WE’RE HIRING: A Senior Policy Officer
Senior Policy Officer About the role Consumer Action is one of Australia’s leading not-for-profit consumer advocacy organisations, that makes life easier for people experiencing vulnerab...
WE’RE HIRING: Engagement and Training Lead
Engagement & Training Lead About the role Work for one of Australia’s leading not-for-profit consumer advocacy organisations, that makes life easier for people experiencing vulnerability and dis...
In this cost-of-living crisis Telstra can do much better on hardship support
The vast majority of Telstra customers will pay $5 per month more on their internet bills following price increases announced this week. Consumer Action Law Centre CEO Stephanie Tonkin said a growi...
Consumer Action backs First Nations Voice and says ‘vote YES’
Consumer Action Law Centre strongly supports a yes vote in the coming October 14 referendum. In 2017 Consumer Action officially supported the Uluru Statement from the Heart for acknowledgement in t...
Response to consultation paper 371 – Product intervention orders in credit
This is a joint submission made on behalf of Consumer Action Law Centre, Financial Rights Legal Centre, Financial Counselling Australia, Indigenous Consumer Assistance Network, WEstjustice, The Salvat...
ANALYSIS: Addressing and Preventing Legal Need
Consumer Action seeks to be a reflective, impact-driven organisation that can adjust and refine our services to meet legal need. We have done significant work to conduct evaluations of our existing se...
REPORT: Insurers must lift their game and handle customer claims better especially for vulnerable consumers
A new Report from the Australian Securities and Investment Commission (ASIC), Navigating the storm: ASIC's review of home insurance claims (LINK) calls on Australia’s insurers to step up and improve r...
ASIC action against debt vulture preying on people in financial hardship welcomed
Consumer Action Law Centre has welcomed news that corporate watchdog the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) is taking legal action against Bakken Holdings Pty Ltd, also known as S...
Complaints about financial firms to AFCA skyrocket as thousands of Australians left behind
The Australian Financial Complaints Authority (AFCA) has revealed that consumers in dispute with financial firms lodged a record 96,987 complaints in the past 12 months, an unprecedented rise of 34 pe...
Banning telemarketing under the Victorian Energy Upgrades program
We strongly support the Minister’s intention to introduce a ban on telemarketing within the VEU program. We have long advocated for bans on telemarketing (as well as doorknocking) as inherently probl...
‘Claim denied’: Report highlights insurance industry’s systemic failure
A new report has found that insurance companies are relying on maintenance or wear and tear exclusions to deny customers too many claims with almost half the decisions subsequently overturned on appea...
Good news: Predatory lenders Cigno and BHF won’t escape justice
The success of the Australian Securities and Investment Commission (ASIC) in its Federal Court action against Cigno Pty Ltd (Cigno) and BHF Solutions Pty Ltd (BHF Solutions), is good news which we hop...
OPINION: Scammers raid Australians’ accounts while banks hands-off approach stings
Tania Clarke, Acting CEO Consumer Action Law Centre Last year bank customers in the UK experienced a 17% drop in scam losses while in Australia, bank customers experienced a 62% increase. Between...
Energy Assistance Report 3rd Edition
Understanding the experience of Victorians dealing with energy hardship Access to affordable, reliable energy is one of the key challenges facing governments, the energy sector, and consumers in 20...
REPORT: More support needed to help Victorians households manage power bills
A new report released today by Consumer Action Law Centre has found that while Victoria’s energy retailers continue to improve their support for people in financial hardship, many Victorians continue...
Albanese Government’s new consumer safeguards for telco customers doing it tough welcomed
Consumer Action’s Acting CEO Tania Clarke has congratulated Minister for Communications Michelle Rowland for acting swiftly to address the growing list of concerns from consumer advocates and telco cu...
Australian scam victims left behind as UK puts responsibility on banks to reimburse customers
In a world first, the UK Parliament this week passed legislation that will protect banking customers from the losses they experience as a direct result of being tricked by scammers. British banks a...
One million telco complaints: ACCC calls for stronger regulations for nation’s most distrusted industry
Consumer Action Acting CEO Tania Clarke says Minister for Communication Michelle Rowland should act now to implement tough new laws to clean up the telco industry. Ms Clarke’s call for action comes...
NAB customers on notice that using NAB bank accounts as a tool of financial abuse will not be tolerated
Consumer Action Acting CEO Tania Clarke has welcomed the announcement today by National Australia Bank (NAB) updating its terms and conditions (T&Cs) that puts NAB customers, who use NAB accounts...
Submission to the NDIS Review
As part of Consumer Action’s NDIS project, we prioritise data collection and analysis for clients calling our advice lines with NDIS related matters. Concerningly, our casework reveals that NDIS parti...
REPORT: Telco industry has ‘failed on almost every level’ to protect and support vulnerable customers
This latest report by the Telecommunications Ombudsman (TIO) published today, Time for Change is shocking to read and makes it clear that industry self-regulation has failed on almost every level when...
Consumer groups welcome Knock to Stay Connected customer code for energy companies
Consumer groups and the financial counselling sector have welcomed the launch of a new customer code for the energy sector. The Knock to Stay Connected customer code requires network companies to visi...
More support needed for Victorian households as cost of default prices for electricity will increase by 25%
The Essential Services Commission (ESC) has listened to consumer groups’ calls for a reduction of the proposed increase to the Victorian Default Offer (VDO) for energy in Victoria. However, today's an...
AFCA Rules and Operational Guidelines – Proposed Amendments
Thank you for the opportunity to respond to the proposed amendments to the Australian Financial Complaints Authority’s (AFCA) complaint resolution scheme rules (Rules) and Operational Guidelines (Guid...
“Protect people from harm”: Consumer groups respond to BNPL reform announcement
Consumer groups and financial counsellors have said that the Government’s plans for regulation of the buy now, pay later (BNPL) sector announced today will need to include strong requirements for len...
New Anti-Scam centre funding welcomed but will it help Bill who lost $20,000?
Consumer Action CEO Stephanie Tonkin has welcomed the extra funding announced in the Federal Budget for the Anti-Scam Centre, saying it’s a first step in the right direction, but deep concerns remain...
REPORT: Telcos still not doing enough for customers
A new report from the Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman has revealed that the telco industry is still not doing enough to help people suffering from financial hardship. Consumer Action's David...
Feedback on standard draft decisions: 2023 Water Price Review
Consumer Action Law Centre (Consumer Action) welcomes the opportunity to comment on the standard draft decisions released by the Essential Services Commission (ESC) as part of the 2023 Water Price Rev...
Hundreds of thousands of telco customers cut off as 2.4 million Australians struggle to pay telco bills
Telco providers are far less likely than other essential services to provide hardship assistance to Australians when they find themselves in financial crisis and here’s the proof: last year 406,428 cu...
AFCA’s approach to claims for non-financial loss
Consumer Action is responding to the proposed amendments to the Australian Financial Complaints Authority’s (AFCA) approach to non-financial loss claims (Amended Approach). We generally support the go...
New code will improve outcomes for Victorian consumers
Consumer Action Law Centre welcomes the announcement from Solar Victoria that all solar photo voltaic (PV) and battery retailers participating in their Solar Homes and Solar for Business programs will...
ACMA finds Telstra wrongfully cut off 5,400 vulnerable customers, proving stronger laws are needed
“Instead of offering fair and suitable hardship arrangements to support customers struggling to pay their bills, Telstra and other telco providers continue to breach their own industry rules by cuttin...
Australia’s banks failing customers by placing all the burden of the scams crisis on them says damning ASIC report
Australia’s four major banks are failing their customers by taking a ‘variable and…less mature’ approach to scams than expected, with ‘inconsistent and narrow approaches to determining liability’ as w...
Only a Federal Government mandate forcing banks to reimburse customers will solve growing scams crisis says Consumer Action
Scammers are targeting Australians online with highly sophisticated scams, stealing $billions from ordinary families and businesses every year -and it’s getting worse! That’s the message from the Aust...
Debt collection ban for social welfare recipients a step forward but ‘in-house’ approach must comply with Australian Consumer Law
Consumer Action Law Centre and Financial Counselling Australia have welcomed the Government’s announcement today banning the use of external debt collectors for social welfare recipients by Centrelink...
Vic energy regulator urged to scale back proposed price hikes
Victoria's leading social, legal, financial and consumer rights' bodies have united to oppose a dramatic planned rise in power prices across Victoria. The state's independent energy regulator, the Es...
Victorian Default Offer 2023-24 Draft Decision: We need a meaningful reduction to the proposed 31% increase
To date, we believe that the Victorian Default Offer (VDO) has been successful in achieving the policy objective of providing consumers unable or unwilling to engage in the market with a simple, trust...
Now is the time to make positive reforms to bankruptcy laws say consumer advocates
Consumer advocates around Australia have welcomed moves by Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus KC MP to reform bankruptcy laws. Last month, consumer advocates attended a Ministerial Roundtable on Perso...
OPINION: Banks must use their windfall profits to tackle the scam crisis
By Stephanie Tonkin, CEO, Consumer Action Law Centre The big four banks are tipped to make record profits this financial year, with some analysts suggesting they will collectively rake in more th...
Token crypto mapping consultation paper and the need for adequate protections and safeguards
The crypto marketplace currently poses significant risk to consumers and there is a pressing need for adequate protections and safeguards. Consumer Action applauds the Government for its commitment...
Exposure draft – consumer credit regulations
Consumer Action, and the various organisations from the Stop the Debt Trap Alliance, routinely advise and assist people who have multiple payday loans and/or consumer leases that they took on due to t...
ACCAN report reveals massive telco failure to provide effective hardship support for those doing it tough to stay connected
Telcos are not doing enough to provide access to adequate hardship measures for those doing it tough in what is now the worst cost-of-living crisis in a generation, says David Hofierka, Senior Policy...
Anti-avoidance provisions for credit product intervention orders
This is a joint submission made on behalf of: • Consumer Action Law Centre • Financial Rights Legal Centre • Indigenous Consumer Assistance Network • Financial Counselling Australia • WEstjusti...
Energy price hikes a further blow to families during cost-of-living crisis
Energy price hikes announced today of more than 30 per cent in the Victorian Default Offer (VDO) draft determination, are yet another blow to families during the worst cost of-living crisis in a gener...
Scams must be stopped: Westpac alerts for mis-matched payments and money transfer measures welcomed
Consumer Action CEO Stephanie Tonkin says Westpac’s announcement of a new verification system for payments and money transfer measures to new accounts are “…steps in the right direction to help stop t...
Australian Securities and Investments Commission – inquiry into investigation and enforcement conduct
Effective enforcement action is a critical task of consumer protection regulators and essential to a well-functioning consumer market. In recent years, ASIC has completed a significant amount of meani...
OPINION: Banks, get tougher on scams
An edited version of this opinion piece appeared in the Herald Sun 18 February, 2023 You’d be hard-pressed these days to find someone who hasn’t been the target of a scam. Whether it’s a fraudulent...
Consumer Action calling on banks to block payments to scammers and reimburse victims
Australia’s banks should quickly introduce measures to stop scams, make their systems safer and reimburse victims or be made by Government to do so, says Consumer Action CEO Stephanie Tonkin. Ms Tonk...
PODCAST: “The best job I will ever have in my career,” Gerard Brody on his 10 years as Consumer Action CEO
PODCAST: In his last week as Consumer Action CEO, Gerard Brody sat down to reflect on some of his experiences at the centre. One of the most incredible aspects of Gerard's leadership is his calm and v...
Increase in TIO complaints underlines need for stronger consumer protections
As the Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman (TIO) Quarter Two Complaints Report reveals a noticeable increase in complaints about telecommunications companies,” Consumer Action is reiterating its cal...