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...
‘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...
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...
‘Car-napping’ court win against car hire company
Consumer Action Law Centre (Consumer Action) has successfully defended a case brought by hire car company, Insurance Replacement Rentals (IRR), against Mr Makyle Mekonnen, a car accident victim. 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...
NSW Fair Trading Complaints Register Guidelines
The Consumer Action Law Centre (Consumer Action) has provided a submission on the draft NSW Fair Trading Complaints Register Guidelines (the Guidelines). The NSW Fair Trading Complaints Register provi...
Energy Security Board Strategic Energy Plan consultation on proposed metrics
We support the ESB developing a set of outcomes and objectives and associated tangible metrics that will measure whether these outcomes and objectives are achieved. We also support the metrics that ha...
Submission: PIP DADO Regulations
Consumer groups have commented on the exposure draft Corporations Amendment (Design and Distribution Obligations and Product Intervention Powers) Regulations 2018 (Cth) (the Regulations) and explanato...
For Australians, debt advice must be a matter of trust: Consumer Action
All Australians looking to get their finances back on track should be able to trust the financial or debt advice they receive. Sadly, this trust has been broken by dodgy debt advisers and other poorly...
Submission: Inquiry into credit and financial services targeted at Australians at risk of financial hardship
This Senate Inquiry is a crucial opportunity to close the regulatory loopholes exploited by fringe lenders and ‘debt help’ companies. These companies can entrench disadvantage for some of the most vul...
Debt Agreement Reform – Proposed Legislative Instruments
The Consumer Action Law Centre, Financial Rights Legal Centre and Financial Counselling Australia provided a submission to the Attorney-General's Department on its Legislative Instruments Consultation...
Banks bosses should lose their conflicted payments: MEDIA RELEASE
It’s time to give regulators the resources and powers they need and stop finance executives pocketing bonuses for rip offs, according to Consumer Action Law Centre in its response to the Royal Commiss...