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...
Victorian water prices to remain steady
The Essential Services Commission (ESC) has today made its final pricing determinations for the 2018 Water Price Review. The determinations specify the prices that water companies can charge as well a...
Payment difficulty framework amendments to the Compliance and Performance Reporting Guideline draft decision
The Consumer Action Law Centre (Consumer Action) welcomes the opportunity to comment on the payment difficulty framework amendments to the Compliance and Performance Reporting Guideline draft decision...
Energy Market Commission confirms the deregulated energy market has not delivered for Victorians
The Australian Energy Market Commission (AEMC) has admitted that competition among energy retailers is not delivering ‘expected benefits’ in its annual retail energy competition review. The Victor...
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...
Draft AER Benefit Change Notice Guidelines – Submission
Consumer Action welcomes the opportunity to provide a brief submission in response to AER’s Draft Benefit Change Notice Guidelines (Draft Guidelines). This policy area is well trodden ground for Co...
Submission: 2018 Water Price Review standard draft decisions
The Consumer Action Law Centre (Consumer Action) welcomes the opportunity to comment on the Essential Service Commission’s (ESC) standard draft decisions in the 2018 Water Price Review for Barwon Wate...
Relief for Victorians struggling to pay essential service bills
The Victorian Government has announced an increase to the Utility Relief Grant Scheme (URGS) with $21.7 million allocated in the upcoming budget. Victorians households are currently eligible to apply...
NEM Data Strategy Consultation Paper
Consumer Action welcomes the opportunity to provide a brief submission in response to the Energy Security Board (ESB) Consultation Paper regarding the development of the NEM Data Strategy. Consumer...
AEMC National Energy Retail Amendment (Preventing discounts on inflated energy rates) Rule 2018 Consultation Paper
The Consumer Action Law Centre (Consumer Action) welcomes the opportunity to comment on the Australian Energy Market Commission (AEMC) National Energy Retail Amendment (Preventing discounts on inflate...
Consumer Action Submission: Developing a reference price methodology for Victoria’s energy market
Consumer Action welcomes the opportunity to provide a brief submission in response to the Essential Services Commission (ESC) Consultation Paper regarding the development of a methodology to determine...
Submission: DELWP Consultation Paper – Response to the Bipartisan Independent Review of the Electricity and Gas Retail Markets in Victoria
The Consumer Action Law Centre (Consumer Action) welcomes the opportunity to comment on the government's Interim Response to the Independent Review of the Electricity and Gas Retail Markets...
An agenda for ageing in Victoria
Currently, there is no plan for the increased longevity and diversity of Victoria’s population. The result is a fragmented approach to policy and programs relating to older people between the ages of...
Water Price Review – Consumer Action recommends water bills be cut by over $700 million over five years
An independent report commissioned by Consumer Action Law Centre has recommended the Victorian water regulator lower the rates for equity and debt costs for water authorities. This would have the effe...
Submission: Facilitating access to consumers’ energy data: Houston Kemp Draft Report
Consumer Action welcomes the opportunity to provide a brief submission in response to the draft report prepared by Houston Kemp, Facilitating access to consumer electricity data (Houston Kemp Report)....
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...
Benefit Change Notice Guidelines Issues Paper
The Consumer Action Law Centre (Consumer Action) welcomes the opportunity to comment on the Australian Energy Regulator’s (AER) benefit change notice guidelines issues paper. As stated in previous sub...
Consumer Action submission to Draft Retail Pricing Information Guidelines
The Consumer Action Law Centre (Consumer Action) welcomes the opportunity to comment on the Draft AER Retail Pricing Information Guidelines (Draft Guidelines). Consumer Action has appreciated the oppo...
Submission: 2018 Water Price Review early draft decisions
The Consumer Action Law Centre (Consumer Action) welcomes the opportunity to comment on the Essential Service Commission’s (ESC) early draft decisions in the 2018 Water Price Review for East Gippsland...
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...
Submission: Consumer Action submission to National Energy Guarantee Draft Design Consultation Paper
Consumer Action welcomes the opportunity to provide a brief submission in response to the Energy Security Board’s (ESB) Draft Design Consultation Paper: National Energy Guarantee (Consultation Paper)....
Submission: Retirement Living Council Retirement Living Code of Conduct
Consumer Action Law Centre (Consumer Action), Residents of Retirement Villages Victoria (RRVV), Housing for the Aged Action Group (HAAG) and COTA Victoria (COTA Vic) have made a joint submission in re...
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...
ESC draft audit guideline for energy businesses
Consumer Action Law Centre (Consumer Action) welcomes the opportunity to provide comment on the Essential Services Commission’s (ESC) draft audit guideline for energy businesses (the draft guideline)....
ESC draft charter of consultation and regulatory practice
Consumer Action Law Centre (Consumer Action) welcomes the opportunity to provide comment on the Essential Services Commission’s (ESC) Draft Charter of Consultation and Regulatory Practice. It is im...
Minimum electricity feed-in tariffs to apply from 1 July 2018
Consumer Action Law Centre welcomes the opportunity to provide a submission in response to the ESC’s draft decision on the minimum Feed-In Tariff (FiT) to apply for the 2018-19 financial year. We supp...
Submission: ESC draft guidance for Western Water’s 2018 price review
Pricing regulation of essential services is critical to ensure that water service provision is in the best interests of consumers. The alignment of pricing reviews for all 17 Victorian water businesse...
2018-19 Pre-Budget Submission
Every year, The Australian Treasury calls for ideas to feed into the budget process. We have focussed our submission for the 2018/19 Budget on three areas where budget action could make an immediate a...
Submission – Proposed amendments to retirement village fact sheets
Thank you for the opportunity to provide feedback on the proposed amendments to retirement village fact sheets. Consumer Action, RRVV, HAAG and COTA Vic do not oppose the proposed amendments to the f...
Fixed benefit periods notification obligations for energy retailers – Draft Decision
Consumer Action appreciates the Essential Services Commission working towards better outcomes from the energy market with a focus on the long-term interests of Victorians. We support the proposed chan...
Consumer Action response to the release of the Essential Services Commission Victorian Energy Market Report 2016-17
Too many people are doing it tough as energy retailers fail to give their customers a fair price and a fair go at staying connected to essential services. The Essential Services Commission (ESC) toda...
Submission in response to the ACCC retail electricity pricing inquiry preliminary report
Consumer Action welcomes the opportunity to comment on ACCC Retail Electricity Pricing Inquiry: Preliminary Report (Preliminary Report) for this inquiry. The ACCC has undertaken a welcome and extensiv...
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]...
Knock it off
Download the full report here [PDF] https://youtu.be/j43zE3HBoFk...
Initial feedback: Essential Services Commission 2018 Water Price Review
This feedback was provided to the Essential Services Commission (ESC) which is currently reviewing the prices that 17 Victorian water businesses propose to charge from 1 July 2018. Access to water is...
Submission in response to the Draft Guidance Note – Payment difficulty and disconnection
We acknowledge the significant work the Essential Services Commission has undertaken in drafting a comprehensive Guidance Note focused on customer outcomes. With expansion and redrafting in some areas...
Submission: Remake of the Estate Agents (Professional Conduct) Regulations 2008
Consumer Action Law Centre (Consumer Action), COTA Victoria and Housing for the Aged Action Group welcome the opportunity to make this submission in relation to the remake of the Estate Agents (Profes...
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...
Submission in response to Customer Price Information – Issues Paper
Consumer Action is happy to contribute to the development of materials to improve consumer engagement in the energy market—with the important caveat that we do not believe consumer engagement initiati...
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: National Water Reform
Water is arguably the most essential of services: without it we would not live. Most of us access water every day for drinking, cooking, washing/hygiene and efficient removal of waste. For some though...
Turnbull’s energy policy won’t stop energy retailers from price gouging, but a Basic Service Offer will
Gerard Brody, CEO - Consumer Action Law Centre This week it was reported that energy bills for an average Victorian household have skyrocketed to a shocking $3,655 a year. The ACCC confirms tha...
Submission in response to National Energy Retail Amendment (Notification of the end of a fixed benefit period) Rule 2017 Rule Change Consultation Paper
The strategies involved in the proposed Rule Change, and in previous work outlined in the Commission’s consultation paper, reflect policymakers’ continued pursuit of trying to improve the effectivenes...
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...
Proposed changes to TIO Terms of Reference
ACCAN and Consumer Action Law Centre made a joint submission to the consultation on proposed changes to the Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman (TIO) terms of reference. We are pleased that the TIO...
Review of the National Vocational Education and Training Regulator Act 2011
The Consumer Action Law Centre (Consumer Action) welcomes the opportunity to comment on the Review of the National Vocational Education and Training Regulator Act 2011 (NVETR Act). Consumer Action ha...
Proposal to re-regulate energy prices confirms Victorians have been gouged for too long
Victorian energy retailers would be required to provide a new 'basic service offer' at a price that will be regulated by the Essential Services Commission, if a proposal by the independent review led...
Prime Minister, you’ve talked to the energy retailers, now talk to those that pay the bill
Gerard Brody, Consumer Action Law Centre CEO Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull summoned the chief executives of the nation’s largest power companies to Canberra today, insisting they provide reli...
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...
Submission: Internal Dispute Resolution in Retirement Villages
We welcome Consumer Affairs Victoria’s interest in improving internal dispute resolution processes in retirement villages, and believe that the reforms suggested will likely result in some improvement...