Reforming the sale of add-on insurance
Seven leading consumer groups commented on The Treasury’s Reforms to the sale of add on insurance: Proposal Paper: Consumer Action Law Centre Financial Rights Legal Centre CHOICE Consume...
The mortgage broking industry is long overdue for reform
The mortgage broking industry is long overdue for reform. Landmark inquiries from the Banking Royal Commission and the Productivity Commission, as well as a number of ASIC investigations, have all...
Energy regulators should have strong powers to stop misconduct
Consumer Action supports the Treasury Laws Amendment (Prohibiting Energy Market Misconduct) Bill 2019 (the Bill). We feel that it will ensure the Australian Energy Regulator (AER) has appropriate powe...
Cashless Debt Card undermines the role of the market in serving consumer and community interests
Much of the Federal Government’s effort to address cost of living pressures involves making it easy to switch and exercise choice, for example, through the new Consumer Data Right. However, the Cashle...
Fairness needs to be at the forefront of the energy market
It is our firm stance that fairness should be at the forefront of all markets. In our comment on the Energy Security Board (ESB) Post 2025 Market Design Issues Paper (Issues Paper), Consumer Action...
Giving energy users access to fair finance for new energy tech
On 9 September 2019, Consumer Action attended a pre-decision conference on AA1000439 New Energy Tech Consumer Code (The Code) Application. We have provided a further submission following the discussio...
Making sure Victorian energy is safe for those requiring power for life support purposes
Most people would take the reliability of electricity services for granted. When the power goes out, it is frustrating, but not life threatening. But for many Australians, a loss of electricity is...
Looking after the needs of Victorian energy consumers
The Energy & Water Ombudsman Victoria (EWOV) plays an important role in ensuring Victorian households have ongoing access to fair outcomes in relation to the provision of essential energy and wate...
Keeping energy market prices down during energy shortages or network constraints
Demand response service providers could play an important role in the event of energy shortages, coordinating high energy users to consumer less to help keep energy prices down across the market. Curr...
Preparing vulnerable Victorians for electricity outages
Consumers rely on energy distribution businesses to ensure a consistent supply of their essential electricity services. It is important that these businesses are regulated effectively so that consist...
Keeping comprehensive credit reporting fair for those who have previously experienced hardship
Leading consumer advocacy bodies are concerned that customers who experience financial difficulty repaying loans will be unfairly penalised by credit reporting reforms proposed by the National Consume...
The norm of fairness must be recognised
Our existing consumer protection framework has failed to prevent unfairness from becoming embedded in business practices. From unclear marketing, subscriptions that make cancellation difficult, to...
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...
ASIC’s proposed ban on outbound phone sales of life, funeral and consumer credit insurance
Unsolicited selling is an outdated and abusive practice with a significant risk of mis-selling people products they don’t want, need or understand. Financial Rights Legal Centre and Consumer Action...
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...
Support for an independent review of the Customer Owned Banking Code of Practice
In our joint submission with Financial Rights Legal Centre, Consumer Credit Legal Service (WA), Financial Counselling Australia and the Financial & Consumer Rights Council, we support Cameron Ralp...
New Energy Tech Consumer Code must protect Australians from exploitative buy now pay later arrangements
Consumer Action regularly assists vulnerable and disadvantaged consumers in Victoria with legal and financial issues that arise due to new energy technology such as solar. . The New Energy Tech Consu...
Protecting guarantors from financial abuse
In our feedback to the Banking Code Compliance Committee (BCCC) inquiry into banks’ compliance when accepting and enforcing guarantees, Consumer Action discusses our concerns with guarantee provision...
Victorian Default Offer to apply from 1 January 2020 Issues Paper
The Victorian Default Offer (VDO) was designed to re-regulate electricity pricing to ensure that more Victorian households receive a fair price on their electricity service. Since the VDO’s establishm...
ASIC Consultation Paper 313: Product intervention power
We welcome the introduction of the product intervention power (PIP) and look forward to ASIC using the power to target businesses that cause consumer detriment by engaging in predatory conduct or fail...
ASIC Consultation Paper 316: Using the product intervention power: Short term credit
Businesses such as Cigno Pty Ltd, which facilitate access to predatory and unregulated payday loans by exploiting loopholes in the law, are on notice as the Australian Securities and Investment Commis...
Insurance in super: Putting Members’ Interests First Bill 2019
Consumer Action Law Centre and Financial Rights Legal Centre made a joint submission to the Senate Economics Legislation Committee’s inquiry into provisions of the Treasury Laws Amendment (Putting Mem...
Victoria’s Mental Health Royal Commission must examine links between links between poverty, debt and mental health
Consumer Action’s financial counsellors and lawyers speak regularly to individuals experiencing mental health issues. These individuals are commonly trying to deal with a range of consumer problems in...
Ensuring energy contracts are clear and fair, ESC Issues Paper
Deregulation in Victoria’s energy retail market has not delivered fair outcomes for all households accessing their essential energy services. The State Government has taken a number of steps to hel...
Comment on the ACCC’s authorisation of amendments to the 2019 Banking Code of Practice
Consumer Action Law Centre (Consumer Action), the Financial Rights Legal Centre (Financial Rights) and Financial Counselling Australia (FCA) have provided comment on the Australian Banking Association...
Banks should recognise that anyone can become vulnerable: Submission to ABA Guideline on Customer Vulnerability
There are any number of reasons why a person would be unable to unwilling to speak up when they are struggling with their financial situation. Who among us hasn’t faced a financial issue at one poi...
Essential Services Commission Consequential amendments related to the Victorian Default Offer Draft Decision
Generally, we strongly support this Draft Decision as it makes clear that energy retailers must ensure that they inform households in Victoria of new protections and options available when choosing an...
New Energy Tech Consumer Code ACCC application
Energy is an essential service and the energy system is rapidly transitioning to new technologies. Householders are finding it increasingly complex, confusing and risky to make decisions about their e...
ASIC must overhaul responsible lending guidance to protect Australians
Consumer Action Law Centre (Consumer Action) has called on the Australian Securities and Investment Commission (ASIC) to urgently overhaul responsible lending guidance to better protect Australians fr...
Proposed AFCA arrangements for comparative reporting of complaint data
Comparative reporting of data related to complaints against financial service providers will empower consumers to make informed decisions about where to take their business. Consumer Action Law Centr...
ACCC Northern Australia Insurance Inquiry First Interim Report
Consumer Action Law Centre (Consumer Action) strongly supports the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission’s (ACCC) important work on insurance pricing and the operation of insurance markets in...
Insurance Claims Handling: Taking Action on Recommendation 4.8 of the Banking, Superannuation & Financial Services Royal Commission
Claims handling is the most critical part of the insurance process for many consumers. Unfortunately, ‘legal loopholes’ have caused undue stress and delayed resolutions for too many consumers in thei...
Re-regulation of energy prices will see Victorians paying a fair price
The Victorian Default Offer (VDO) for the state’s energy market must be available to all Victorians or its objective to ‘provide a simple, trusted and reasonably priced electricity option that safegua...
The banking and finance sector needs to play by the rules and put their customers first
In the wake of the widespread misconduct illustrated at the Banking Royal Commission, all players within the banking and finance sector need to play by the rules and put their customers first regardle...
Regulatory framework for new embedded networks
CALC is supportive of the AEMC’s proposed regulatory framework for new embedded networks, as equity in consumer protections should not be dependent on the business model of the supplier of energy. I...
Enhanced regulatory framework would make industry codes enforceable if compliance required
Industry codes – often referred to as codes of conduct – can be useful when they genuinely improve standards in the relevant sector, provide meaningful rights for consumers and are complied with by in...
Submission on the Australian Financial Complaints Authority (AFCA) Rules Changes
Consumer Action Law Centre (Consumer Action) welcomes the opportunity to comment on the proposed changes to expand AFCA’s jurisdiction to deal with eligible complaints about conduct dating back to 1 J...
Energy pricing under the Victorian Default Officer must ensure fairness for consumers
As part of its response to pressure to curb energy prices and address inequality within Victoria’s energy market, the Victorian Government recently introduced the Victorian Default Offer (VDO). The V...
Clarification of consumer guarantees is essential, but making information accessible must be a focus
Clarification of consumer guarantees is essential according to Consumer Action Law Centre (Consumer Action), but making information accessible must be a focus in newly proposed guidance about ‘unsafe’...
The justice system could better respond to the needs of people affected by misconduct in the finance sector
Consumer Action Law Centre (Consumer Action) has recommended that financial service providers be required to improve their approach to dispute resolution in its comments to the Senate Legal and Consti...
Prohibition will strengthen the consumer law and allow regulators to deal with practices that cause consumer detriment
Consumer Action has made a submission to the ACCC Digital Platforms Inquiry Preliminary Report. The submission focuses primarily on the proposal to develop a general prohibition against unfair practic...
Consumer issues must fall within mental health inquiry’s scope
Consumer Action has provided a submission to the Royal Commission into Mental Health Terms of Reference Consultation. We strongly support the Victorian Government’s announcement of this Royal Commi...
Helping customers engage confidently in the retail energy market draft decision
We support changes to regulation that will facilitate simple ways of resolving issues with estimated billing. While we support making consistent factsheets for energy offers that are easier to compreh...
2019-20 Pre-Budget Submission
Consumer Action has made a submission to The Australian Government Treasury’s 2019-20 Pre-Budget Submission process. We have focused this submission on two areas where budget action could make an imme...
Victorian households must have protected and simple access to a fair price for energy
We strongly support the ESC’s work to implement the VDO as a priority. Victorian households must have protected and simple access to a fair price for an essential service. In the period without price...
Royal Commission into Misconduct in the Banking, Superannuation and Finance Sector – Submission on Module 6 on insurance
Consumer Action made a submission to the Financial Services Royal Commission in October 2018 on the policy questions arising from Module 6 on insurance. Consumer Action has assisted people who have...
‘Loyalty tax’ for insurance is fundamentally unfair
Consumer Action made a submission to the NSW Emergency Services Levy Insurance Monitor’s Discussion Paper, Pricing Differences: New vs Existing Customers. Insurance is a product that claims to reward...
Appropriate responses to misconduct or consumer harm identified as part of ongoing electricity price monitoring
Consumer Action has provided a submission to the Senate Economics Committee inquiry on the Treasury Laws Amendment (Prohibited Energy Market Misconduct Bill) 2018. We support the Bill, which will allo...
Submission: Consultation Draft Behind the Meter Distributed Energy Resources Provider Code
Consumer Action has provided feedback on the Consultation Draft Behind the Meter Distributed Energy Resources Provider Code. We consider: the name of the code should be readily understood by the...
ACCC monitoring of the electricity supply in the National Energy Market discussion paper
We welcome the ACCC’s ongoing inquiry into the prices, profits and margins in the supply of electricity in the NEM. A plethora of reports have established that the electricity market is not operating...