News - Consumer Action Law Centre

Energy Assistance Report: tracking how Victoria’s changing energy policies are impacting households in the state

Consumer Action's new landmark report shows that the Victorian Government's new policies are reducing energy disconnections, but energy companies are still falling short addressing consumer vulnerabil...

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...

Regulator slams ‘junk insurance’ sold by banks as Aussies demand over $2 million in refunds

The Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) report released today confirms that consumer credit insurance, commonly tacked on when taking out a loan or credit card, is junk. This news...

Consumer Action lodges complaint to Commonwealth Ombudsman about the Department of Human Services’ poor administration of Centrepay

Consumer Action Law Centre (Consumer Action) has made a formal complaint to the Commonwealth Ombudsman about the Department of Human Services (DHS). This complaint comes after the department failed o...

Consumer Action supports ASIC use of new powers to tackle predatory credit agents such as Cigno

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...

Telecommunications Consumer Protection Code Inadequately Protects Consumers: Consumer Groups

The revised Telecommunications Consumer Protection (TCP) Code fails to adequately protect telco consumers, according to consumer groups. Despite consultation with the telco industry and regulator,...

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...

Evaluation of National Debt Helpline

The purpose of this evaluation was to assess the effectiveness of the service in helping clients achieve immediate and medium-term outcomes, and to make recommendations for service improvement. A seco...

Unconscionable conduct: Divided High Court confirms need for change to the law

In its response to the High Court finding that a ‘book-up’ credit scheme operated in the remote Aboriginal community of Mintabie in the South Australian APY lands was not unconscionable, Consumer Acti...

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...

Government sets new energy price safety net to stop Victorians getting ripped off

Victorians will be taking back control of their energy prices thanks to the introduction of the Government’s new default energy offer. Consumer Action Law Centre (Consumer Action) is strongly suppo...

Newly passed bill officially bans rent-to-buy and vendor finance schemes from the Victorian housing market

The historic ban on certain residential vendor terms and rent-to-buy agreements, included in the Sale of Land Amendment Bill 2019 passed by Parliament this week means vulnerable home purchasers will b...

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...

New framework creates better outcomes for Victorians struggling with energy debts

The rising cost of energy has long been a concern for families across the country. The Victorian Government is working to help combat energy affordability issues through its Energy Fairness Plan an...

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...

Sunny Side Up: Strengthening the consumer protection regime for solar panels in Victoria

Reliable, affordable, renewable energy has helped many Australians take back control of their power prices. Yet as the solar industry booms, consumer protection has not kept up. More needs to be done...

ASIC handed new powers to tackle harmful financial products

Newly enacted laws about the fairness of financial products and services can work to prevent harm in banking and finance if the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) takes immediate...

Key Findings: Sunny Side Up: Strengthening the Consumer Protection Regime for Solar Panels in Victoria

Consumer Action Law Centre (Consumer Action) has released the key findings of its latest report, Sunny Side Up which focuses on the urgent need to strengthen the consumer protection regime for solar p...

Ban on vendor term and rent-to-buy transactions to make buying a home fairer for all Victorians

Consumer Action Law Centre (Consumer Action) supports a ban on vendor term and rent-to-buy agreements in the housing market proposed by the Sale of Land Amendment Bill 2019, which is to be introduced...

National Consumer Congress Keynote Address: How to deliver better outcomes for vulnerable consumers in regulated markets

The following keynote speech was delivered by Consumer Action CEO, Gerard Brody at the National Consumer Congress 2019 on Thursday, 14 March 2019 in Melbourne. Today I want to ask whether w...

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’...

It’s time to clean up energy market pricing for all Victorians

Consumer Action Law Centre (Consumer Action) commends the Essential Services Commission’s (ESC) draft advice to the Victorian Government about the default regulated price for electricity, but urges re...

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...

Community legal centres and financial counsellors get the vote for more funding

The Australian Labor Party (ALP) has promised a significant funding boost for financial counsellors and community legal centres across the country if it wins the next election. The ALP has committed t...

Senate Inquiry report recommends vital safeguards for Australian families struggling with debt

Consumer Action Law Centre (Consumer Action) says that, if implemented, the recommendations in the final report from the Senate Inquiry into credit and financial services targeted at Australians at ri...

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...

Mortgage Broking: Consumer groups quit disingenuous consultation

Consumer groups have quit en masse from a mortgage broking industry forum, saying that the industry isn’t interested in doing the right thing by the community and has been disingenuous. CHOICE, Con...

ESC Compliance and enforcement policy draft decision

We support the ESC changing its compliance and enforcement policy to reflect a risk-based, intelligence-led, outcome focused approach. The ESC must be able to transparently demonstrate that it is effe...

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...

Increased consumer protections and removal of legal loopholes key Royal Commission recommendations

Increased consumer protections and removal of loopholes and exemptions are the key recommendations from the Hayne Royal Commission that will benefit everyday Australians says Consumer Action Law Centr...

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...

Insurance pricing differences: New vs existing customers

‘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...

Submission: Treasury Laws Amendment (Prohibiting Energy Market Misconduct Bill) 2018

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...

Consumer Action and the Royal Commission

Consumer Action is not able to advise or represent members of the public for the purposes of the Royal Commission. However, the Royal Commission is now receiving public submissions directly...

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...

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