Other - Consumer Action Law Centre

VCAT cases will put Victoria’s new debt collection laws to the test

Both cases will test the law which commenced at the start of 2011 which requires debt collectors to stop contacting a debtor once the debtor has requested in writing that it do so, unless the contact...

Consumers the losers as competition tribunal sides with power companies – yet again.

Victorian households are staring down the barrel of yet another electricity price hike after the Australian Competition Tribunal (ACT) overturned significant aspects of the ruling of the energy indust...

Exploitative credit— payday loans and consumer leases

Financial inclusion is not only about access to financial services, but protection from exploitative products that are inappropriate to consumers' needs. Over the last three years, we have campaigned...

Do Not Knock—stopping unwanted door-to-door salespeople

Door-to-door salespeople often use high-pressure tactics to get people to buy products they don’t want, don’t need, and can’t afford. We’ve heard of cases where people have been deliberately misled, a...

Submission: Review of the Insurance Contract Amendment (Parliament)

Submission supporting the draft Insurance Contracts Amendment Bill 2011, which will introduce a standard definition of flood and key facts sheets for consumer insurance contracts. To read our submiss...

Your right to return goods bought online

In January 2011, the Australian Government introduced legal protections for consumers buying goods or services called ‘consumer guarantees’. Consumer Guarantees ensure that you can get a refund, repla...

Policy report: A scan of the return policies of online retailers in Australia

Getting the most out of the new Australian Consumer Law

The Australian Consumer Law came into effect on 1 January 2011. It harmonises consumer protection and fair trading legislation nationally, and introduces new national unfair contract terms protections...

Community lawyers claim The Cash Store’s holiday marketing is irresponsible

A new advertisement from one of Australia’s leading payday loan brokers, The Cash Store, has raised the ire of two community legal centres, who fear the advert may result in many Victorian’s entering...

Submission: Retirement villages contract and information disclosure reports (Consumer Affairs Victoria)

Submission on Consumer Affairs Victoria's discussion paper Retirement Villages: Contracts and Information Disclosure reports. To read the submission, please click here....

Submission: Debt collection harmonisation (Consumer Affairs Victoria)

Submission to Consumer Affairs Victoria supporting harmonisation of Australian debt collection laws, and calling for stricter regulation of the debt collection industry. To read our submission, pleas...

Submission: National electricity amendment (Australian Energy Market Commission)

Submission on the Australian Energy Market Commission's Consultation Paper; National Electricity Amendment (Economic Regulation of Network Service Providers) Rule 2011. To read our submission, please...

Joint Submission: Future of financial advice reforms (Parliamentary Joint Committee)

Joint consumer submission to a Parliamentary Joint Committee inquiry on the Future of Financial Advice reforms. To read the joint submission, please click here. [PDF]...

Submission: Supporting ‘Calls to Freephone’ proposal (Australian Communications and Media Authority)

Consumer Action has supported a proposal by the Australian Communications and Media Authority to make 1800 numbers free from mobiles and 13 numbers the cost of a local call. To read our submission, p...

Submission: Telecommunication consumer protection code (Communications Alliance)

Submission to Communications Alliance on its draft Telecommunications Consumer Protection Code. To read our submission, please click here....

Submission: Energy price and products disclosure (Essential Services Commission)

Consumer Action's comments to the Essential Services Commission in relation to proposed amendments to Guideline 19 - Energy Price and Products Disclosure. To read our submission, please click here....

Submission: Advertising financial products (ASIC)

Consumer Action has welcomed draft advertising guidelines for financial products and advice services prepared by ASIC. To read our submission, please click here....

Submission: Recent consumer credit reforms (Treasury)

Consumer Action has provided comment on two short discussion papers on the operation of recent consumer credit reforms. To read our submission, please click here....

Joint Submission: Future of financial advice reforms (Parliament)

Consumer Action contributed to a joint consumer submission on the second slice of the Future of Financial Advice reforms. To read our joint submission, please click here....

Policy report: Barriers to fair network prices

A new report released by the Consumer Action Law Centre and the Consumer Utilities Advocacy Centre, shows electricity distribution companies are routinely challenging pricing determinations made by th...

Policy report: A review of Victorian retail energy contract terms and conditions

Energy retail contracts have been put under the microscope in a report just released by the Consumer Action Law Centre. And while the report found that most contracts largely met their regulatory requ...

Direct Debits

Consumer Action has an ongoing interest in the use of Direct Debits and their impact on consumers. We’d like to hear from you about your experiences using Direct Debits as a payment method. If you ha...

Fair Fees Campaign

Since 2004 we have campaigned against unfair, excessive and unlawful penalty fees charged by Australian banks and other financial institutions. In recent years we have been very successful in getting...

Fair go in insurance

If anything positive can be drawn from the devastating natural disasters that hit many Australians in early 2011, it’s that the public and the government are starting to ask more questions about our i...

Policy report: A snapshot of consumer experiences of short-term loans post the national consumer credit reforms

Exorbitant effective interest rates on short term loans, upwards of 400 per cent, continue to put the pinch on vulnerable Australians despite the introduction of responsible lending laws in 2010. Mis...

Report: Payday Loans–Helping hand or quicksand?”

To read the report please click here Annexure A - Click here to receive Consumer Action Online Survey Results Annexure B - Draft Literature Review...

Policy report: An examination of high-cost short term lending in Australia, 2002-2010

Consumer Action Law Centre and senior policy officer Zac Gillam have reviewed the experience of payday loan borrowers by updating empirical research into the impact of high-cost short term lending in...

Presentation: Protecting Consumers of Legal Services (Conference of Regulatory Officers 2010)

A presentation by Carolyn Bond, Co-CEO of Consumer Action, to the 2010 (CORO) Conference of Regulatory Officers on 27 August 2010. To read the presentation, please click here....

Presentation: National Credit Code

This document is a resource tool for community lawyers and financial counsellors. It contains helpful information on the operation of the new National Credit Code. To read the presentation, please cl...

Policy report: An analysis of the psychology of in-home sales of educational software

Consumer Action in conjunction with Dr Paul Harrison, Centre for Sustainable and Responsible Organisations, Deakin University, Marta Massi, School of Marketing and Communication, Lumsa University (Rom...

Policy report: Reclaiming community legal centres

Nicole Rich, Director – Policy & Campaigns, was awarded the Victoria Law Foundation’s 2007/08 Community Legal Centre Fellowship. This is the final report of her Fellowship project.The report discu...

Briefing Paper: Ensuring access to justice with the implementation of a national consumer credit law (March 2009)

This briefing paper, prepared by the Consumers’ Federation of Australia with CHOICE, Consumer Action Law Centre and Consumer Credit Legal Centre NSW, outlines consumer concerns to ensure that viable a...

Briefing Paper: Key Issues for the Proposed National Unit Pricing Regime (February 2009)

To read the briefing paper, please click here....

Briefing paper: Credit reporting and responsible lending

The Australian Law Reform Commission (ALRC) recently recommended that some additional types of information should be allowed on individual credit reports, but that repayment history information should...

Presentation: Fairness – The New Touchstone in the Regulation of Credit Fees and Charges (Credit Law 2008 Conference)

To read our presentation, please click: Addressing the concept of fairness...

Policy report: An analysis of credit limit upselling letters

Consumer Action commissioned Dr Paul Harrison, Deakin Business School, Deakin University and Marta Massi, School of Marketing and Communication, Lumsa University (Rome), to study the psychological asp...

Briefing paper: Some views about “Responsible Lending” (July 2008)

To read the briefing paper, please click here....

Media release: Consumer Action launches litigation against Motor Finance Wizard

Consumer Action Law Centre has issued proceedings against Motor Finance Wizard (Melbourne Sales) Pty Ltd (‘Motor Finance Wizard’) and Kwik Finance (Melb) Pty Ltd (‘Kwik Finance’) in the Victorian Civi...

Policy report: The consumer protection provisions of the Trade Practices Act 1974

This comprehensive report examines Australia’s consumer protection framework in light of international developments, including those from the USA, Canada, UK and European Union. The report complements...

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...

Submission: Victorian motor vehicle lemon laws

Consumer Action is pleased to have the opportunity to submit its views regarding the proposed introduction of motor vehicle lemon laws in Victoria. We would also like to take this opportunity to thank...

Presentation: A consumer advocate’s view on effective internal dispute resolution (WA Energy Ombudsman/Economic Regulatory Authority Utility Dispute Resolution Forum)

To read our presentation, please click: A consumer advocate’s view on effective internal dispute resolution...

Presentation: Consumer Priorities (2007 Abacus Convention Regulatory Affairs Conference)

To read our presentation, please click: Consumer Priorities...

Presentation: Unfair credit contracts – Advocating on behalf of consumers (2007 South Australian Financial Counsellors Association Conference)

To read our presentation, please click: Unfair credit contracts...

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