You should think twice before using a credit repair company. These companies may claim to be able to improve your credit history by challenging ‘defaults’ and having information removed from your credit report, and they can charge thousands of dollars for their services. Read more here.

We're often contacted by consumers struggling under the cost of funeral insurance or who don't fully understanding what their funeral product entails. People rarely shop around for the funeral product that’s best for them—they simply buy the first one they come across. But 'funeral plan' can refer to three different types of product. Read more.

The boom in the residential solar panel industry has created an array of problems for Victorian households. Consumer Action encourages consumers to consider using a retailer that has signed up to the Clean Energy Council’s PV retail code of conduct. Signatories to the code have agreed to provide a minimum warranty of five years. Read more.

Hire car 'insurance' is not what it seems. Indeed, it’s often not insurance at all but, rather, an indemnity which, in the case of an accident, may fall a long way short of what customers would need and could leave them deep in debt. Read more.

Credit repair companies claim to be able to have information removed from your credit report, but they charge thousands of dollars for something you can do yourself. Read more.

Timeshare can be sold on the secondary market, both privately and through brokers, but don’t be fooled into thinking timeshare is a financial investment! Selling timeshare can be costly, time consuming, and is not always possible. In all likelihood you’re only ever going to recover a fraction of your investment. Read more.

Energy companies can increase the cost of your electricity at any time during your fixed term contract – even before your fist bill has arrived. It’s a system that needs fixing. Read more.

We regularly receive complaints about the sale of educational software to parents, many of whom live on low income and/or come from a non-English speaking background. Many parents have been subjected to high pressure sales tactics. Read more.

We're seeing lots of complaints about private colleges and training institutions. Don't be rushed into signing a contract you don't fully understand. We've published a guide to help: Private education and training: Avoiding common problems. Click here for more detail.

Scam alert We’ve had reports of scammers falsely using Consumer Action's name to obtain money and banking details from their victims. Consumer Action is not responsible for these call. We will never ask for money or bank details. For more information see our Scam Fact Sheet or our Privacy Statement.