Cars - Consumer Action Law Centre

The consumer experience of faulty cars in Victoria: Report launch

Hear an expert panel discuss why we need a better system for resolving car disputes in Victoria at the launch of a major report on the consumer experience of faulty cars in Victoria by Consumer Policy...

REPORT: Victoria overrun with dodgy lemon cars as current dispute process totally unfit for consumers

A groundbreaking report from the Consumer Policy Research Centre (CPRC) has found that over half (54%) of all Victorians who bought used or new car in the past five years experienced major or minor fa...

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...

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...

OPINION: That lemon car sour taste just keeps getting worse

Opinion piece by Gerard Brody, CEO Consumer Action Law Centre A version of this opinion piece appeared in the Herald Sun today The pandemic has helped drive second-hand car prices up 50 percent...

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....

Victorian pre-Budget submission 2022-23

Victoria desperately needs a specialist dispute service to assist people sold defective motor vehicles. Consumer Action Law Centre (Consumer Action), Victorian Aboriginal Legal Service (VALS), WEst...

The sale of add-on financial products through car yard intermediaries

Consumer Action Law Centre, Financial Rights Legal Centre and WEstjustice have made a submission to the Australian Securities and Investment Commission (ASIC) Consultation – Product intervention: The...

Critical moment to fix and prevent systemic mis-selling of junk insurance and warranties through caryards

Since 2016, Consumer Action’s free tool, DemandaRefund.com has helped people to generate over 9,000 demands totalling an estimated $17 million in refunds for junk consumer credit insurance (CCI), guar...

Unconscionable conduct: Divided High Court confirms need for change to the law

In its response to the High Court finding that a ‘book-up’ credit scheme operated in the remote Aboriginal community of Mintabie in the South Australian APY lands was not unconscionable, Consumer Acti...

Banks should recognise that anyone can become vulnerable: Submission to ABA Guideline on Customer Vulnerability

There are any number of reasons why a person would be unable to unwilling to speak up when they are struggling with their financial situation. Who among us hasn’t faced a financial issue at one poi...

Government sets new energy price safety net to stop Victorians getting ripped off

Victorians will be taking back control of their energy prices thanks to the introduction of the Government’s new default energy offer. Consumer Action Law Centre (Consumer Action) is strongly suppo...

Newly passed bill officially bans rent-to-buy and vendor finance schemes from the Victorian housing market

The historic ban on certain residential vendor terms and rent-to-buy agreements, included in the Sale of Land Amendment Bill 2019 passed by Parliament this week means vulnerable home purchasers will b...

Essential Services Commission Consequential amendments related to the Victorian Default Offer Draft Decision

Generally, we strongly support this Draft Decision as it makes clear that energy retailers must ensure that they inform households in Victoria of new protections and options available when choosing an...

New Energy Tech Consumer Code ACCC application

Energy is an essential service and the energy system is rapidly transitioning to new technologies. Householders are finding it increasingly complex, confusing and risky to make decisions about their e...

ASIC must overhaul responsible lending guidance to protect Australians

Consumer Action Law Centre (Consumer Action) has called on the Australian Securities and Investment Commission (ASIC) to urgently overhaul responsible lending guidance to better protect Australians fr...

New framework creates better outcomes for Victorians struggling with energy debts

The rising cost of energy has long been a concern for families across the country. The Victorian Government is working to help combat energy affordability issues through its Energy Fairness Plan an...

Proposed AFCA arrangements for comparative reporting of complaint data

Comparative reporting of data related to complaints against financial service providers will empower consumers to make informed decisions about where to take their business. Consumer Action Law Centr...

ACCC Northern Australia Insurance Inquiry First Interim Report

Consumer Action Law Centre (Consumer Action) strongly supports the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission’s (ACCC) important work on insurance pricing and the operation of insurance markets in...

Insurance Claims Handling: Taking Action on Recommendation 4.8 of the Banking, Superannuation & Financial Services Royal Commission

Claims handling is the most critical part of the insurance process for many consumers. Unfortunately, ‘legal loopholes’ have caused undue stress and delayed resolutions for too many consumers in thei...

Re-regulation of energy prices will see Victorians paying a fair price

The Victorian Default Offer (VDO) for the state’s energy market must be available to all Victorians or its objective to ‘provide a simple, trusted and reasonably priced electricity option that safegua...

Regulatory framework for new embedded networks

CALC is supportive of the AEMC’s proposed regulatory framework for new embedded networks, as equity in consumer protections should not be dependent on the business model of the supplier of energy. I...

Enhanced regulatory framework would make industry codes enforceable if compliance required

Industry codes – often referred to as codes of conduct – can be useful when they genuinely improve standards in the relevant sector, provide meaningful rights for consumers and are complied with by in...

Submission on the Australian Financial Complaints Authority (AFCA) Rules Changes

Consumer Action Law Centre (Consumer Action) welcomes the opportunity to comment on the proposed changes to expand AFCA’s jurisdiction to deal with eligible complaints about conduct dating back to 1 J...

Energy pricing under the Victorian Default Officer must ensure fairness for consumers

As part of its response to pressure to curb energy prices and address inequality within Victoria’s energy market, the Victorian Government recently introduced the Victorian Default Offer (VDO). The V...

Sunny Side Up: Strengthening the consumer protection regime for solar panels in Victoria

Reliable, affordable, renewable energy has helped many Australians take back control of their power prices. Yet as the solar industry booms, consumer protection has not kept up. More needs to be done...

ASIC handed new powers to tackle harmful financial products

Newly enacted laws about the fairness of financial products and services can work to prevent harm in banking and finance if the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) takes immediate...

‘Car-napping’ court win against car hire company

Consumer Action Law Centre (Consumer Action) has successfully defended a case brought by hire car company, Insurance Replacement Rentals (IRR), against Mr Makyle Mekonnen, a car accident victim. The...

Lemon-Aid

It is not always easy for people to obtain a refund or replacement when they purchase a faulty ‘lemon’ product. The current Australian consumer guarantee regime is not well equipped to deal with the u...

Submission: Implementation of prohibition on flex-commissions

The Consumer Action Law Centre welcomes the opportunity to comment on the implementation of the prohibition on flex-commissions Consultation Paper (the Consultation Paper). We generally support the...

Royal Commission – Sales culture and short-term profit motivation is the problem

Yesterday, irresponsible car lending was the focus of the Banking Royal Commission, with Nalini Thiruvangadam taking the stand to share her experience of a car loan from Bank of Melbourne (part of the...

Victorian State Budget Submission 2018-19

Consumer Action Law Centre (Consumer Action) has made a submission to Victoria's Department of Treasury and Finance during the 2018-19 Pre-Budget period. Consumer Action has focused this submission on...

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...

Joint submission: Options to reform the sale of add-on insurance and warranties in car yards

Thank you for the opportunity to comment on Consultation Paper 294: The sale of add-on insurance and warranties through caryard intermediaries (CP 294). Read the full submission here [PDF]...

Joint submission: Options to reform the sale of add-on insurance and warranties in car yards

Our organisations strongly support ASIC’s proposal to mandate a delayed sales model for add-on insurance and warranties sold through car yards, and to improve supervision of these sales. We have held...

Supplementary Submission: ACCC New Car Inquiry

Consumer Action Law Centre (Consumer Action) welcomes the opportunity to make a supplementary submission to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) New Car Retailing Inquiry. Our sup...

Submission: New Car Retailing Industry ACCC Draft Report

Consumer Action Law Centre (Consumer Action) is pleased to make this submission to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) new car retail industry market study draft report (the Draf...

Comment on ASIC proposed ban on flex-commissions

Thank you for the opportunity to make additional comments on the proposed ASIC Credit (Flexible Credit Cost Arrangements) Instrument banning flex-commissions. Consumer Action supports this proposal. I...

Refunds for Motor Finance Wizard customers

Consumer Action Law Centre has applauded the corporate regulator for securing an enforceable undertaking (EU) against second-hand car financier Motor Finance Wizard (MFW). The EU will see the problem...

Comment on ASIC CP 279: Flex commission arrangements in the car finance industry

Consumer Action supports ASIC’s proposal to prohibit flex-commissions in the sale of car loans through a legislative instrument. There are clearly significant variations in the interest rates charged...

“Car yards should be ashamed”: tips on avoiding car yard shonks

Consumer Action Law Centre is warning Australians about the behaviour of car yard shonks following an ASIC action refunding $400,000 to a group of NSW car buyers who were forced to purchase warran...

ACCC rejects weak effort by insurers to fix junk insurance

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has today rejected a cynical move by the insurance industry to keep selling junk insurance products. The industry has placed blame on the size...

BMW Finance – you could get compensation

The Australian Securities Investment Commission (ASIC) recently took action against BMW Australia Finance (BMW Finance) for signing up customers to car loans they could not afford between 1 January 20...

Second-hand cars: No warranty? No worries

Victorians have been handed a huge win after the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT) confirmed that a car dealer can still be responsible for problems with a faulty car even where there...

Submission: Applications for authorisation—A191556-A91557 Aioi Nissay Dowa Insurance Company Australia Pty Ltd & Ors

This submission focuses on the public benefit and detriment of the proposal for consumers. Any benefits to motor vehicle dealerships or insurers are private and not public in nature, and we do not b...

Junk insurance victims fight back as ASIC report damns industry

Australians sold junk insurance are demanding their money back as ASIC releases a damning report into the atrocious value and shocking sales practices at car yards. The ASIC “A market that is faili...

Australians urged to fight back against junk insurance and demand over $70m in refunds

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tLFnf30Qu6k Australians could be due for over $70m* worth of refunds each year for insurance and warranty products they don’t even know they’ve bought. The latest...

Junk merchants fleecing millions from unknowing Australians

Unknowing Australians could be paying millions of dollars for junk insurance according to a new report from Consumer Action Law Centre. The ‘Junk Merchants’ report says that Consumer Credit (CCI) a...

The common car product you might get a refund for

Australians are demanding better from the products sold with used cars and winning. Sarah from Melbourne’s south east thought she had to buy an extended warranty in order to get a loan. Consumer Ac...

Used car warranties: Phil’s story

Phil* bought a used car as a gift for his granddaughter in October 2014. He also bought a motor vehicle warranty from National Warranty Company. Phil paid $4500 for the car and $295 for the warranty....

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