June 22, 2026
Digital services have become essential to how Australians shop, work, communicate and access information. Yet when things go wrong online, many people are left navigating complex complaints processes with little support and few pathways to resolution.
This report explores:
Four in five experienced at least one problem with a digital service in the past year.
Nearly half of those affected experienced four or more issues over the same period.
Two in five never make a complaint when they experience problems online.
The most common reason is a belief that making a complaint won’t make any difference.
Two in three who complain are dissatisfied with the outcome.
The issues generating the highest dissatisfaction include refunds, customer support, account deletion and misleading fees.
54% experience financial impacts.
Australians lose an estimated $497 million each year due to unresolved digital service problems.
More than half report lower trust of the online world (53%)
1 in 6 report an impact on their mental health and wellbeing (14%)
Three in four support access to a free, independent body to help resolve disputes involving digital services.
To improve outcomes for Australians experiencing problems with digital services:
CPRC welcomes the opportunity to work further on this issue with government, regulators, policy makers, and academics.
If you are in one of the above groups and would like a one-on-one briefing for your organisation, contact our team today
September 17, 2024
Many regulators in Australia a wealth of insights in the data they hold from consumer complaints or reports to achieve better regulatory outcomes, but often the information is not easily accessible or even made public.
July 24, 2024
When your mobile phone service drops out or your internet isn’t working, what do you do? For many Australians, the answer is nothing. But why? This research, commissioned by the Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman (TIO), explores who faces challenges with telco services in Australia and what the complaint experience entails.
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