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| Choice (consumer advocacy) | |
|---|---|
| Name | Choice |
| Founded | 1969 |
| Type | Non-profit |
| Headquarters | Australia |
| Region served | Australia |
| Products | Consumer testing, investigations, advice |
Choice (consumer advocacy) is an Australian consumer advocacy organization that provides testing, reviews, and campaigning on products, services, and consumer rights. It publishes test results, purchasing advice, and policy submissions, and engages with regulatory bodies, media outlets, and community groups. Choice works with academics, laboratories, and international partners to influence standards and inform Australians about safety, value, and quality.
Choice was established in 1969 amid global consumer movements linked to figures such as Ralph Nader, Jean Monnet, Milton Friedman, John F. Kennedy, and organizations like Consumers International and Which?. Early decades saw interactions with institutions including Australian Competition and Consumer Commission, Australian Broadcasting Corporation, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, and universities such as University of Sydney, Monash University, and University of Melbourne. Choice’s investigations paralleled campaigns by Consumer Reports and collaborations with testing bodies like National Measurement Institute and Standards Australia. Over time Choice engaged with policymakers in forums tied to Department of Industry, Science and Resources, Parliament of Australia, and international events like the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development.
Choice’s mission aligns with consumer protection principles advanced by advocates like John Stuart Mill and institutions such as World Health Organization and Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. Objectives include testing products to international protocols used by European Committee for Standardization and International Organization for Standardization, advocating for stronger consumer law in the spirit of Competition and Consumer Act 2010, and educating members through media channels including collaborations with Australian Financial Review and The Age. Choice pursues transparency, evidence-based advice, and accountability from corporations such as Woolworths Group (Australia), Wesfarmers, Coles Group, Qantas, and Optus.
Choice has led campaigns echoing international efforts by groups linked to Greenpeace, Friends of the Earth, and Amnesty International on issues from product safety to digital rights. Investigations have targeted sectors involving companies like Toyota, Samsung, Apple Inc., Unilever, Nestlé, Procter & Gamble, and Philips. Choice’s consumer testing has addressed food standards involving regulators like Food Standards Australia New Zealand, energy issues involving AEMO and Australian Energy Regulator, and telecommunications issues involving Australian Communications and Media Authority and NBN Co. Campaigns have included price transparency in retail chains such as Aldi (Australia), safety in automotive markets reflected in reports by Australasian New Car Assessment Program, and financial services scrutiny intersecting with findings reported to Australian Prudential Regulation Authority and Australian Securities and Investments Commission.
Choice publishes reviews, buying guides, and investigative journalism in formats comparable to Consumer Reports, Which?, Good Housekeeping, Wired (magazine), and academic journals produced by Cambridge University Press and Oxford University Press. Resources include lab-tested rankings, video content shared via platforms like YouTube, and data releases used by media outlets such as The Sydney Morning Herald, The Guardian Australia, and ABC News. Choice collaborates with testing laboratories used by CSIRO and reference methods from ISO and ASTM International; it also produces policy briefings submitted to inquiries held in committees like Senate of Australia Select Committee hearings and to international forums convened by United Nations agencies.
Choice has shaped regulatory debates alongside entities such as Australian Competition and Consumer Commission, Productivity Commission, Australian Communications and Media Authority, and parliamentary inquiries of the Parliament of Australia. Its research has informed reforms similar to those advocated in reports by Product Safety Australia and legislative initiatives under the Competition and Consumer Act 2010 and has contributed evidence cited by ministers from parties such as the Australian Labor Party and the Liberal Party of Australia. Choice’s submissions have influenced standards-setting bodies including Standards Australia and regulatory consultations run by Australian Prudential Regulation Authority and Australian Energy Regulator.
Choice operates as a not-for-profit funded through a mix of membership subscriptions, retail sales, donations, and grants from philanthropic entities similar to Australian Communities Foundation and foundations like Beswick Family Foundation or international funders such as Ford Foundation. Governance has involved boards with directors trained at institutions including Melbourne Business School, University of New South Wales, and Australian National University. Choice engages auditors and corporate services provided by firms like KPMG, PwC, and legal counsel experienced with Australian Securities and Investments Commission compliance.
Critiques of Choice echo disputes seen in consumer advocacy globally, with debates over testing methodology, impartiality, and commercial transparency similar to controversies involving Which? and Consumer Reports. Corporations such as Samsung, Nestlé, and Qantas have disputed test findings in media outlets including The Australian and Financial Times. Questions have been raised about funding influence and governance comparable to inquiries involving foundations like Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation in other contexts, and Choice has responded by publishing methodology details and engaging with academic peer review from researchers at Griffith University and University of Queensland.
Category:Consumer advocacy organizations in Australia