Media release: Call to end penalty fees on basic bank accounts: Consumer groups want reform from CBA & ANZ

CHOICE and Consumer Action are calling on the Commonwealth Bank and the ANZ banks to stop gouging low-income earners through unfair penalty fees on their concession accounts. CBA and ANZ continue to...

October 15, 2008

Media release: Major bank outsources its responsibility for financial hardship to notorious debt collector

The National Australia Bank (NAB) has been selling off the credit card debt owed by customers, some in genuine financial difficulties, to a debt collector well-known to community workers and financial...

October 14, 2008

Media release: Time for government to put home equity out of risk over small debts

Consumer Action Law Centre has today called on the Federal Government to make the simple law change needed to put a stop to unfair bankruptcy actions that strip home equity. Gerard Brody, Deputy Dire...

October 12, 2008

Media release: Time for governments to close reckless lending loophole

Consumer Action Law Centre has today issued legal proceedings against a fringe lender that exploits loopholes in the law to take advantage of vulnerable consumers. Consumer Action is acting on behalf...

October 6, 2008

Media release: Dodgy First Choice betting software scam should be your last choice

Consumer Action has warned Victorians to beware of spruiker of computer betting software First Global Pty Ltd (trading as First Choice), after it today issued legal proceedings against the company. R...

September 22, 2008

Media release: Bank fees unfair but no action from the Senate

CHOICE and the Consumer Action Law Centre say they are extremely disappointed with the Senate Economics Committee’s failure to recommend new laws to protect consumers from unfair bank penalty fees. T...

September 17, 2008

Media release: Consumer Action ‘king-hits’ unlicensed motor car trader

Consumer Action has issued two legal proceedings against a Brunswick businessman alleging he is selling poor quality motor vehicles to consumers without a licence. Celia Tikotin, Director of Legal Pr...

September 12, 2008

Media release: Australian report exposes psychological tricks used to market credit card limit increases

A landmark report released today by the Consumer Action Law Centre has exposed the different psychological manipulations used by banks and other lenders to persuade people to take up offers for higher...

August 15, 2008

Media release: Consumer Action welcomes privacy report’s fair and sensible approach to credit reporting and privacy reform

Consumer Action Law Centre today welcomed the recommendations of the Australian Law Reform Commission’s (ALRC) report into Australia’s privacy laws and practice. But it warned the Australian Governmen...

August 11, 2008

Media release: Court attack launched on private car park’s ‘fines’

Consumer Action Law Centre has today instituted legal proceedings in the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT) against Australian National Car Parks Pty Ltd (ANCP), the operator of a numb...

August 7, 2008

Media release: VCAT orders spruiker of computer gambling software to refund consumer

Consumer Action Law Centre has today succeeded in obtaining a refund from a spruiker of computer gambling software at the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (the Tribunal). Reliance Investme...

July 11, 2008

Media release: Consumer Action seeks orders against Australian Institute of Mathematics and Lombard Finance

Consumer Action Law Centre (Consumer Action) has instituted legal proceedings in the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (the Tribunal) against Addsup Education trading as Australian Institute...

May 29, 2008

Media release: Consumer win with unfair debit success contract

Consumer Action Law Centre has obtained a favourable outcome for its client, a mother of two young children, who purchased self defence classes for her children from Albion Self Defence Academy using...

May 15, 2008

Media release: Regional water customers on the drip feed, says Consumer Action

Consumer Action Law Centre has slammed a number of Victorian regional water businesses for unfairly restricting the water supply of consumers and initiating legal action in relation to small debts. T...

April 28, 2008

Media release: Consumer Action alleges debit success contract contains unfair terms

Consumer Action Law Centre has instituted legal proceedings in the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (the Tribunal) against Debit Success Pty Ltd (Debit Success) and Rif and Jean Mustafa tra...

April 10, 2008

Media release: Consumer Action puts traders and Government on notice

Consumer Action Law Centre has released its 2008 Policy Plan on World Consumer Rights Day. Unfair, excessive and unlawful bank penalty fees, high cost exploitative credit and dodgy motor car traders w...

March 15, 2008

Media release: Consumer Action calls on car parks to be fair

Consumer Action Law Centre has written to two operators of private car parks in Melbourne seeking a review of their business practices and the installation of barriers so that consumers are not fined...

March 1, 2008

Media release: Finance broker flouts federal court orders, claims Consumer Action

Consumer Action Law Centre has claimed that a finance broker is flouting Federal Court orders. The broker, Sample & Partners, agreed to orders in May 2007 intended to remedy harm caused to hundred...

February 28, 2008

Media release: Customers to bear costs for energy retailers failure

Consumer Action Law Centre has labelled the decision by the Essential Services Commission (the ESC) to charge consumers should their retailer go bankrupt or leave the market as outrageous and unfair....

February 22, 2008

Media release: Consumers challenge basis for rising energy prices

Victorian consumers will be hit by huge energy price increases from 1 January 2008 but without any public information about the basis for these price rises, said Consumer Action Law Centre today. Sta...

November 30, 2007

Media release: Don’t harass us at home, say consumers

Consumer Action Law Centre has today launched a campaign to assist consumers to avoid door-to-door marketers if they wish to do so. The campaign will distribute a ‘Do Not Knock’ sticker, which warns s...

November 15, 2007

Media release: More penalty fees cut as campaign gains momentum

CHOICE and Consumer Action have welcomed NAB’s announcement today it will cut direct debit dishonour fees from $50 to $30 and will launch a new mainstream transaction account that allows consumers to...

September 4, 2007

Media release: Water businesses not talking to customers says consumer report

Consumer Action Law Centre has publicly released a report asserting that Victorian water businesses are not talking to their customers. The report, Water Reform in Victoria: Independent pricing regula...

August 13, 2007

Media release: Nationwide campaign targets unfair bank penalty fees

Financial institutions are bracing themselves for a customer backlash against unfair penalty fees, after a nationwide campaign was launched today by CHOICE and Consumer Action Law Centre. Thousands...

June 19, 2007

Media release: Time well overdue for banks to cut their excessive penalty fees

Consumer Action Law Centre has written to the Australian Bankers Association (ABA) and Abacus Australian Mutuals demanding that banks, credit unions and building societies put a stop to penalty fees t...

May 11, 2007