealth Ombudsman has a helpful brochure called ‘The Right to Change’ that you’ll be able to find online.

A

44 /// AUGUST 2018 CHOICE

44 ATE.indd 44

19/07/2018 10:32 AM

Tests Toasters, kettles, ovens, dryers, printers and more 46 Toasters The surprise winners and losers in our latest toaster test

50 Kettles Get that cuppa quicker

52 Ovens Will a high-end oven make you a better chef, or just burn your budget?

55 Washers and dryers Even if you don’t love doing the laundry you still want it done well

59 Printers From basic to multi-function models

62 Power banks Charging on the go? Find out which products deliver the power you need

FIT TO P RI PAGE NT 59

66 Appliances you can count on Our latest product reliability

dels availa mo

e bl

CHOICE

All

survey reveals the brands that go the distance

choice. com.au

Our experienced technical ng

at

staff puts products through tim ti e o f w ri their paces in our own testing laboratories. We use test methods based on Australian standards and develop our own to match the way consumers use a product in their homes. We buy the products we test, maintaining our independence from manufacturers and so we know what you’re faced with in the shops. We’ve checked the models are available at the time we publish.

Our recommendations are based on a product’s quality and performance, with no hidden bias.

RECOMMENDED

CHOICE Shopper

CHOICE Online

RECOMMENDED

Get the best deals on products with CHOICE Shopper. All you need is the model name and number of the product you want to buy, the price you want to beat, and your CHOICE Membership number.

Call 1300 360 655.

For more related information and articles on this topic, go to choice.com.au

These are the products our CHOICE experts rate as the best of the bunch, based on our rigorous testing and analysis.

CHOICE AUGUST 2018 /// 45

45 Tests.indd 45

19/7/18 12:52 pm

CHOICE TEAM Chief Executive Officer Alan Kirkland Executive Assistant Alana O’Sullivan, Nikki Jamett Commercial, Business Supoort Services & ICT Tristan Ye (Director Commercial and Finance) Steve Macdonald (ICT Manager), Ernest Mhande (Business & Finance Manager), Thelma Bracken, Jing Jin, Charles Ly, Chau Nguyen, Darrell Sly, Phasathorn ‘Art’ Woottiarporn, Phyo Zin Content Alex Brooks (Managing Editor), Kate Browne (Editor Lifestyle), Steve Duncombe (Editor Technology), Andy Kollmorgen (Editor Finance & Services), Darrin Baker (Video Production Manager), Alex Angove-Plumb, Elisabeth Baulch, Karina Bray, Rachel Clemons, Daniel Graham, Uta Mihm, Alison Potter, Alice Richard Campaigns & Communications Erin Turner (Director), Sarah Agar (Head of Campaigns & Policy), Meredith Cridland, Katinka Day (Team Leader), Xavier O’Halloran (Team Leader), Jessica Kirby, Linda Przhedetsky, Emily Swanson, Patrick Veyret Marketing & Customer Experience Steve Connolly (Head of Marketing), Marina Bennett (Customer Services Manager), Christina Hofmann (Consumer Insights Manager), Rachel van Zanten (Customer Experience & Engagement Manager), Amanda Adams, Amanda Audze, Guy Bennett, Ivone Bozzi, Camilo Forero, Isabel Lam, Tom Mauger, LyndaMaree Morgan, Gianna Nashar, Rathan Pathuri, Silvana Ristevska, Grace Taouk, Corryn Webb New Things Viveka Weiley (Head), Chris Allen, Warren Armstrong, Rodney Berry, Sangeeta Chakalabbi, Angus Doran, Martha Franklin, Peter Giles, Elizabeth Gross, Ameer Khalaf, Linda Leung, Brendan Mays, Doug Nethery, Victoria Silk, Kelum Vithanage People & Culture Jessica Hill (Director), Lee Boztepe, James McCay Product Content & Testing Matthew Steen (Director), John Ashes (Facility & Support Manager), Chris Barnes (Product Category Manager), Denis Gallagher (Product Category Manager), Klaus Neuscheler (Lab Manager), Graham Byrne (Team Leader), Kim Gilmour (Team Leader), Antonio Bonacruz, Ben Bridges, Sharon Cauduro, Narelle Cornelius, Chantelle Dart, Pam Gardiner, David Hill, Corinna Horrigan, Peter Horvath, Ashley Iredale, Mohamed Jawahir, Fiona Mair, Scott O’Keefe, Elias Plastiras, Sonja Scodeller, Christine Shaday, Grace Smith, Melanie Stopic, Norbert Suto, James Thomson, Matthew Tung, Petr Valouch, Peter Zaluzny Strategic Delivery Ian Morgan (Director), Mark Jones (Head of Digital Delivery), Clarissa Meffan (Product Owner), Ren Matthews (Design Manager), Jen Paterson (Head of Content Management), Bhumika Barot (Architecture & Operations Team Lead), James Green (Technical Lead, Digital Delivery), Owais Ahmed, Soraya Asmar, Jane Bardell, Adam Barnwell, Matthew Barry, Andre Becker, Kate Bower, Christopher Brew, Jie Chen, Sydney Chiu, Sarah Coombs, Chris Coward, Paul Djimritsch, Siobahn Donohoe, Bohdan Dubik, Wendy Evans, Erin Farrugia, Gary Goldie, Rachel Hynes, Farrukh Khan, Marianna Longmire, Lisa McKenzie, Nhung Nguyen, Wahida Nusrat, Marg Rafferty, Gene Ross, Farah Tan, Emily Williams, Danny Wynne.

Be on notice CHOICE owns the copyright for all material presented in its publications and on its Sites, and some of our employees and/or contractors own moral rights. If you’d like to use any CHOICE ratings, reports, articles, materials, photos, graphics, publications, products or equivalent materials including trade marks and other CHOICE intellectual property (“the Materials”), in whole or part, you must have our written permission before doing so. The Materials are protected in Australia and internationally by the law of copyright, moral rights, trade mark, equity, common law and other legislation such as the Competition and Consumer Act 2010. We reserve the right to take legal action to prevent any unauthorised use or reproduction of the Materials, in whole or part, for any purpose including but not limited to advertising, copyright works, trade marks, logos and any commercial purpose use. You can help us by asking for permission to use the Materials or reporting anything you think breaches this agreement to us at CHOICE Consumer Services, 57 Carrington Rd, Marrickville, NSW 2204. Phone (02) 9577 3399; fax (02) 9577 3355; email ausconsumer@choice.com.au. Your privacy We are committed to protecting your privacy and abide by the Australian Privacy Principles (as amended and revised). We never sell, publish or disseminate mailing lists to third parties. You can find our privacy statement at choice.com.au/privacy or contact us at the above address for a copy. Intellectual property CHOICE™ is a trademark of the Australian Consumers’ Association Ltd. All information, artworks, photographs, compilations or equivalent works appearing in our magazines, on our website, in electronic media and/or online is the subject of copyright/trademark or otherwise protected under Australian and international law for our exclusive use. © Australian Consumers’ Association Ltd 1960-2018 inclusive. All rights reserved. Only CHOICE Recommended licensees are permitted to use the CHOICE™ trademark, and use of the CHOICE™ trademark by licensed parties must be approved by CHOICE before publication. The Board The Australian Consumers’ Association is governed by an honorary and independent board elected by financial and voting members. Board directors give their time without remuneration. Directors must be free from conflicts of interest and have clear lines of responsibility. Board Chair Sandra Davey Directors William Davidson, Fiona Guthrie, Alexandra Kelly, Ben Slade, Robert Southerton, Anita Tang, Helen Wiseman, Jennifer Zanich Company Secretary Jessica Hill The Australian Consumers’ Association is a not-for-profit organisation limited by guarantee. ACN 000 281 925 ABN 72 000 281 925.

Registered office: 57 Carrington Road, Marrickville, NSW 2204, Australia.

IMAGE: SHUTTERSTOCK

Use of CHOICE materials policy

74 /// AUGUST 2018 CHOICE

74 Team.indd 74

19/7/18 10:17 am

USING THE INDEX Bold type (month) indicates a product test, member survey or user trial report. Regular type (month) indicates a CHOICE research report. * Indicates a correction or clarification.

Aboriginal souvenirs Apr Sep Action cameras Airbags, Takata Sep, Apr Nov, Jun Air conditioners Dec/Jan portable Air fryers Jun Apr Anaesthetist costs Anti-ageing treatments Oct Apple cider vinegar Jun Appliances, eco modes Nov Architect-designed homes Nov Mar Artificial sweeteners

Back pain May Banana bread taste test Sep Bank customer advocates Jul Banking royal commission Jul Barbecues Dec/Jan Battery line trimmers Sep Bike-sharing schemes Feb Sep, Mar Blower vacs Oct Body fat scales Body fat scans (DEXA)

Dec/Jan Nov Bottled water Bread, banana Sep Jun Budget 2018 wrap-up Feb Buy sell swap sites Cameras, mirrorless May Canned food Dec/Jan Cars Sep airbags, Takata insurance Nov Nov Ceiling fans Oct Ceramic cooktops Charitable giving Feb Charity calls to mobiles May Oct CHOICE Shonkys Clothes dryers Aug Coffee auto espresso machines Sep grinders Feb manual/semi-automatic machines Feb pods taste test Dec/Jan reusable coffee cups Sep Consumer Electronics Show Apr Consumer organisations May Convection microwaves Oct Cooktops ceramic Oct gas Oct Oct, Mar induction Cordless line trimmers Sep Cosmetics, spray-on Nov Feb Credit for retirees Feb Credit scores Dashboard cameras Dec/Jan Data and privacy – Google and Facebook Jun Detergents Sep, Apr dishwasher DEXA body fat scans Dec/Jan Dishwasher detergent Sep, Apr

Dishwashers Sep, Oct, Dec/Jan, Apr, Jul Ditch the plastic Aug Jul DNA tests May Do Not Call Register Feb Dockless bikes Dogs, short-nosed breeds Apr Drones Sep* Dryers, clothes Aug

Home and contents insurance Dyson products, should you buy them? Oct Apr Apr Cyclone V10 Absolute+ May uninsurable homes Home loans, green Feb Earphones Nov Oct Induction cooktops Oct, Mar Earplugs, filtered Eco modes on appliances Nov Insurance Nov Electric blankets Jul car Oct Electric heaters Jun health Apr Energy comparison sites Apr home and contents Jul Energy-efficient homes Jun hospital Sep junk health policies Energy switching services Aug restricted health funds Sep – Transformer Dec/Jan travel Espresso machines Nov automatic Sep travel – cruises Apr Jul uninsurable homes capsule Internet service provider (ISP) manual/semi-automatic Sep

Feb, Jul satisfaction survey Jun Ethical meat Sep Irons Ethical superannuation Feb Juicers Feb Facebook Sep Jun Keep cups, coffee data and privacy Mar Filtered earplugs Oct Ketogenic diet Aug Kettles Financial technology companies (fintechs) Dec/Jan Kombucha Oct Nov, May Fitness trackers Sep for kids May Lawn edgers Nov Lawnmowers Food & drink Feb Jun LED light bulbs apple cider vinegar Sep artificial sweeteners Mar Line trimmers Feb canned food weight Dec/Jan Local share economy Oct Loose vs packaged cost of healthy food kombucha Oct groceries, unit pricing May meat, ethical Sep Luggage, carry-on Apr oil, virgin olive Feb online grocery services Jul Maternity bras Mar Jul Mattresses pre-cut vegies Dec/Jan Jun Medical second opinions Apr tea, weight-loss turmeric Aug Microbeads in cosmetics Oct May Microwaves yoghurt, Greek Oct, Feb Food processors Sep, Jul Mini food processors Feb Feb Mirrorless digital cameras May mini Frequent flyer Mixers Nov May Mobile phones – see points reward cards Jun smartphones Fridges Modern slavery Nov

Sep*, Oct, Nov, Mar, Jun Multi-trip travel insurance Aug portable Feb Nappies May Gas cooktops Oct Natural pools May Google Jun Olive oil data and privacy Feb Wifi Sep Online dating Jul May Online shopping rights Mar Greek yoghurt Jul Ovens Green electricity Green home loans Feb air fryers Jun Mar built-in Green walls Oct, Aug Feb freestanding Oct Grinders, coffee loose vs packaged May wall Apr Grocery delivery services Jul Feb Paper shredders Headphones Apr Paper towels Mar Health insurance Nov, Feb Pedestal fans anaesthetist costs Apr Personal alarms Jun Aug Pets extras Oct food, premium Sep for single parents gap cover Mar food regulation Aug Sep holiday care Dec/Jan junk Sep, Aug short-nosed dog breeds Apr restricted funds Heaters Petrek 3G Nov electric Jun Petrol line trimmers Sep reverse-cycle air conditioners Phones, simple Mar

Nov, Jun Pharmacy products May you don’t need Home battery storage Aug Home energy Aug Plastics to ditch management Nov Portable fridges Feb efficiency Jun Power banks Aug

INDEX

Sep Pressure cleaners Printers Mar, Aug Product Reliability Survey Aug Jul Product safety Oct Projectors Rangehoods Oct Refrigerators – see fridges Retiree credit Feb Reuseable coffee cups Sep Royal commission, banking Jul Apr Salt, gourmet School shoes Feb Jul Shampoo, ethical Shonkys, The Oct Should you buy a Dyson? Oct Slow cookers May Smartphones Dec/Jan Dec/Jan repairs Smart speakers Jul Nov, May Smart watches Solar finding a good retailer/installer May Dec/Jan roof tiles Sound systems Mar SPF moisturisers Feb Nov Spray-on cosmetics Stick vacuums Oct Superannuation, ethical Feb Tablets Mar Sep Takata airbags Telemarketing May Telephones – see phones Televisions – see TVs Tents Dec/Jan Termites Oct Jun Timeshare holidays Tissues Apr Aug Toasters May Toilet paper Toll roads Mar Aug Tow trucks Transformer Aug Travel agents vs DIY booking Apr Dec/Jan insurance insurance – cruises Nov Aug insurance – multi-trip Jun money cards Turmeric Aug Sep Turntables Dec/Jan TVs model numbers Aug TV infomercial fails Oct streaming devices Mar, Apr streaming services Jul Unit pricing, groceries May Vacuum cleaners Jun Dyson Cyclone V10 Absolute+ May stick Oct Vendor finance and rent-to-buy schemes May Vertical gardens Mar V.I.Poo Feb Washer dryer combos May Washing machines

Oct, Feb, Aug Nov Water, bottled Weight-loss tea Jun Wireless speakers Mar

Contact us CHOICE, 57 Carrington Road, Marrickville, NSW, 2204 Email ausconsumer@choice.com.au Customer Service 1800 069 552 (Mon to Fri, 9am to 5pm AEST or AEDT) GET MORE WITH YOUR MEMBERSHIP ●● With CHOICE Help, enjoy free help and advice from our consumer rights advisers when things go wrong.

Call 02 9577 3399 or visit choice.com.au/choicehelp. ●● Get the best deals on products with CHOICE Shopper. All you need is the model name and number of the product you want to buy, the price you want to beat, and your CHOICE Membership number. Call 1300 360 655.

GIVE THE GIFT OF CHOICE Spoil someone special – Customer Service can organise a gift membership for you.

EVEN MORE TESTS

We update more tests each month than we can fit into the magazine.

Online this month: stick vacs, photo book services, microwaves, dash cams and more.

If you’d like access to any of these tests, call Customer Service on 1800 069 552.

OR To browse all our test reports and reviews, when and as often as you like, add website access to your membership package.

Call Customer Service on 1800 069 552 to enquire.

View the CHOICE Privacy Policy: choice.com.au/privacy-policy.

CHOICE AUGUST 2018 /// 75

75 Index.indd 75

19/7/18 10:16 am

HARD TO SWALLOW Pregnant or breastfeeding women should leave the hard stuff to the kids.

KRISPY KRAVING Would we travel 5000km for a dozen original glazed doughnuts? Yes. Yes, we would.

LEGAL LATTE

ISSN 0009 496X. Print post approved 100000729. Wholly printed in Australia by Bluestar Web, 83 Derby Street, Silverwater, NSW 2128, in 2018 for the publisher, CHOICE, 57 Carrington Road, Marrickville 2204.

Thanks this month go Samantha Dooley, Ian Tuohy, Jill Gill, Peter Outhwaite and Luke Ettema. If you have any other examples you’d like to share with CHOICE members, send them with your full name to The Hard Word, 57 Carrington Road, Marrickville, NSW, 2204, or email high-quality unedited photos to hardword@choice.com.au.

Compiled by Marianna Longmire

AUGUST 2018

HARD WORD

This barrister coffee is a law unto itself. I object.

TOILET HUMOUR Spotted at a Sydney train station.

“I wonder what ‘other times’ they’re talking about!” says nine-year-old Luke Ettema.

YOU’VE BEEN WARNED Who knew eating cheese slices could be so dangerous?

76 Hard word.indd 76

19/7/18 10:15 am