Huh, I’ve not heard of this, though it doesn’t surprise me.
In the area where I grew up (waaay out in the sticks, with no easy public transport access to the closest AEC office), the AEC tended to send people out to your home on your 18th birthday (or soon after it) and enrol you on the spot. This was decades ago, though, before you could do any of it online.
There was a famous 24h florist in my city that everyone joked had to be a front for something. (Turned out it was drugs.)
Coincidentally, there’s a shop in my neighbourhood that’s also floral-themed and suspicious as heck: it says it sells flowers, but I only see potted plants (that don’t appear to be for sale) and earrings on display stands (which do appear to maybe be for sale) when I peek in the window. I’ve lived here for many years, and I’ve never once seen it open, no matter what time of day or day of the week I walk past. With rent constantly rising and quite a lot of businesses in the street closing or moving away, it seems highly suspicious that this one could be turning a profit without ever being open.
I’ll be mildly shocked if this isn’t in Australia.
Asian? I mean, I know they exist in Asia, as I lived in SK and JP when I was younger, but we’ve had them in Australia for as long as I can remember, and I’m in my 40s. Westinghouse, Breville and Philips all offer countertop models, and nowadays you can also get them installed directly into the kitchen sink/counter as part of a water filtration system. (Most people prefer a kettle at home, though - they’re cheaper and less fuss to repair/replace.)
Did I speedrun a midlife crisis in my 20s? 🤔 Never did pickleball, but that’s pretty synonymous with retirees over 60 in my corner of the world.