Aussie Home Loans Ads Slammed As Misleading In Complaint To ASIC

Aussie Home Loans Ads Slammed As Misleading In Complaint To ASIC

Australia’s largest home loan mortgage broker, Aussie Home Loans, has been taken to the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) over apparently misleading advertising.

Consumer advocacy group Choice is leading the complaint arguing that Aussie’s $25 million advertising campaign that ran on TV and in-store between 2016 and 2018 didn’t tell consumers the full picture.

As reported on The Sydney Morning Herald over the weekend, Aussie’s advertising inferred its service was free and it worked independently from the banks to ensure customers got the best deals.

But, according to Choice, Aussie Home Loans is receiving a commission of 16 basis points per year for its services and “providing people with riskier loans that take longer to repay”.

Aussie is 50 per cent owned by the Commonwealth Bank, a fact it rarely discloses.

Choice alleges that 40 per cent of all Aussie customers end up with a CBA home loan and that’s despite Aussie saying it offers a choice of over 3000-plus different loan options.

In its complaint to ASIC, Choice noted: “Advertising claims by Aussie Home Loans [state] they will find people a ‘perfect loan’, ‘a better deal’ or even a ‘good’ quality loan.

“Choice is concerned that consumers who have seen these ads are likely to have formed the incorrect impression that mortgage brokers will scan the market to find them a high-quality loan, when the industry has failed to achieve this.”

Mortgage brokers were particularly savaged at the Hayne Royal Commission into the financial services sector this year with allegations brokers would favour institutions that paid the highest commissions. There were also claims that brokers didn’t get all the required documentation to get a loan across the line.

ASIC’s own research also found that brokers didn’t offer cheaper home loans than borrowers could had they approached the financial institution themselves.

 




Please login with linkedin to comment

ASIC aussie home loans

Latest News

New Business Wins For We Scout
  • Marketing

New Business Wins For We Scout

Indie comms agency We Scout announces new business wins. Well, you'd hardly announce new business losses, would you?

Oceania map with connection networks.
  • Media

Zenith Wins Superloop’s Media

The Zenith Christmas party set to be a wholly more bawdy, jolly soirée after agency nabs end-of-year win.

Archibald Williams Wins NBA Digital, Activation & Fan Engagement Accounts For APAC
  • Media

Archibald Williams Wins NBA Digital, Activation & Fan Engagement Accounts For APAC

Independent brand and digital agency, Archibald Williams (AW) has been appointed to lead the NBA account across the APAC region. The NBA is one of the most prestigious sporting leagues in the world and basketball is one of the fastest-growing sports in Australia. Effective immediately, AW said it was “excited” to work across all digital, […]

QMS Champions Creativity As First Most Contagious APAC 2023 Sponsor
  • Advertising

QMS Champions Creativity As First Most Contagious APAC 2023 Sponsor

Leading digital outdoor company QMS has announced it is the first-ever inaugural partner for Most Contagious APAC, the landmark London event by creative and strategic intelligence company Contagious, which will be showcased in Australia on Tuesday, 12 December in Sydney and Wednesday, 13 December in Melbourne. Most Contagious is an event that delivers key advertising […]

OMG’s Annalect First To Get Meta’s Advanced Analytics
  • Technology

OMG’s Annalect First To Get Meta’s Advanced Analytics

Omnicom’s data and analytics division Annalect has partnered with Meta, giving it access to Advanced Analytics (AA) – one of Meta’s privacy-focused measurement solutions – to provide Omnicom’s clients with future-proof, next-level measurement. Omnicom is the first holding company to have access to AA. AA allows advertisers to combine their first-party data with Meta’s ads […]

AKQA Launches Eco-Conscious AI DIY Assistant Encouraging People To Gift More Sustainably
  • Technology

AKQA Launches Eco-Conscious AI DIY Assistant Encouraging People To Gift More Sustainably

WPP’s AKQA has launched Fixmas.gift, an environmentally conscious AI-powered DIY assistant, affectionately known as Fixie, for a one-stop solution for all things repair. Fixmas.gift hosts an array of guides and inspiration to empower people to prolong the lives of their belongings or purchase pre-owned items that need a little love and care. Fixie can: Help […]