Banking and Finance - Consumer Action Law Centre

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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...

Draft Determination – Application by the Australian Banking Association

We provide the following comment on Draft Determination AA1000683 in response to the Australian Banking Association’s (ABA) application to continue offering Basic Bank Accounts (BBAs) and certain cond...

OPINION: Why unsolicited selling should be banned

An edited version was first published in the Herald Sun on Sunday, 14 April 2025 Christine clicked on a Facebook site promising a solar deal with government rebates she could not refuse. Then a sal...

VIDEO: First ever ‘designated complaint’ targets the scourge of ‘door-knock’ unsolicited selling

Consumer Action Law Centre is calling for a nationwide ban on unsolicited selling in the first ever designated ‘super’ complaint presented to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC)....

VIDEO: What ‘consumer-centric’ policies should the next Government pursue?

Consumer Action Law Centre has revealed a list of its top consumer-centric priorities to make life fairer and better for all Australians, ahead of the upcoming federal Election. “This Federal Elect...

‘Cost-of-living’ at the centre of Election 2025: Our consumer-centric priorities revealed  

REPORT: Payday lenders pushing borrowers over the edge

The Australian Securities and Investment Commission (ASIC) has today released a report revealing what consumer advocates have been saying for months – predatory lenders are pushing customers in vulner...

Consumer Action: ‘Strengthened anti-scam laws will help future victims’

Assistant Treasurer, Stephen Jones has announced strengthened pathways for victims to seek compensation where wrongdoing has occurred. A Ministerial Direction announced yesterday, will empower the Aus...

Reported scams down but two-billion dollars in losses still ‘deeply concerning’

Consumer Action Law Centre says a report released today from the National Anti-Scam Centre, Targeting scams, reveals a welcome fall in the value of reported scams losses for 2024 (down by 25.9% to $2....

Compensation Scheme of Last Resort post-impementation review

Consumer Action Law Centre strongly supports the joint submission by CHOICE and other consumer organisations. We provide this supplementary submission in response to the Compensation Scheme of Last Re...

Hard fought protections in new Banking Code better for consumers

The new Banking Code of Practice came into force on Friday the culmination of years of work to strengthen consumer protections said Stephanie Tonkin, CEO Consumer Action Law Centre. The Hayne Roy...

Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL) – Draft Regulations

The consumer sector has been calling for appropriate regulation of BNPL for several years and we are pleased that legislation will shortly come into force, providing some protection to customers, part...

Proposed updates to RG209 with respect to the treatment of HECS debt in responsible lending

Consumer Action Law Centre’s perspective is that the changes suggested appear commonsense, particularly because they describe a closer assessment of a person’s income and expenditure in providing cons...

Code Governance Committee monitoring priorities for 2025-26

Insurance files form a large part of our legal casework and frequently involve clients in personal or financial crisis. While many claims may appear straightforward to an insurer, no claim is simple t...

Scams laws passing a relief, but victims to face an uphill battle for redress

Consumer advocates say the passing of the Scams Prevention Framework (SPF) fills a gaping hole in the law and in time should protect many Australians from falling victim to the scourge of scams. But t...

The Banking Code Compliance Committee’s priorities for 2025-26

Consumer Action Law Centre strongly supports the Banking Code Compliance Committee (BCCC) examining Code compliance through Bank@Post closely. We frequently hear anecdotal issues with accessing bankin...

Straightforward compensation would put victims at the heart of the new Scams Bill

Consumer organisations fighting to ensure Australians are protected under the Scams Prevention Framework Bill will provide evidence today at a crucial Senate Economics Legislation Committee hearing....

Submission: Scams Prevention Framework Bill 2024

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Consumer groups welcome passing of buy now, pay later regulations

Key loophole in credit laws will be closed Consumer groups have welcomed the passing of the Treasury Laws Amendment (Responsible Buy Now Pay Later and Other Measures) Bill 2024 (BNPL Bill) through...

Concerning the ABA’s application to remove conditions from basic bank account conduct

Our response to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission on this issue is supported by the Financial Rights Legal Centre and CHOICE. We are interested parties in the application by the Au...

Government’s Scams Prevention Framework only goes halfway – we need a presumption of reimbursement say consumer advocates

A broad coalition of consumer advocates is calling for the Albanese Government to make one fundamental change to the proposed Scams Prevention Framework (SPF) and put reimbursement at its core, warnin...

Submission: Scams Prevention Framework – exposure draft legislation

This is a joint submission made on behalf of: • Consumer Action Law Centre • CHOICE • The Australian Communications Consumer Action Network • Financial Rights Legal Centre • Super Consumers Austr...

SCAMS Opinion: Let’s leapfrog other jurisdictions with a uniquely Australian reimbursement model

First published on News.com.au 7 October, 2024 By Stephanie Tonkin, CEO Consumer Action Law Centre Today in the UK, new laws have commenced that require banks to repay their customers’ scams los...

Consumer safeguards must be front and centre of new scams framework say consumer advocates

Consumer Action Law Centre, CHOICE, the Australian Communications Consumer Action Network (ACCAN) and Super Consumers Australia, have welcomed the announcement from the Albanese Government of a consul...

Update on the Class Action against Pawnbroker, Taylors Business Pty Ltd, located in Delahey, Victoria

Consumer Action Law Centre (Consumer Action) is conducting a class action against Taylors Business Pty Ltd (ACN 107 445 723), located in Delahey, Victoria. What are the legal claims and orders soug...

REPORT: One year on and ASIC report again reveals banks shirking responsibility when customers have been scammed

A new report published today from the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) reveals a “shameful neglect of thousands of banking customers who have been scammed through no fault of th...

AFCA scam complaints ‘off the charts’ while banks fail to reimburse customers

The Australian Financial Complaints Authority (AFCA) received a record number of complaints in 2023-24 after disputes to the ombudsman service increased 9 per cent to more than 105,000 for the year. C...

Money Yarns, Stronger Futures: New Report Highlights Financial Challenges for First Nations People

The Consumer Action Law Centre has today released a groundbreaking report titled Money Yarns, Stronger Futures. The report amplifies the voices of First Nations people, sharing their personal experien...

ASICs ‘Better banking’ project will help First Nations customers -Remaining banks need to do better to reduce fee-harm-

Consumer Action Law Centre congratulates the Australian Securities and Investment Commission’s (ASIC) Indigenous Outreach Program team on the success of their Better banking for Indigenous consumers...

POLLING: Big majority of Australians say banks should do their job and take responsibility for keeping our money safe

Banks victim-shaming approach ‘immoral’- Tonkin New polling by Essential Media is unequivocal: the vast majority (75%) of Australians expect banks to keep their money safe from criminal scammers, a...

Services Australia: Centrepay Reform Discussion Paper

This submission to Services Australia is prepared by the Consumer Action Law Centre based on our casework experience. The primary issues we identify in our client files for Centrepay customers are:...

Consumer groups welcome reforms addressing harms caused by a bankruptcy system not fit for purpose

Consumer advocates have been calling for urgent reform for some time and last year outlined key pressure points during a round-table discussion organised by the Federal Attorney General, Mark Dreyfus...

Consumer Action and CHOICE chosen as designated complainants

The Albanese Government has announced today that Consumer Action Law Centre has been chosen as a designated complainant. This means that Consumer Action, with fellow consumer advocate CHOICE, and the...

Consumer advocates welcome revised Banking Code of Practice with incremental improvements noted

Consumer advocates are welcoming the revised Banking Code of Practice (the Banking Code) announced today which includes some incremental improvements to consumer protections. Consumer Action Law Ce...

Independent Review: Initial Consultation Paper, April 2024

Financial Rights Legal Centre has drafted this submission on behalf of the Consumers Federation of Australia. The following organisations have contributed and are signatories to this submission: •...

Consumer groups welcome new laws regulating Buy Now, Pay Later as credit but some concerns remain

New laws regulating Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) have been announced today. Consumer groups respond as follows: Quotes attributable to Stephanie Tonkin, CEO of Consumer Action Law Centre “We welcom...

OPINION: The victims of scams should not have to pay

First published in today's Herald Sun, by Stephanie Tonkin, CEO Consumer Action Law Centre I speak to the victims of scams every week and their stories leave me shaken and sad. Often, what’s stolen...

Fed Court decision final ‘nail in the coffin’ for predatory lenders Cigno Australia Pty Ltd and BSF Solutions Pty Ltd

Consumer Action Law Centre is delighted the Federal Court has issued a strong decision that calls out Cigno Australia Pty Ltd, BSF Solutions Pty Ltd and two of the entities’ directors for exploiting l...

Mandatory codes for scams will work if the Govt can push banks, telcos and big tech companies to lift their game say consumer advocates

Consumer advocates have welcomed the Albanese Government’s plan to set up the legislative framework and push to make the banks, telcos, and digital platforms lift their game to stop scams. The m...

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