3. Comparison Service Terms of Use

Date: 28 March 2024

3.1 Our Relationship

These Comparison Service Terms of Use ("Comparison Service Terms") govern your use of the Comparison Service on the Online Platform, including the following Sites operated by Finder:

The Comparison Service Terms form part of, and are incorporated by reference into, the Terms of Service.

Unless otherwise expressly defined in the Comparison Service Terms, capitalised words and phrases used in the Comparison Service Terms have the meaning given in the Terms of Service.

3.2 Comparison Service

We provide general information and factual advertisements on the Online Platform so that you can compare our Partners' products and services from the range we make available for comparison and potentially purchase, submit an application or obtain more information directly from our Partners by clicking on a link that redirects you to the relevant Partner's website or completing an online form to request a quote or other contact from the Partner ("Comparison Service").

When we provide the Comparison Service in relation to:

  • credit products, we act as an intermediary under our own Australian Credit Licence 385509;
  • financial products, we act as a Corporate Authorised Representative (432664) of Finder.com.au Pty Ltd, Australian Financial Services Licence 547310; and
  • general insurance products, we also act as a Corporate Authorised Representative (432664) of Countrywide Insurance Group Pty Ltd. trading as 'Austbrokers Countrywide', Australian Financial Services Licence 511363.

By using and accessing the Comparison Service, you acknowledge and agree that:

  • The Comparison Service does not cover all products, providers and/or services available in the market, so there may be other options available to you other than those of our Partners that we display to you;
  • We may filter products and services that are displayed to you on Online Platform based on information you have agreed to share with us in accordance with the Finder Group Privacy Policy, including information we obtain as a result of your use of the Credit Score Service;
  • We do not consider your objectives, needs, financial situation or other personal circumstances when we decide whether to display a product or service to you;
  • Products and services that are displayed to you are for general, informative purposes only and is not personal advice of any nature (including, without limitation, legal, taxation, financial or other advice about the suitability or appropriateness of any product or service);
  • Products and services that are displayed to you are not a recommendation or suggestion by us:
    • that a particular product or service is appropriate for you;
    • that you should apply for or acquire a particular product or service; or
    • that we endorse any particular product issuer.

You should get independent financial advice from a licensed financial adviser before making any decision to apply for or acquire a product or service we display to you and consider your own personal financial circumstances when comparing products.

We are not a product issuer nor are we owned by a bank, insurer or product issuer. While in some cases we may provide you with general financial product advice we don't, and won't, recommend specific providers, products or services. We want to provide you with the information and confidence to make an informed decision but we don't know enough about you to provide you with personal advice about your specific needs or circumstances.

In order to provide you with quotes, comparisons, factual information or advice we may need to collect some basic information about you such as your age, gender and occupation. By clicking 'quote' or 'enquiry' buttons, you are authorising us to provide your information to an adviser or broker who may call you to provide you with personal advice about your options and available products. By doing this you are also consenting to us retaining your personal information so that we can contact you about other relevant products and services that we think might interest you (including the Services), but you can opt-out of this process at any time by simply withdrawing your consent. If we refer you to a broker, please understand that the broker may only be able to assist on a select range of products and may not be able to assist you with a specific product and/or provider. Therefore before you act or commit to any product, confirm the scope of the products on which the broker can advise and make sure that you understand the consequences and implications of any restrictions.

We compare insurance data, basic information such as interest rates and application fees. We do not assess if a particular product is suitable for you. Providing or obtaining an estimated insurance quote through us does not guarantee you can get the insurance. Acceptance by insurance companies is based on things like occupation, health and lifestyle. Please understand that your particular circumstances, choices and preferences may also restrict the number of products available to you.

We compare credit product data, basic information such as credit card and loan rates, features and fees, and may refer you to a licensed credit provider who may pay us a commission for that referral. We do not assess if a particular credit product is suitable for you, nor do we assist you with applying for new credit products, or increases to your credit limit on existing credit products acquired by you. If we indicate your likelihood of approval for a credit product, this is not a guarantee of approval. Your application for any credit product will be determined solely by the relevant Partner and is subject to the Partner's terms and conditions as well as their application and lending criteria. We don't provide any guarantee or accept any liability with regard to your eligibility for success in applying for any credit product.

We endeavour to ensure that information and other content on the Online Platform is accurate and current but we can't guarantee the accuracy or currency of such information or content, nor the information on which we've relied. We suggest that you use your own judgement and read the Product Disclosure Statement and Target Market Determination for the product before you make any decision about a financial product advertised on the Online Platform. If you find an error in our data please let us know and we'll correct relevant content on the Online Platform.

Policy or product costs listed on the Online Platform (particularly in respect to insurance products) are approximations based on available data. The Partner who provides the product ultimately determines the price and terms of the cover they provide and the actual cost charged by the Partner may vary from the approximation quoted by us.

To the extent permitted by law, Finder disclaims all liability to any person in relation to use of the Online Platform, and you waive all claims against Finder in relation to your use of the Online Platform. Finder accepts no liability for any interference with or damage to a user's computer, mobile phone, software or data occurring in connection with or relating to the Online Platform or its use or any website linked to the Online Platform, and does not represent or warrant that the Online Platform or any website linked to ours will always be accessible. Nor do we represent or warrant that any applications initiated through the Online Platform will in fact be received or made to the intended recipient. Users are advised to confirm the application by other means.

The Online Platform includes links to other websites operated by our Partners and third parties such as community, business and government bodies. These linked websites will have their own terms and conditions of use and you should familiarise yourself with these. All linked websites are linked 'as is' and Finder does not sponsor, endorse or necessarily approve of any material on websites linked from or to the Online Platform; does not make any warranties or representations regarding the quality, accuracy, merchantability or fitness for purpose of any material on websites linked from or to the Online Platform; does not make any warranties or representations that material on other websites to which this Online Platform is linked does not infringe the intellectual property rights of any person anywhere in the world; and does not authorise the infringement of any intellectual property rights contained in material in other websites by linking the website to those other websites.

Our properties may feature Nielsen proprietary management software, which will allow you to contribute to market research, like 'digital content ratings'. To learn more about the information that Nielsen software may collect and your choices with regard to it, please see the Nielsen Digital Measurement Privacy Policy at http://www.nielsen.com/digitalprivacy.

The information and data on the Online Platform is subject to change without notice.

You may use the Finder AI Search functionality on the Online Platform to search for information about our Partners' products and services from the range we make available for the Comparison Service. The Finder AI Search functionality uses emerging technology, including generative AI technology, and may provide inaccurate or offensive generated output, and are not designed for or intended to meet your regulatory, legal or other obligations. You acknowledge that the Finder AI Search functionality does not take into account your personal circumstances.

3.4 Selection and Ordering of Products

The products compared on the Online Platform are chosen from a range of offers made available to us by our Partners and are not representative of all the products available in the market.

There is no perfect order or perfect ranking system for the products we list on the Online Platform so we've provided you with the functionality to self-select, re-order and compare products. The initial display order is influenced by a range of factors including conversion rates, product costs and commercial arrangements, so please don't interpret the listing order as an endorsement or recommendation from us. We're happy to provide you with the tools you need to make better decisions, but we'd like you to make your own decisions and compare and assess products based on your own preferences, circumstances and needs.

The products listed in the tables on the Online Platform are selected based on a number of features including but not limited to:

  • Features: including, but not limited to interest rates, annual fees and penalty fees.
  • Offers: the availability of offers in relation to particular products.
  • Access: whether a financial institution is offering a particular product at a particular time.

3.5 Advertiser Disclosure

Range: Comparisons are not intended to be comprehensive and will not cover the market of all available products. Not all products and/or providers in the market will be included in our comparisons.

Promotions and Advertisements: Products marked as 'Promoted', 'Sponsored', 'Advertisement' or other comparable term, are prominently displayed either as a result of a commercial advertising arrangement with our Partners or to highlight a particular product, Partner or feature. Finder may receive remuneration from the Partner if you click on the related link, purchase or enquire about the product. Finder's decision to show a 'Promoted' product is neither a recommendation that the product is appropriate for you nor an indication that the product is the best in its category. We encourage you to use the tools and information we provide to compare your options and find the best option for you.

Ranking: Where products appear on the Online Platform should not be taken as ranking or endorsing any particular product above another in terms of its suitability for your use.

Preferences: The identification of a group of products or individual product, as 'Top' or 'Best' is a reflection of user preferences based on current website data. On a regular basis, analytics drive the creation of a list of popular products. Where these products are grouped, they appear in no particular order.

Qualification: Financial products compared do not compare features that may be relevant to you in your choices about which product to utilise. Where we state that we have analysed offers in the market, the process of analysis is restricted to the information subsequently disclosed and may not be suitable for your personal circumstances.

Remuneration: Where the Online Platform links to particular products or displays 'Enquire now', 'Add to Cart', 'Go to Site' or similar 'call to action' buttons, we may receive a commission, referral fee or payment in relation to your clicking of this link. In some cases we may receive remuneration for referring you to an adviser or Partner. These arrangements vary but if you are referred to an adviser they will tell you what referral arrangements are in place.

Deals and Offers: For offers, coupons, deals and discounts, we work hard to ensure that the product and promotional information on the Online Platform is current and correct at the time of publication, but providers may subsequently restrict offers, apply additional terms or only have limited quantities available. All deals and offers are subject to availability. Always check the Partner's website before applying for, or purchasing, anything.

News: Posts marked as 'News' are true and correct at the time of publication but are neither maintained nor subsequently amended. As a static record, News may, over time, contradict, or appear to contradict, the dynamic information (such as product information) we display in tables on the Online Platform. We encourage you to use the tools and information we provide to find the best option for you.

3.6 User Reviews

We understand that people don't always make their decisions based on factual information alone. Sometimes, they like to consider, and rely on, user reviews to help them make their decision.

The Finder community is diverse, engaged and expert and we recognise the value of helping them share their experience and insights.

Users can submit reviews (and other user generated content) to the Online Platform to help other users make better informed decisions about the products and services covered by the Online Platform.

We believe in being 'straight up' so, in addition to being transparent about the commercial relationships we have in place, we want you to understand our approach to user reviews and our expectations about reviewers.

We will not publish misleading reviews

Reviews should reflect the user's actual experience with the product or service. We won't publish reviews that aren't honest or fair and we'll remove any review that we think may have been written by:

  • the reviewed business
  • a competitor of the reviewed business
  • a third party for either of the above
  • paid reviewers; or
  • people that have not used the product or service they're reviewing.

We trust our users to do the right thing but we will remove any review that contravenes this principle.

We'd also suggest that you don't submit a review if you haven't used the product or service in the last twelve (12) months.

We will not delete, hide or edit reviews (even negative ones).

Our mission is to help people make better decisions. That means giving them the information that helps them make a decision or avoid making a bad decision.

If a user chooses to share their experience and insights with our community, we think it's our obligation to help them do so - even if that review is critical of us or our Partners.

We won't delete, hide or edit reviews for commercial or promotional reasons. Nor will we manage reviews to create, or maintain, particular views of our Partners, their products or their services.

Please understand that this doesn't mean we won't delete, block or edit 'inappropriate content'.

We will not publish inappropriate content.

Finder is an information service that helps millions of people make better decisions.

We respect our users and understand our obligations to them and our Partners.

For this reason, we will not allow users to publish content that is inappropriate, illegal, defamatory, obscene or infringes others' intellectual property rights. Posts that harass, bully, demean, vilify or marginalise others will be blocked or deleted.

Posts that contain software viruses, chain letters, spam or mass mailings will also be blocked or deleted.

A post that contains your personal information (TFN, address or phone number) may be edited, blocked or deleted. We might not always pick up these type of posts, so please take care when you post to the Online Platform.

If we think a user is using a false identity or impersonating another person we'll block or delete any content they post.

We'll also block and ban any user that engages in conduct of this sort.

We own the published content.

Any reviews or content you submit may be used by finder for advertising purposes or republication. We may also use your submission to improve the Services.

The Online Platform is public, so don't post anything you don't want to share with the general public.

If you make a mistake, or identify a problem with something you've posted, please contact us using the details provided on our contact us page and we'll try to respond quickly.

3.7 Feedback and Complaints

3.7.1 Feedback

Finder aspires to help you make better decisions.

Rest assured that we genuinely appreciate your feedback which is why we've tried to make it simple for you to provide us with your views. You can simply use the Online Platform to report any problems or issues you have with us, the Online Platform or the Services.

Whatever problems or concerns you may have we'll do our best to resolve them quickly, transparently and fairly.

3.7.1 Internal Dispute Resolution

We hope you'll be delighted with the tools, Services and analysis we make available to you, but if you are not delighted and wish to lodge a complaint, we will handle your complaint in accordance with our internal dispute resolution ("IDR") process to ensure that we effectively manage and resolve your complaint to your satisfaction. You can learn more about our IDR process here.

Our IDR process is generally aligned with international standards and reflects our commitment to the following principles:

Commitment

Senior Management at Finder believe that feedback is a gift. We supplement our top-down commitment to effective IDR with adequate staff training, appropriate resourcing and effective management and reporting systems.

Fairness

Our IDR process is designed to allow equal opportunity to both parties and an objective analysis of the issues. We'll also ensure that our responses are considered and reasonable.

Resources

The first responder and main point of contact for complaints will be one of our Customer Care Specialists. Where necessary, complaints may be escalated to our in-house Legal team and/or Senior Management to ensure that the issues raised in your complaint are adequately addressed and that your complaint is handled by experienced staff who have the authority to settle the complaint (or facilitate direct access to a person who could).

Visibility

We don't hide either our approach or our principles and we've made it ridiculously easy for you to contact us directly - either through the Live Chat facility on the Online Platform or via the contact channels listed on the Contact Us webpage of the Site.

Accessibility

We prefer you to in-take complaints and feedback directly on the Online Platform – either through the Live Chat facility or via the contact channels listed on the Contact Us webpage of the Site – but you can make a complaint and get in touch with us by any reasonable means including letter, telephone, in person or email.

Assistance

If you require our help to submit your complaint or require other accommodation or adjustments to make our IDR process more accessible to you, we're happy to assist you – just let us know how we can help.

Responsiveness

If you have a complaint, the worst result is to feel ignored or that your concerns aren't important. We value feedback, and we respect the effort you've made to share your views with us, so we will:

  • acknowledge your complaint within 1 business day; and
  • seek to resolve your complaint at the earliest opportunity, and within 30 days.

We won't guarantee any outcomes except that our response (including any remedies or compensation offered) will be fair and appropriate. If we need to quantify loss or damage, we'll consider relevant legal principles, relevant codes of conduct, concepts of fairness and relevant industry best practice.

Cost

Our IDR process is free for complainants.

Data Collection

We love feedback, but we love information more and complaints provide us with rich data about our business. For these reasons, we track categories including:

  • the type of complaint;
  • the subject of complaint;
  • the outcome or result of the complaint; and
  • the timeliness of our response.

Confidentiality

The privacy of your personal information is important to us and we respect your confidentiality. We won't ask you for information we don't need but, in order to address your complaint, we may collect some personal information from you.

You have the right not to provide the personal information we request, but this may compromise the effectiveness of the response or information you receive. Rest assured that any personal information we collect or receive will be handled in accordance with the Finder Group Privacy Policy.

Systemic and recurring issues

Feedback is a gift and our IDR process treats it appropriately. We take the time to try to identify systemic issues or recurring problems to prevent other problems or anticipated complaints. Complaints data is also regularly reviewed by our Senior Management team.

Regular Review

Our IDR process is subject to regular review and, if you're not satisfied with our response, you may refer your complaint to the appropriate external dispute resolution scheme for independent review.

Whistleblower Policy

We also have a Whistleblower Policy, and you can find it here.

3.7.3 External Dispute Resolution

If we are in a dispute, and we can't resolve ourselves, it's in both our interests to involve an independent party and try to resolve the dispute in the most efficient and cost effective manner available to us.

So, if we haven't been able to resolve your complaint to your satisfaction, you may escalate it to one of the following independent bodies for external review.

Nature of ComplaintExternal Review BodyMore Information
General advice in relation to financial and credit products including:

  • Investments (excluding crypto-related)
  • Deposit products - such as savings and transaction bank accounts and term deposits
  • Superannuation
  • Derivatives
  • General Insurance – such as car and travel insurance policies
  • Life Insurance
  • Credit Cards
  • Personal Loans
  • Home Loans
Contact the Australian Financial Complaints Authority ("ACFA") on 1800 931 678.Financial Products and Life Insurance: Financial Services Guide - Financial Products

Credit Products:

Credit Guide

Personal Information - Collection and/or ManagementThe Office of the Australian Information Commissioner ("OAIC") on 1300 363 992
General Conduct – such as:

  • Delay
  • Discourteous Staff
  • Poor Customer Service
The Australian Securities and Investments Commission ("ASIC") may be contacted on 1300 300 630

All independent services above are free to you to access, however some may not be eligible to hear your complaint if the nature of the complaint raises issues that fall outside of the relevant body's jurisdiction. Contact the relevant body directly to understand whether your complaint falls within its jurisdiction.

3.7.4 Professional Indemnity Insurance

We maintain professional indemnity insurance to cover the information and advice we provide, and the Services. Our policy satisfies the requirements imposed by the Corporations Act 2001 and other applicable financial services laws.

3.8 Regulatory Notices

Finder provides factual information, general advice and services on financial products as a Corporate Authorised Representative ("CAR" number 432664) of:

We also provide general advice on credit products under our own Australian Credit Licence 385509. Please refer to the Credit Guide for more information.

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