Debt collection ban for social welfare recipients a step forward but ‘in-house’ approach must comply with Australian Consumer Law 

Consumer Action Law Centre and Financial Counselling Australia have welcomed the Government’s announcement today banning the use of external debt collectors for social welfare recipients by Centrelink...

April 13, 2023

Robodebt Royal Commission: refer debt collection misconduct to the ACCC

Consumer Action has partnered with Financial Counselling Australia and Economic Justice Australia to make a submission to the Royal Commission into the Robodebt Scheme. The submission asks the Roya...

December 9, 2022

ASIC must reject licence applications from predatory debt vultures

Consumer Action has welcomed the news that Federal Treasurer Josh Frydenberg MP has made new regulations requiring debt management firms – also known as ‘debt vultures’ – to be licenced to provide ser...

May 4, 2021

COVID is making the debt crisis worse, let’s act now and treat people fairly

First published in the Herald Sun 10 September 2020 Australians’ debt problems will skyrocket due to the COVID-19 recession. We need to act now to ensure people in debt are treated fairly in the mo...

September 10, 2020

Keep communities connected, urge more than 40 community organisations across Australia

As more people face the prospect of losing work due to the COVID-19 health  crisis, community organisations are calling on banks, telcos, energy retailers, and rental providers to help people stay con...

March 19, 2020

Victoria’s Mental Health Royal Commission must examine links between links between poverty, debt and mental health

Consumer Action’s financial counsellors and lawyers speak regularly to individuals experiencing mental health issues. These individuals are commonly trying to deal with a range of consumer problems in...

July 14, 2019

The justice system could better respond to the needs of people affected by misconduct in the finance sector

Consumer Action Law Centre (Consumer Action) has recommended that financial service providers be required to improve their approach to dispute resolution in its comments to the Senate Legal and Consti...

March 6, 2019

Consumer issues must fall within mental health inquiry’s scope

Consumer Action has provided a submission to the Royal Commission into Mental Health Terms of Reference Consultation. We strongly support the Victorian Government’s announcement of this Royal Commi...

February 7, 2019

Joint submission: Attorney-General’s Department Review of Financial Hardship Arrangements

Consumer advocates consider that any additional information permitted to be shared or held as part of the credit reporting system is inherently a further privacy intrusion and must be justified to be...

June 28, 2018

Royal Commission into Misconduct in the Banking, Superannuation and Finance Sector – Consumer Action submission part 2

Consumer Action Law Centre has published part 2 of its submission to the Royal Commission into Misconduct in the Banking, Superannuation and Finance Sector today. The submission draws on the experienc...

February 5, 2018

Design, scope, cost-benefit analysis, contracts awarded and implementation associated with the Better Management of the Social Welfare System initiative

The Consumer Action Law Centre (Consumer Action) is pleased to provide a submission to the Inquiry on the Design, scope, cost-benefit analysis, contracts awarded and implementation associated with the...

April 11, 2017

Solving Energy Bill Disputes – Studio 10

[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=06LFC6jclIM] Denise Boyd speaks with Studio 10 about energy bill disputes....

September 22, 2015

Debt collection industry can still do more

Consumer Action Law Centre welcomes the release of the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission’s Debt Collection Industry Research Report released today, but says the industry can still do much...

May 22, 2015

Submission to the draft ACDBA Code of Practice.

The Consumer Action Law Centre (Consumer Action) welcomes the opportunity to comment on the draft ACDBA Code of Practice (the Code). Read the submission in full here (PDF)....

May 14, 2015

Media Release: Revised debt collection guideline should improve industry conduct

Consumer Action Law Centre has welcomed the revised Debt Collection Guideline published by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) and the Australian Securities and Investments Commi...

July 8, 2014

Submission: Consultation on Victorian Solicitors’ Conduct Rules

Consumer Action has made a submission to the Consultation on Victorian Solicitors’ Conduct Rules. We regularly assist debtors who are being pursued by lawyers or law firms acting on behalf of debt col...

June 23, 2014

Submission: ACCC / ASIC Debt Collection Guideline

Consumer Action has provided comment on the review of the ACCC / ASIC Debt Collection Guideline for Collectors and Creditors. The revised draft Guideline is a significant improvement on the existing...

December 16, 2013

Debt collection – your right to stop contact

Key Message: A creditor or debt collector must not contact you about a debt if you tell them in writing not to contact you about the debt. However, the debt collector can make a genuine threat of...

June 30, 2013

What can I do if I am having difficulty paying my loan or lease payments?

Key points: if you cannot pay your loan or lease because you are in financial difficulty (hardship) you may have the right to have your payments reduced, or changed in some other way. this i...

June 25, 2013

Submission: Federal Government’s independent review of Centrepay, Centrelink’s voluntary bill-paying service

The Consumer Action Law Centre welcomes the opportunity to comment on the independent review of the Centrepay system. Consumer Action believes that Centrepay can be a valuable financial management too...

March 4, 2013

The Age publishes recording of ACM Group attempting to collect debts

A recent Federal Court ruling found debt collection agency ACM Group (and its predecessor Accounts Control Management Services) engaged in misleading and deceptive conduct as well as undue harassment...

November 14, 2012

Debt collection – keeping a record of debt collector contact

Even if you owe money, the law protects you against unlawful debt collection conduct. See our fact sheets on What can I do if a debt collector calls? for more information. This Debt Collection Contac...

November 1, 2012

Media release: Federal Court finds ACM Group’s misleading or deceptive conduct was ‘not just widespread, it was systemic’

A Federal Court ruling, which found debt collection agency ACM Group (and its predecessor Accounts Control Management Services) engaged in misleading and deceptive conduct as well as undue harassment...

October 31, 2012

Debt Collection – seeking compensation in relation to consumer credit and lease contracts

Key Message: When a creditor or debt collector has engaged in undue harassment, or other unlawful behaviours, in relation to a consumer credit contract (loan) or lease you may be able to seek compens...

October 10, 2012

Water debt

[box type="note" icon="none"] Use this information sheet if You are having problems paying your water bill Your water business is demanding that you pay more than you can afford You want to kno...

September 27, 2012

Electricity and gas debt

Use this information sheet if: you are having trouble paying your electricity or gas bill; or you want information about payment arrangements and your rights. You do have rights under the E...

September 26, 2012

Joint submission: Regulation of water retailers’ Debt Management Powers Consultation Paper

The Consumer Action Law Centre, Consumer Utilities Advocacy Centre, Victorian Council of Social Services, Community Information and Support Victoria, Uniting Care Kildonan, National Seniors Australia,...

September 21, 2012

Policy report: The pursuit of the impossible, consumer experience with external collection of retail energy debts

A new report from the Consumer Action Law Centre gives an insight into the experiences of a number of Victorian energy consumers who had their energy debts passed onto external debt collectors. The pu...

July 17, 2012

Media release: New report offers a snapshot of debt collection practices in the Victorian energy sector

A new report from the Consumer Action Law Centre gives an insight into the experiences of a number of Victorian energy consumers who had their energy debts passed onto external debt collectors. The pu...

July 16, 2012

Submission: Inquiry into the Privacy Amendment (Enhancing Privacy Protection) Bill 2012

The Consumer Action Law Centre (Consumer Action) welcomes the opportunity to comment on Privacy Amendment (Enhancing Privacy Protection) Bill 2012. Our submission concerns the changes relating to cre...

July 10, 2012

Advocating for vulnerable, low income debtors

Low-income debtors often get the worst deal when it comes to dealing with debt—inaccessible or weak hardship assistance, particularly for those in long-term hardship; misleading or severe debt collect...

June 12, 2012

Debt collection – I’m being hassled by a debt collector, what should I do?

Use this fact sheet if you: are being hassled by a debt collector; or think that a debt collector or a creditor might be acting unfairly or unlawfully What do I do if I am being hassled b...

March 8, 2012

Debt collection – What can I do if a debt collector calls?

Use this fact sheet if: a creditor or debt collector has contacted you demanding that you pay a consumer debt; and legal proceedings have not been issued. If your problem relates to Centrel...

March 8, 2012

Debt collection

Consumer Action regularly receives complaints from consumers that are persistently contacted by debt collectors. In our experience, most debtors that contact our services have a genuine desire to repa...

February 4, 2012

VCAT cases will put Victoria’s new debt collection laws to the test

Both cases will test the law which commenced at the start of 2011 which requires debt collectors to stop contacting a debtor once the debtor has requested in writing that it do so, unless the contact...

January 20, 2012

Media release: VCAT cases will put Victoria’s new debt collection laws to the test

In what are believed to be two of the first cases to test Victoria's new ‘prohibited debt collection practices’, the Consumer Action Law Centre is helping two clients pursue legal cases against debt c...

January 17, 2012