REPORT: Insurers must lift their game and handle customer claims better especially for vulnerable consumers

A new Report from the Australian Securities and Investment Commission (ASIC), Navigating the storm: ASIC's review of home insurance claims (LINK) calls on Australia’s insurers to step up and improve r...

August 16, 2023

‘Claim denied’: Report highlights insurance industry’s systemic failure

A new report has found that insurance companies are relying on maintenance or wear and tear exclusions to deny customers too many claims with almost half the decisions subsequently overturned on appea...

July 18, 2023

Code Governance Committee’s monitoring and compliance program for 2023-24 consultation

We are grateful for the opportunity to provide input to the Code Governance Committee’s (CGC) monitoring and compliance program for the 2023-24 financial year. In our submission we recommend that t...

February 1, 2023

Impacted by flood? Crucial tips about insurance to bear in mind

Consumer Action Managing Lawyer Philippa Heir is an expert in the complex law around insurance and at this critical time she gives the following tips for people whose homes have been impacted by the V...

October 18, 2022

“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.  “...

August 17, 2022

Consumer groups comment on Banking Royal Commission reforms

Consumer groups welcome today’s passage of Royal Commission recommendations into law, but condemn the government for introducing the law to axe safe lending laws into the House. “This week the govern...

December 10, 2020

One step forward, two steps back: Banking Royal Commission reforms welcomed but deep concerns remain 

Consumer groups* have strongly welcomed the introduction of a Bill today in Parliament to prevent hard-sell tactics for insurance and other financial products. The Bill introduces some of the 76 lo...

November 12, 2020

Junk insurance rorts continue despite millions in refunds

The Australian Securities and Investments Commission’s (ASIC) announcement today that it has secured its final tranche of remediation for consumers sold junk consumer credit insurance (CCI) by 11 bank...

May 13, 2020

Consumer advocates welcome Act implementing three key Banking Royal Commission recommendations

Today the Government passed the first omnibus bill in the wake of the Banking Royal Commission, which consumer advocates say will help address long-standing problems with unfair insurance contracts, f...

February 6, 2020

Making the insurance claims process fair

From a consumer perspective, claims handling is the most critical part of the insurance process, and one of the most problematic. Too often, the claims process is arduous, lengthy and unfair. In ou...

January 10, 2020

20,000 Australians demand the end of unfair insurance: Canberra

“Stand up to the insurance lobby” - that’s the message of leading consumer groups as they deliver signatures of over 20,000 Australians to Parliament House in Canberra. The groups anticipate the Fe...

November 25, 2019

Consumer protections in insurance about to take a much-needed leap forward

The general insurance industry’s new code of practice is a long awaited and necessary advancement, according to the Financial Rights Legal Centre (Financial Rights) and Consumer Action Law Centre (Con...

October 31, 2019

Closing the ‘unfair contract terms’ loophole for insurance – Exposure draft legislation

There is a big fairness problem in insurance. People often make insurance claims when they are at a low ebb, but they can face shocking outcomes when insurers rely on unfair terms in insurance contrac...

August 30, 2019

Response to ASIC’s update to internal dispute resolution requirements for financial firms (RG165)

It is critical that the process to make and resolve complaints with a bank, insurer, or super fund is timely, fair, and accessible, including for people experiencing vulnerability and disadvantage.  O...

August 26, 2019

Submission: Extending unfair contract terms protections to insurance contracts

The case for extending unfair contract terms (UCT) laws to insurance contracts is clear. The insurance industry is virtually the only industry enjoying an exemption from the economy-wide UCT regime...

August 27, 2018

Submission: NSW Emergency Services Levy Insurance Monitor Standard Profile Quotations

This joint submission from Financial Rights Legal Centre and Consumer Action Legal Centre responds to the NSW Emergency Services Levy Insurance Monitor’s 'Standard profile quotations Mid-term review,...

May 23, 2018

Future of Financial Advice – Post Implementation Review submission

The Consumer Action Law Centre is pleased to provide a submission in response to the Consultation Paper prepared as part of the Post Implementation Review of the Future of Financial Advice reforms....

June 14, 2017

Submission: Emergency Services Levy Insurance Monitor public inquiry into prohibited conduct in the insurance industry

We were asked to provide feedback on questions 4, 5, 7 and 11 in the ESLIM’s Public Inquiry Issues Paper. We have also responded to question 9 on competition drivers, and briefly commented on our insu...

May 16, 2017

Submission: General Insurance Code of Practice 2017 Review

The Code is an important piece of self-regulation, setting out the best practice expected of the industry. Recent inquiries and reviews have ventilated a number of persistent, systemic problems for ge...

May 3, 2017

Senate Standing Committee on Economics inquiry into Australia’s general insurance industry

This submission examines home and car insurance from the consumer’s perspective. It focuses on transparency in Australia’s home and car insurance industries, the benefits of establishing an independen...

February 17, 2017

Submission: ANZ Banking Group Ltd—Exclusive Dealing Notification N99426

Thank you for the invitation to comment on the ANZ Banking Group Ltd—Exclusive Dealing Notification N99426 (the Notification), under which ANZ is only financing Esanda and ANZbranded comprehensive car...

December 22, 2016

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...

September 12, 2016

Media release: Hire car insurance is not what it seems, in fact, it’s often not insurance at all

As many Victorians head off on holidays, the Consumer Action Law Centre is warning consumers that hire car 'insurance' is not what seems. Indeed, it’s often not insurance at all but, rather, an indemn...

December 20, 2011