Media Release - Consumer Action Law Centre

TIO annual report reveals complaints about mobile services at five-year high

The Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman (TIO) annual report released today has revealed stark contrasts—while complaints about phone and internet services decreased in the year ending 30 June 2022,...

Finally, time to Stop the Debt Trap!

Consumer advocates making up the Stop the Debt Trap coalition across Australia have welcomed the introduction of the Financial Sector Reform Bill 2022 which, among other things, enhances long overdue...

With scams at crisis levels, banks and payment system providers must do more

Online and telephone scams targeting Australians are now at crisis levels and victims will continue to bear the burden of financial losses, which will only get worse without urgent action from governm...

Hundreds of thousands of lemon cars sold ‘down the lane’, why we need an ombudsman

Data from Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) actions, recalls and other court actions has revealed that there are hundreds of thousands of lemons on Australia’s roads, many of which...

Quality of Advice Review proposal: A major step backwards in consumer financial protection

Consumer groups have responded to the Quality of Advice Review’s proposal to dismantle core consumer protections Quotes attributable to Consumer Action Law Centre CEO Gerard Brody “One of the si...

Consumer Action board announces CEO departure

The board of Consumer Action Law Centre has announced that its CEO, Gerard Brody, will step down from the role after more than 11 years with the Centre. The board is pleased that Mr Brody will continu...

“A decade-long disgrace”: Thousands likely remain uncompensated by the Freedom Insurance Remediation program

The Australian Securities and Investment Commission revealed today that it is likely thousands of customers remain entitled to an unclaimed refund from the Freedom Insurance Remediation Program. “...

Wholesale energy upheaval should not push default electricity prices higher

The Consumer Action Law Centre (Consumer Action) has written to Kate Symons, Chairperson of the Essential Services Commission (ESC), urging caution before accepting electricity retailer arguments to r...

Embedded networks ban promotes consumer choice and is a win for Victorians

The announcement today from the Victorian Minister for Energy Lily D’Ambrosio banning embedded networks in new residential apartment buildings, and improving protections for existing networks,...

First step towards a resolution” Save Sorry Business Coalition welcomes initial response from government on Youpla/ACBF collapse

The Save Sorry Business Coalition, which is supported by 130 organisations and almost 20,000 individuals, welcomes today’s Government announcement for the family of policy holders who have passed and...

‘Telcos still behaving badly’: Report highlighting key drivers of customer complaints welcomed

Consumer Action has welcomed a report released today from the Telecommunciations Industry Ombudsman (TIO) that reveals a high level of customer complaints about poor mobile services and the continued...

ASIC lending model ban on rogue lender Cigno applauded

Consumer Action welcomed today’s announcement from the corporate regulator Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) that it will use its product intervention power to ban the excessivel...

“Devastating cultural and financial impact”: First Nations communities in crisis after Youpla collapse

New data reveals the local communities hit hardest by predatory insurer as calls grow for urgent Federal Government action “The collapse of the predatory funeral fund Youpla (ACBF) is having a deva...

Consumer and social service groups welcome community consultation on removing buy-now-pay-later and other credit loopholes

Key consumer and social service groups are welcoming the Federal Government’s announcement that the process of introducing better safeguards for buy now pay later (BNPL) and other credit products has...

Banks can do more to stop scams say consumer advocates

Australia’s banks can do much more to stop the plague of scams that is destroying families and costing the economy more than $2 billion annually. That’s the message from consumer advocates in response...

Consumer advocates praise court decision against Cigno loans

Consumer advocates have welcomed a Full Federal Court decision striking down a credit law avoidance strategy used by Cigno Pty Ltd and BHF Solutions. For years, fringe lender Cigno has preyed upon...

Commit to a lemon car ombudsman in November election say consumer advocates

Consumer Action Law Centre and WEstJustice Western Community Legal Centre are calling on the Victorian Government to make a solid commitment, ahead of the upcoming Victorian election in November, to i...

Government’s commitment to regulate buy now pay later products welcomed

Key consumer and community groups are welcoming comments by the new Minister for Financial Services, Stephen Jones, that the Government will move to regulate buy now pay later (BNPL). Minister Jone...

ASIC litigation against payday lender: new Federal Government must deliver overdue reform

Consumer Action has welcomed the Australian Securities and Investment Commission’s (ASIC) announcement that it is suing Sunshine Loans for breaches of the National Credit Code for charging unlawful fe...

Electricity disconnections on the rise as gaps in support for families revealed

Amidst worrying reports of rising energy prices, Consumer Action is calling for energy retailers to do more to help families and people who fall into difficultly with their bill payments, leading to d...

Crypto: As risky as gambling and a haven for scams that demands action

Consumer Action is calling for meaningful protections from scams to apply to businesses operating in the crypto sector. The call comes in a submission to the Treasury’s consultation paper Crypto as...

Telcos are an essential service and must step up to help customers in need

Consumer Action has welcomed the Statement of Expectations today from the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) setting out clarity for telcos on assisting customers experiencing vulner...

Youpla collapse to fuel ‘trauma and intergenerational debt’ for Indigenous families across Australia

A coalition of over 125 organisations has released an open letter to both major parties calling for urgent action to prevent more than ten thousand Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families from...

ASIC litigation against fictitious high-cost ‘leases’ protects against exploitation

Consumer Action has welcomed the Australian Securities and Investment Commission’s (ASIC) announcement that it has sued Rent4Keeps and Layaway Depot for breaches of the National Credit Code involving...

Water is an essential service and must remain affordable for everyone

Consumer Action Law Centre has written to the Chairs and Managing Directors of the Victorian water corporations about the impending 2023 Water Price Review, urging them to prioritise affordability so...

US Government urged NOT to follow Australia’s lead with self-regulation of buy now pay later products

Australian consumer groups have warned the USA’s chief consumer regulator, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), about major flaws in the self-regulation of buy now pay later (BNPL) product...

Failure in Government policy sees First Nations peoples lose millions in funeral fund collapse

A coalition of community organisations which work with First Nations consumers and consumer groups are calling on the Australian Government to step in to assist policyholders who have been devastated...

More than $2billion lost as redress system fails scammed Aussies

Today is World Consumer Rights Day, which this year focuses on the need for fairer digital finance for all, including better protection from online scammers. New analysis from Consumer Action reveals...

Punish companies when they fail to give a repair, replacement or refund

Consumer Action, CHOICE, CCLSWA and WEstjustice are backing Treasury’s recent proposal to penalise businesses who don’t provide a repair, replacement or refund to a consumer when one is due. Fining bu...

Calls for stripping Sumo Power’s energy licence & compensation for those wrongly disconnected

Consumer groups* have written to the Essential Services Commission (ESC) calling for Sumo Power’s (Sumo) licence to operate in Victoria to be investigated and monetary compensation for those wrongfull...

Inhumane energy disconnections must end: $500K Sumo Power fine

Consumer Action has welcomed the Essential Services Commission (ESC) imposing $500,000 in penalties on energy retailer Sumo Power Pty Ltd for wrongfully disconnecting hundreds of families in the lead...

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Hayne Royal Commission findings on conflicted remuneration forgotten by Federal Government in long-awaited review

Consumer Advocates are calling for an urgent rewrite of the Federal Government’s Draft Terms of Reference (Draft TOR) for the Quality of Financial Advice Review (Advice Review). “This review is sup...

Time to finally end the harm done by Cigno loans

Consumer groups and financial counsellors are urging the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) to act now to put an end to the use of harmful lending models used to charge excessive...

Australian consumer groups warn UK Government against industry “self-regulation” of Buy Now Pay Later

Financial Counselling Australia and the Consumer Action Law Centre have shared Australia’s experience of weak consumer safeguards for Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL), as part of the UK Government’s consultat...

Tougher consumer protections at core of payments reform welcomed

Treasurer Josh Frydenberg’s announcement today that the Government intends to reform Australia’s payment systems is a real opportunity to improve consumer protection, according to Consumer Action Law...

“The time is now”: Consumer groups urge banks to implement key code review recommendations

The final report of the triennial independent review of the Australian Banking Association’s (ABA) Banking Code of Practice released today makes over 100 recommendations aimed at improving people’s ex...

Consumer advocates welcome recommendation for stricter controls of credit funded gambling online

Financial Counselling Australia (FCA), Financial Rights Legal Centre and the Consumer Action Law Centre welcome the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Corporations and Financial Services’ recommendation...

Consumer groups call for new ombudsman to ‘prune’ lemon cars

Consumer advocates are calling on the Victorian Government to commit to a free and effective dispute resolution service for Victorians who are sold ‘lemon’ cars by car dealers in next year’s Budget....

Buy now pay later surcharge ‘reveal’ a win for consumers and retailers

The Reserve Bank of Australia has said today that retailers should be allowed to pass on or ‘surcharge’ customers for the cost of buy now pay later, a move welcomed by Consumer Action Law Centre which...

Consumers win as long-awaited financial services sector reforms commence

A raft of major reforms in the financial services sector have come into effect this week, the culmination of years of consistent campaigning and casework from consumer advocacy groups representing hun...

15 consumer groups and professional associations call for stronger compensation scheme

A diverse coalition of organisations is calling for a broad financial compensation scheme, as legislation is expected to be introduced into Federal Parliament in the coming weeks. The coalition, wh...

Improvements in consumer protection for solar welcome, but more needed

The Clean Energy Regulator (CER) review into rooftop solar makes some important proposals improve accountability for solar retailers, but for the new rules to really be effective, reform needs to go f...

REPORT: Victorians living alone and single parents continue to struggle with energy debt

A report released today by Consumer Action Law Centre has found that while Victoria’s energy retailers are slowly improving their support of people having difficulty paying their bills, Victorians liv...

Banks can do better: Consumer groups make more than 100 recommendations to improve bank behaviour

A coalition of the country’s leading consumer organisations is calling on Australia’s major banks to make significant updates to their industry code to improve outcomes for customers. The Consumers’ F...

Consumer groups concerned that travel insurance has unwarranted exemptions from Hayne reforms

Consumer advocates are calling on the Federal Treasurer and ASIC to implement the ban on unsolicited selling of insurance and superannuation consistently with the letter and spirit of Commissioner Hay...

Consumer groups: Insurance exemption loopholes undermine spirit of Hayne reforms

Yesterday the Morrison Government announced that it would provide sweeping exemptions to the insurance industry from Financial Services Royal Commission reforms designed to improve insurance sales pra...

Consumer groups applaud Federal Court ruling to uphold ASIC intervention in short-term credit market

Today’s Full Federal Court decision to dismiss an application by Cigno Pty Ltd (Cigno), seeking to quash the Australian Securities and Investments Commission’s (ASIC) product intervention order to rei...

Court decision on Cigno lending model ‘extremely disappointing’

Today’s Federal Court decision that the lending model promoted by Cigno Pty Ltd did not breach the National Consumer Credit Protection Act (National Credit Act) is extremely disappointing, and consum...

Consumer issues in Victorian Aboriginal communities during 2020

A report Consumer Issues in Victorian Aboriginal Communities during 2020 published today by Consumer Action Law Centre (Consumer Action) and the Victorian Aboriginal Legal Service (VALS) uses quantit...

Tougher rules banning aggressive energy & solar sales a big win for all Victorians

Consumer Action has welcomed the Victorian Government’s announcement today that it is banning high-pressure sales tactics like unsolicited door-to-door sales and cold-calling to protect people from be...

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