News - Consumer Action Law Centre

We’re HIRING a Director Policy and Campaigns

The Director, Policy and Campaigns leads an energised and effective Policy and Campaigns team to lead change to policy, laws and industry practice across a range of consumer issues, advocating for con...

Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL) – Draft Regulations

The consumer sector has been calling for appropriate regulation of BNPL for several years and we are pleased that legislation will shortly come into force, providing some protection to customers, part...

Scams laws passing a relief, but victims to face an uphill battle for redress

Consumer advocates say the passing of the Scams Prevention Framework (SPF) fills a gaping hole in the law and in time should protect many Australians from falling victim to the scourge of scams. But t...

The Banking Code Compliance Committee’s priorities for 2025-26

Consumer Action Law Centre strongly supports the Banking Code Compliance Committee (BCCC) examining Code compliance through Bank@Post closely. We frequently hear anecdotal issues with accessing bankin...

Image of wind turbines denoting a submission about energy

Consumer Energy Resources (CER) Consumer Protections Review

Consumer Action Law Centre welcomes the opportunity to provide our submission to the Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action (DEECA) in response to the Consumer Energy Resources (CER) Con...

OPINION: In this David and multiple Goliath battle scam victims must win

A slightly edited version of this opinion piece was published by News.com 3 February, 2025 At Consumer Action, our lawyers and financial counsellors speak with scam victims almost every day. People...

Straightforward compensation would put victims at the heart of the new Scams Bill

Consumer organisations fighting to ensure Australians are protected under the Scams Prevention Framework Bill will provide evidence today at a crucial Senate Economics Legislation Committee hearing....

Strong action bringing telcos to account is the way to go

Consumer Action Law Centre has warmly welcomed today’s announcement from Communications Minister Michelle Rowland further strengthening consumer protections and increasing the Australian Communication...

We’re HIRING! Projects & Policy officer (First Nations Identified)

Projects & Policy officer (First Nations Identified) About the role This a full-time 2-year fixed term role (part time considered). Salary range $89,886 - $107,087 (pro rata) plus superannu...

Submission: Scams Prevention Framework Bill 2024

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Victorian Default Offer 2025-26 Request for comment

The cost-of-living crisis has deepened the urgency of ensuring an affordable energy price for Victorians. On Consumer Action’s frontlines, we hear from Victorians every day who are struggling to meet...

ASIC sues HSBC Bank for failure to protect customers from scams

The Australian Securities and Investment Commission (ASIC) has taken strong enforcement action, announcing today that it is suing HSBC Bank for its ‘widespread failures to act honestly, efficiently an...

Much-needed Centrepay reforms the result of a decades-long campaign: Tonkin

Consumer Action Law Centre CEO Stephanie Tonkin said she was absolutely delighted that Minister Bill Shorten has announced consumer protections and reforms to Centrepay that restore it to its original...

Consumer advocates welcome proposed reforms to Government payment service

The Financial Rights Legal Centre, Mob Strong Debt Help, and Consumer Action Law Centre welcome the proposed reforms to Centrepay announced by Minister Bill Shorten this morning. These reforms include...

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Consumer groups welcome passing of buy now, pay later regulations

Key loophole in credit laws will be closed Consumer groups have welcomed the passing of the Treasury Laws Amendment (Responsible Buy Now Pay Later and Other Measures) Bill 2024 (BNPL Bill) through...

Energy Consumer Reforms Consultation

Consumer Action supports the objectives of the Essential Services Commission (ESC’s) proposed reforms to ensure people experiencing payment difficulty are receiving the best price for energy from thei...

Concerning the ABA’s application to remove conditions from basic bank account conduct

Our response to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission on this issue is supported by the Financial Rights Legal Centre and CHOICE. We are interested parties in the application by the Au...

Our impact 2023-24: Fighting for a fairer marketplace in a cost-of-living crisis

We are delighted to publish our Impact Report 2023-24 which highlights what we’ve been doing over the past year working alongside consumers, national advocates and cross-sector stakeholders. The co...

AUSTRAC: Guidance on assisting customers who don’t have identification

This is a joint submission made on behalf of: •Consumer Action Law Centre •Financial Counselling Australia •Financial Rights Legal Centre •Indigenous Consumer Assistance Network •Mob Strong Deb...

Major overhaul of Building Regulator good news for Victoria’s consumers

Consumer Action Law Centre has welcomed the Victorian Government's announcement today of a major overhaul of the Victorian Building and Plumbing Regulator's enforcement powers and structure, and domes...

Flood Inquiry Report provides clear roadmap to lift insurer standards

Consumer groups have welcomed the release of the Final Report of the Standing Committee on Economics’ Inquiry into Insurer’s responses to 2022 Major Floods. The groups have called on the insurance...

Stronger consumer protections needed to make our marketplace fairer

The two major consumer protections announced today -the ban on unfair trading and consultation on penalties for breaches by traders and service providers of the consumer guarantees under the Australia...

Stronger telco protections targeting those experiencing domestic and family violence real progress

Consumer Action Law Centre Acting Director of Policy and Campaigns Luke Lovell said the new protections for telco customers experiencing domestic and family violence (DFV) announced today by Minister...

Government’s Scams Prevention Framework only goes halfway – we need a presumption of reimbursement say consumer advocates

A broad coalition of consumer advocates is calling for the Albanese Government to make one fundamental change to the proposed Scams Prevention Framework (SPF) and put reimbursement at its core, warnin...

Submission: Scams Prevention Framework – exposure draft legislation

This is a joint submission made on behalf of: • Consumer Action Law Centre • CHOICE • The Australian Communications Consumer Action Network • Financial Rights Legal Centre • Super Consumers Austr...

SCAMS Opinion: Let’s leapfrog other jurisdictions with a uniquely Australian reimbursement model

First published on News.com.au 7 October, 2024 By Stephanie Tonkin, CEO Consumer Action Law Centre Today in the UK, new laws have commenced that require banks to repay their customers’ scams los...

Consumer safeguards must be front and centre of new scams framework say consumer advocates

Consumer Action Law Centre, CHOICE, the Australian Communications Consumer Action Network (ACCAN) and Super Consumers Australia, have welcomed the announcement from the Albanese Government of a consul...

Update on the Class Action against Pawnbroker, Taylors Business Pty Ltd, located in Delahey, Victoria

Consumer Action Law Centre (Consumer Action) is conducting a class action against Taylors Business Pty Ltd (ACN 107 445 723), located in Delahey, Victoria. What are the legal claims and orders soug...

REPORT: One year on and ASIC report again reveals banks shirking responsibility when customers have been scammed

A new report published today from the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) reveals a “shameful neglect of thousands of banking customers who have been scammed through no fault of th...

Door-knock sales ban starting this week in Victoria will reduce harms say consumer advocates

Consumer Action Law Centre campaigned long and hard for a ban on door-to-door sales in Victoria and we are delighted that the ban for businesses that are part of the Victorian Energy Upgrades (VEU) ha...

Network Outage Review

As extreme weather events continue to increase, it is imperative that Victorians’ access to essential services is protected and prioritised by Government, regulators and industry. Consumer Action L...

AFCA scam complaints ‘off the charts’ while banks fail to reimburse customers

The Australian Financial Complaints Authority (AFCA) received a record number of complaints in 2023-24 after disputes to the ombudsman service increased 9 per cent to more than 105,000 for the year. C...

The Energy Retail Code of Practice review

We welcome the opportunity to provide our submission to the Essential Services Commission’s (ESC) review of the Energy Retail Code of Practice (the Code). In this submission, where relevant, we hav...

REPORT: Money Yarns, Stronger Futures

Consumer Action Law Centre and the Victorian Aboriginal Legal Service are thrilled to be jointly publishing our new report today Money Yarns, Stronger Futures. We would like to sincerely thank all...

Money Yarns, Stronger Futures: New Report Highlights Financial Challenges for First Nations People

The Consumer Action Law Centre has today released a groundbreaking report titled Money Yarns, Stronger Futures. The report amplifies the voices of First Nations people, sharing their personal experien...

ASICs ‘Better banking’ project will help First Nations customers -Remaining banks need to do better to reduce fee-harm-

Consumer Action Law Centre congratulates the Australian Securities and Investment Commission’s (ASIC) Indigenous Outreach Program team on the success of their Better banking for Indigenous consumers...

Minimum Standards for Rental Properties and Rooming Houses

Consumer Action Law Centre, with Financial Counselling Victoria, the Federation of Community Legal Centres (FCLC), Anika Legal, Westjustice and Community Information & Support Victoria (CISVic),...

POLLING: Big majority of Australians say banks should do their job and take responsibility for keeping our money safe

Banks victim-shaming approach ‘immoral’- Tonkin New polling by Essential Media is unequivocal: the vast majority (75%) of Australians expect banks to keep their money safe from criminal scammers, a...

Services Australia: Centrepay Reform Discussion Paper

This submission to Services Australia is prepared by the Consumer Action Law Centre based on our casework experience. The primary issues we identify in our client files for Centrepay customers are:...

Network Outage Review

Consumer Action Law Centre is delighted to make a submission to the Network Outage Review. We were contacted by a small number of consumers impacted by the network outages in February 2024, and som...

Consumer groups welcome reforms addressing harms caused by a bankruptcy system not fit for purpose

Consumer advocates have been calling for urgent reform for some time and last year outlined key pressure points during a round-table discussion organised by the Federal Attorney General, Mark Dreyfus...

‘ The Telco Code has run its course and failed to deliver’: ACMA must explore other options to protect consumers

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has called on the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) to reject a proposed consumer protections code drafted by the telecommu...

Consumer Action and CHOICE chosen as designated complainants

The Albanese Government has announced today that Consumer Action Law Centre has been chosen as a designated complainant. This means that Consumer Action, with fellow consumer advocate CHOICE, and the...

Review of the National Energy Customer Framework

Consumer Action welcomes the opportunity to provide our submission to the Australian Energy Regulator’s (AER) review of the National Energy Customer Framework (NECF). In this submission, we draw predo...

Consumer advocates welcome revised Banking Code of Practice with incremental improvements noted

Consumer advocates are welcoming the revised Banking Code of Practice (the Banking Code) announced today which includes some incremental improvements to consumer protections. Consumer Action Law Ce...

REPORT: Energy debt higher than ever as low-income households priced out of essential service

Consumer Action Law Centre CEO Stephanie Tonkin says the Centre’s new report Energy Assistance Report 4th Edition: Keeping the Lights On published today, highlights that thousands of Victorians are st...

REPORT Energy Assistance Report 4th Edition: Keeping the Lights On

The fourth edition of Consumer Action’s Energy Assistance Report outlines the growing trends of people facing energy hardship; barriers to accessing hardship assistance; and priority areas for targete...

Independent Review: Initial Consultation Paper, April 2024

Financial Rights Legal Centre has drafted this submission on behalf of the Consumers Federation of Australia. The following organisations have contributed and are signatories to this submission: •...

Consumer groups welcome new laws regulating Buy Now, Pay Later as credit but some concerns remain

New laws regulating Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) have been announced today. Consumer groups respond as follows: Quotes attributable to Stephanie Tonkin, CEO of Consumer Action Law Centre “We welcom...

OPINION: The victims of scams should not have to pay

First published in today's Herald Sun, by Stephanie Tonkin, CEO Consumer Action Law Centre I speak to the victims of scams every week and their stories leave me shaken and sad. Often, what’s stolen...

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