Media Release - Consumer Action Law Centre

Media release: End energy retailers’ free ride

New proposal to fix energy prices for length of contract Energy retailers would be banned from increasing a customer’s tariff mid contract under a proposal to be considered by the Australian Energy M...

Media release: Consumer protections can drive economic growth and innovation in financial system

Consumer Action Law Centre has welcomed the Federal Government’s inquiry into Australia’s financial system. In its submission on the inquiry’s draft terms of reference, Consumer Action has suggested t...

Media release: The numbers show Consumer Credit Insurance is a poor deal for consumers

New figures from the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority show Australians spent $330 million on Consumer Credit Insurance in the twelve months to June this year, yet only 23 cents in every doll...

Media release: Repeal of carbon price to expose broken, uncompetitive energy markets

Politicians and policymakers who believe a move away from carbon pricing will result in a drop in retail electricity prices haven’t been paying attention – Australia’s retail energy markets are broken...

Media release: Cash Converters sued for breaching its responsible lending obligations

Two Cash Converters franchises are being sued in the Magistrates Court by a Victorian mother who received 83 payday loans over three and a half years–54 of which were loans from Cash Converters outlet...

Media release: Review finds online lenders are reluctant to embrace the spirit of new regulations

A review conducted by the Consumer Action Law Centre has found that some online lenders providing 'payday loans' are reluctant to embrace the spirit of new regulations intended to provide consumers wi...

Press statement: Consumer groups welcome desalination plant refinancing

Consumer Action Law Centre and Consumer Utilities Advocacy Centre (CUAC) have welcomed news that Melbourne households would benefit from the early refinancing of the desalination plant project. ‘Ma...

Media release: Federal Court finds Do Not Knock Sign is ‘an unambiguous request to leave the premises’

The inventor of the Do Not Knock sticker has welcomed today’s Federal Court ruling that the sticker is legally enforceable under the Australian Consumer Law. The decision means ignoring the sticker co...

Joint media release: Some win, some lose in concessions shakeup

New restrictions on Victoria’s energy concessions will make it harder for some low income Victorians to access affordable electricity and gas, and discriminate against concession holders based upon th...

Media release: Maurice Blackburn class action to highlight the sad truth about payday lending

Consumer Action Law Centre welcomes Maurice Blackburn’s class action against Cash Converters, which alleges Cash Converters ‘illegally exploited thousands of financially struggling Australians by impo...

Media release: ASIC case against The Cash Store to shape the future of payday lending

One of Australia’s biggest payday lenders, The Cash Store, will face allegations of irresponsible lending and unconscionable conduct before the Federal Court. The case being brought by the Australian...

Media release: Australian Power and Gas the latest energy retailer taken to court over door-to-door selling

The organisation behind the national Do Not Knock campaign, has welcomed the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission’s (ACCC) Federal Court proceedings against Australian Power & Gas Compan...

Media release: Time to end the funeral insurance rip-off say consumer advocates

A coalition of eleven consumer and older Australian advocates has released a thirteen point strategy to end the funeral insurance rip-off. The strategy was created after the advocates identified a num...

Media release: ACCC shuts the gates on tricky vacuum cleaner salespeople

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission’s (ACCC) Full Federal Court victory against a company that sold vacuum cleaners costing more than $2000 to elderly women in their homes has sent a cl...

Joint media release: Independent review confirms Centrepay is a good idea that has lost its way

Two of Australia’s leading consumer organisations have welcomed Ms Anna Buduls’ independent report into Centrepay—a payment system which helps Centrelink recipients manage their income. Financial Coun...

Media release: Move to emissions trading scheme could wipe $185 off annual power bills – but regulators must play a role

As delegates converge on Brisbane for the annual regulators conference, Consumer Action Law Centre has urged national and state energy regulators to ensure any move to an emission trading scheme resul...

Media release: Energy retailers improve their behaviour, but Simply Energy & Red Energy didn’t get the memo

335 complaints about door-to-door salespeople have now been lodged with the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission through donotknock.consumeraction.org.au And while the latest round of compla...

Media release: New report highlights procedural failings in Magistrates Court—80 per cent of small money claims go undefended

A new report from the Consumer Action Law Centre calls for changes to Magistrates Court procedures to protect consumers from inaccurate law suits and inappropriate judgments. Each year 30,000 to 40,00...

Media release: New payday lending protections welcome, but lenders get a back door to charge more fees

This week marks the introduction of new consumer protections in the payday lending industry. Payday lenders—which lend small amounts of money to low-income Australians at huge interest rates—are now r...

Media release: Now’s our chance to extend unfair contract term laws to insurance

Consumer Action Law Centre and Insurance Law Service have welcomed the introduction of a bill into Federal Parliament that, if passed, will mean that unfair contract term laws will be extended to gene...

Media release: ASIC action exposes funeral insurance advertising tricks

The Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) has blown the whistle on the funeral insurance industry’s advertising tricks by publicly airing concerns about the advertising of Hollard Fi...

Media release: Revised water plan welcomed by consumer advocates

Today’s announcement from the Essential Services Commission (ESC), which sets metropolitan water prices for the next five years, has been welcomed by two of Victoria’s leading consumer advocate organi...

Media release: Do Not Knock campaign has another win

Consumer Action Law Centre’s Do Not Knock campaign notched up another win today, with Origin Energy announcing it will stop using door to door selling by 30 September 2013. Origin’s announcement comes...

Media release: Financial Counselling groups welcome banks’ new hardship package

Financial Counselling Australia, the Consumer Action Law Centre and the Consumer Credit Legal Centre have welcomed a new hardship package released by the Australian Bankers Association (ABA) today. T...

Media Release: $1.5 million fine for AGL as the costs of door-to-door marketing misconduct start to add up for energy retailers

The Consumer Action Law Centre, the organisation behind the successful Do Not Knock sticker and campaign, has welcomed a Federal Court decision that AGL Sales Pty Ltd and AGL South Australia Pty Ltd p...

Fresh start or false hope: Are debt agreement administrators overstating their abilities?

A debt agreement, regulated by the Bankruptcy Act, is an option available to a debtor as a way of dealing with unmanageable debt. Debt agreements typically involve a compromise with creditors on the t...

Media release: Improved concessions and hardship programs will be the key if water price rises proceed

Improved access to water concessions and affordable payment plans will be paramount if the Essential Services Commission (ESC) proceeds with its draft decision to allow metropolitan water retailers to...

Media release: Pensioner sues two Cash Converters lenders in the Magistrates’ Court

A Victorian Disability Support Pensioner has issued proceedings in the Magistrates' Court against two Cash Converters lenders.[1] Consumer Action's client alleges that over approximately a three year...

Media Release: AGL is second energy retailer in as many days to agree to blanket cessation of door-to-door sales – Consumer Action calls on others to follow their lead

Householders should soon notice a meaningful decrease in visits from unwanted energy hawkers, with the announcement by a second major energy retailer, AGL, that it too will cease all door-to-door sell...

Media release: EnergyAustralia leads industry in ending door-to-door sales

EnergyAustralia’s announcement that it will end door-to-door marketing will be warmly welcomed by Australian households. Last year the Consumer Action Law Centre surveyed consumers regarding their vie...

Mr Rental enters into enforceable undertaking

Mr Rental Australia Pty Ltd, a household goods rental business, has entered into an enforceable undertaking with the Australian Securities and Investment Commission (ASIC) under which it will provide...

Media release: Proposed taxi overhaul receives strong backing from consumers

Victoria’s specialist independent consumer law and advocacy centre believes the recommendations of Professor Allan Fels' Taxi Industry Inquiry will significantly improve the industry if implemented co...

Media release: Questions raised about students’ entitlement to refund of NAB loans

The Consumer Action Law Centre is urging consumers who took out loans with the National Australia Bank to pay for course fees with the College of Creative Arts and Technology, and who did not get to...

Media release: Internship company Borch Leeman consents to pay $2500 to unhappy customer

Internship company Borch Leeman has agreed to pay $2,500 to a disgruntled customer who claimed it had, amongst other things, imposed unfair contract terms and breached consumer guarantees in contraven...

Media Release: Consumer group welcomes extension of unfair terms protections to insurance contracts

Consumer Action Law Centre has welcomed the announcement from Assistant Treasurer David Bradbury that unfair contract term laws will be extended to general insurance contracts. Protections against unf...

Media release: ASIC asked to investigate Radio Rentals and its ‘rent try $1 buy’ offer

The Consumer Action Law Centre has welcomed the release of the Australian Securities & Investments Commission's (ASIC) updated Good Practice Guidance for Credit and Financial Service Advertising a...

Media release: Review of energy retailers’ customer service is damning

The Essential Services Commission’s (ESC) annual review of Energy retailers’ customer service performance is damning of the industry’s ability to assist struggling households. The Consumer Action Law...

Media release: Victorian Building Authority a chance to recast fundamentally flawed consumer protection system

Consumer Action has welcomed the Victorian Government plan to establish a new body to oversee and enforce regulation in the domestic building industry. Consumer Action believes the creation of the Vic...

Media release: Consumer Group hits out at Energy Retail Code

The Energy Retail Code, which allows energy retailers to increase the price of electricity multiple times during the term of a contract, has come under fire from the Consumer Action Law Centre. In a l...

Media release: New consumer report makes practical recommendations on energy market reform

A new report from the Consumer Action Law Centre, A Policy Trilemma: creating an affordable, secure and sustainable energy market, authored by former UK EnergyWatch CEO and former Commonwealth Ombudsm...

Media release: Frenzied Christmas shopping can lead to a debt filled new year

On the eve of web marketing event Click frenzy, MoneyHelp has warned Australian consumers to consider their next credit card bill before proceeding to the virtual checkout. MoneyHelp, one of Australia...

Media release: Energy White Paper a significant improvement on draft

Consumer Action Law Centre has welcomed the Federal Government's Energy White Paper, which it believes is a significant improvement from the draft. The Centre said that it was pleasing that the White...

Media release: Warning to consumers who are desperate to buy or sell a home

Consumer Action Law Centre is warning consumers about schemes which link up people who are desperate to sell their homes with people who are looking to buy but are unable to get a loan. 'These types...

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...

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