Privacy Reform
Consumer Action Law Centre (Consumer Action) congratulates the Attorney General's Department on the proposed reform to modernise Australia’s legislation to be better equipped to protect, in an increas...
Consumer Action: Tackling 20 years of ‘dodgy,’ fighting for fairness and supporting hundreds of thousands of consumers
Consumer Action Law Centre is today celebrating an important milestone; 20 years of legal and financial counselling services and expertise used to fight for stronger consumer rights and fairness in th...
Mulino’s lead generation clampdown in financial services a ‘bold move’ to protect Aussies’ savings
Consumer Action Law Centre CEO, Stephanie Tonkin says Assistant Treasurer Daniel Mulino’s announcement today to rein in bad actors profiting off Australians’ life savings, is a bold and welcome move b...
Bank fees: ACCC’s low or no-fee account ruling a boost for thousands of Aussies doing it tough
Consumer advocates say the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission’s (ACCC) landmark determination requiring banks to proactively move eligible customers into low or no-fee accounts unless they...
Consumer groups put forward 10-point plan to improve general insurance claims handling
A coalition of consumer organisations have issued an ultimatum for general insurers to implement a 10-point plan to address significant flaws in its redrafted General Insurance Code of Practice. Th...
ACCC releases blistering report on harms but falls short on banning ‘unsolicited selling’
Consumer Action Law Centre CEO, Stephanie Tonkin has welcomed the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC)’s report on its first designated complaint, that concludes changes to unsolicite...
Compensation Scheme of Last Resort and reform options to support ongoing sustainability
The CSLR plays a vital role in Australia’s financial services dispute resolution framework. A failure by a financial firm to pay compensation awarded to someone by the Australian Financial Complaints...
Joint Consumer Submission: Scam Prevention Framework codes and rules
This is a joint submission, co-drafted by Consumer Action Law Centre (Consumer Action), CHOICE and the Australian Communications Consumer Action Network (ACCAN), and made on behalf of: Organisation...
Manufactured Consent: New report shines spotlight on dodgy practice of lead generation
Consumer Action Law Centre has published a new report Manufactured Consent: stopping the harm from manipulative lead generation detailing the complicated practice and its devastating consumer harms....
REPORT Manufactured Consent: Stopping the harm from manipulative lead generation
Lead generation – the process of identifying people as potential sales targets and harvesting their contact details for future sales pitches – has become a significant source of consumer harm. Lead ge...
REPORT: ASIC spotlights how car loans cause deep consumer harms
Consumer advocates nationwide have welcomed the release of the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) report ‘Lifting the bonnet: ASIC’s review of car loans’. ASIC’s Indigenous Outrea...
Changes to the insurance code of practice fall well short say consumer groups
The Financial Rights Legal Centre (Financial Rights), Financial Counselling Australia (FCA) and Consumer Action Law Centre (Consumer Action) have warned that government intervention may be needed if g...
Don’t miss out! Lodge your claim to AFCA asap if you were ripped off by Snaffle
In May, the Federal Court ordered a $33.5 million penalty against Snaffle, operated through Walker Stores, for inflating prices and overcharging customers on credit contracts. Many of the customers we...
Federal Court scathing on HSBC, bringing legal clarity: Australia’s banks MUST protect their customers from scams
Consumer Action Law Centre CEO Stephanie Tonkin says the $35 million penalty plus costs imposed on HSBC Bank in the Federal Court yesterday sends a clear and resounding signal to Australia’s banks: th...
Curbing lead generation activity
This is a joint submission from Consumer Action Law Centre, Super Consumers Australia, Financial Rights Legal Centre, Mob Strong Debt Help, Financial Counselling Australia, Consumer Credit Legal Servi...
Rogue lender Cigno and Directors fined $7 million at Federal Court
Consumer advocates have welcomed the decision by the Federal Court to fine Cigno Australia and its director Mark Swanepoel, and BSF Solutions and its director Brenton Harrison a combined penalty of $7...
Independent Review of the Customer Owned Banking Association Code of Practice
This is a joint submission by CARE, CHOICE, Consumer Action Law Centre, Consumer Credit Legal Service Western Australia, Consumer Policy Research Centre, Each, Financial Counselling Australia, Financi...
Wrong direction: Australians robbed of $2.2 billion in 2025 by scam-crime
More than $10 billion has been stolen in scams from Australians since 2020 -a deeply troubling statistic as victims continue to carry 95% of the losses, and 30% or more of victims don’t report their l...
Unfair Trading Practices – Exposure Draft and Explanatory Memorandum
We are providing this supplementary submission to Treasury, to highlight the need to explicitly consider manipulative lead generation practices in the Exposure Draft legislation and Explanatory Memora...
Consumer Action welcomes ASIC review into ‘lead generators’ – a focus of our designated complaint
Consumer Action Law Centre CEO Stephanie Tonkin has warmly welcomed moves by the Australian Securities and Investment Commission (ASIC) to review and investigate financial advice licensees using lead...
Banking Code Compliance Committee priorities 2026-27
This submission is provided on behalf of Consumer Action Law Centre, Financial Rights Legal Centre, Mob Strong Debt Help and Mortgage Stress Victoria. We strongly support the Banking Code Complian...
Consumer groups call on Government to block scammers this Valentine’s Day
New protections needed to cover key businesses enabling romance scammers. A coalition of consumer advocacy groups, financial counselling organisations and community legal centres, including CHOICE,...
Consumer groups welcome consultation on reforms to stop unfair trading and strengthen consumer guarantees
Consumer groups have welcomed the release of Exposure Draft Legislation on Unfair Trading Practices, including two specific prohibitions targeting subscription traps and drip pricing. Consumer Acti...
Information Request: Deferred Sales Model Class Exemptions
The Financial Rights Legal Centre (Financial Rights) and Consumer Action Law Centre (Consumer Action) long held position has been that there should be few if any exemptions at all to the Deferred Sale...
‘Ongoing and significant harms’: New data shows millions still lost to scams in late 2025
Fresh data from Consumer Action Law Centre’s frontline services in the final quarter of 2025 confirms what Scamwatch reported throughout the year: Australians are still losing millions to scammers, wi...
Scam prevention laws must plug the gaps and guarantee fair compensation say consumer advocates
Joint submission warns current design leaves major scam channels uncovered, delays real protections, and will fail victims without a workable dispute resolution pathway Australia’s leading consumer...
Joint Consumer Submission – Scams Prevention Framework draft law package and position paper
This is a joint submission made on behalf of: • Consumer Action Law Centre • CHOICE • Financial Rights Legal Centre • Financial Counselling Australia • Westjustice • Consumer Credit Legal Servic...
At Christmas, no one should have to pawn their life away
An edited version of this opinion piece appeared in the Herald Sun today. By Stephanie Tonkin Christmas is meant to be a time of generosity and hope. Yet for too many Australians, it’s a season...
Consumer advocates welcome report on the national scourge of lemon cars
Advocates across Australia are welcoming a new report today from the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) which points a lens at one of the nation’s most pervasive and troubling consu...
Consumer Action calls for strong -world beating- Scams Prevention Framework as draft codes land
Consumer Action Law Centre has welcomed the latest consultation on the Federal Government’s Scams Prevention Framework (SPF), announced Friday by Assistant Treasurer Dr Daniel Mulino MP, saying Austra...
Our impact in 2024-25: Fighting injustice and working for a fairer marketplace
We are delighted to present our Impact Report 2024-25 which highlights Consumer Action Law centre’s work over the past year working with consumers, community workers, national advocates and cross-sect...
OPINION: Meta gorges on scam victim profits
A version of this opinion piece appeared in the Sunday Herald Sun 23 November, 2025 I’ve talked a lot about banks’ central role in Australia’s scams crisis. However, the main beneficiaries of the e...
Landmark reforms to stop unfair trading and strengthen consumer guarantees
Consumer groups have welcomed the decision by Consumer Affairs Ministers to progress major reforms that will make unfair business practices illegal and introduce enforceable consumer guarantees, the m...
A surge in scams while our ‘world leading’ Scam Prevention Framework missing in action
New scam data released today from the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) reveals that Australians lost nearly $260 million in scams in the first nine months of 2025, a 16% increase...
OPINION: BAN crypto ATMs and end robbery in plain sight
Stephanie Tonkin, CEO Consumer Action Law Centre An edited version published in the Sunday Herald Sun 9 Nov 2025 You may have seen a crypto ATM sitting in your local post office, fuel station or...
Crypto ATMS are a clear vector for scams: Ban them now says Consumer Action
Crypto ATMs are a clear vector for scam activity focusing on older victims*, charging eye-boggling fees and causing massive harms – “the Albanese Government should do the right thing and ban them now”...
Response to Productivity Commission Interim Report: Creating a more dynamic and resilient economy
This is a joint submission from Consumer Action Law Centre, Financial Counselling Australia, Consumer Policy Research Centre and CHOICE. We welcome the opportunity to inform this national conversation...
Court Finds Money3 Breached Responsible Lending Laws: Consumer Advocates Welcome Outcome
In a decision handed down on Friday, the Federal Courthas found that car lender Money3 breached responsible lending laws. The case, brought by the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (...
Centrepay will no longer be a vehicle for financial abuse
Consumer advocates welcome reforms to Government payment service The Financial Rights Legal Centre, Mob Strong Debt Help, Consumer Action Law Centre, CHOICE, Anglicare NT and Economic Justice Austral...
Banks should be responsible for shifting people onto better accounts, say consumer groups
Consumer groups are urging the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) to put the onus on banks to shift people into basic bank accounts as part of the ACCC’s authorisation of the Austra...
Scam Awareness Week kicks-off: taking care is important alongside business disruption efforts
Consumer Action Law Centre CEO Stephanie Tonkin is calling for immediate action from the Federal Government as new scam data reveals a surge in everyday Australians being robbed. Her call comes as...
Draft Determination AA1000683 – Application by the Australian Banking Association
This is a joint submission from Consumer Action Law Centre, Mob Strong Debt Help, Financial Rights Legal Centre, and Financial Counselling Australia. Basic bank accounts (BBAs) are incredibly valua...
Consumer advocates welcome banks’ commitment to refund $93 million, but gaps in support remain
Consumer advocates have welcomed a commitment from Australian banks to refund more than $93 million to low-income customers after charging excessive fees, but significant gaps in support remain, with...
OPINION: The evil reach of the ‘recovery’ scam as victims robbed again
First published in the Herald Sun, Sunday27 July 2025 The scams crisis is still raging, and some statistical indicators reveal this problem, which costs Australians billions of dollars every year,...
Second AUSTRAC Consultation on new AML/CTF Rules
This is a joint submission made on behalf of: • Consumer Action Law Centre • Indigenous Consumer Assistance Network • Super Consumers Australia • Financial Counselling Australia • Mob Strong Debt...
OPINION: Will our ‘super complaint’ stop the scourge of door-knock selling?
First published in the Herald-Sun, 29 June 2025 By Stephanie Tonkin CEO Consumer Action Law Centre On 17 June, the nation’s economy-wide regulator, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commis...
Proposed AFCA Rules changes to expand jurisdiction over receiving banks in scams
We welcomed this year’s Federal Government announcement and Authorisation to expand AFCA’s jurisdiction to enable AFCA to consider complaints against banks for scam matters where an AFCA complainant d...
ACCC’s decision on first super complaint ‘shows the system works’ says Consumer Action
Consumer Action Law Centre CEO, Stephanie Tonkin says she is thrilled by the decision of the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission to launch a detailed review into the national impact and har...
A historic opportunity to enact a stronger consumer-focused agenda say advocates
Consumer advocates have congratulated the Albanese Government on its emphatic re-election victory and called for it to seize the moment to govern with an even stronger consumer-focused agenda in its s...
Joint Submission: Centrepay Reform – Consultation
This is a joint submission led by Financial Rights Legal Centre, supported by Consumer Action Law Centre and: • Australian Communications Consumer Action Network • AnglicareNT • Brotherhood of St...