Australia’s truth in ads

This item appears on page 65 of the September 2009 issue.

The Australian government has outlawed “component pricing,” a practice in the travel industry whereby products are advertised as “free” without extra costs being disclosed. Now all ads for, say, a free flight or free tour must declare all taxes and hidden fees up front. The law applies to businesses based in and selling in Australia and covers hotels, rental car companies, airlines and others.