News - Consumer Action Law Centre

Submission: 2018 Water Price Review early draft decisions

The Consumer Action Law Centre (Consumer Action) welcomes the opportunity to comment on the Essential Service Commission’s (ESC) early draft decisions in the 2018 Water Price Review for East Gippsland...

Consumer Action responds: Interim response to the review into Victoria’s electricity and gas retail markets

Consumer Action Law Centre (Consumer Action) commends recent action by the Victorian Government as a significant step forward in making it easier and fairer for Victorians to get a better, more afford...

Submission: Debt Agreement Reform

Consumer advocates welcome the reform of the debt agreement regime in the Bankruptcy Amendment (Debt Agreement Reform) Bill 2018. Comprehensive reform is needed to curb the rampant mis-se...

Commbank dumps junk – Consumer Credit Insurance (CCI) scandal must end now: Consumer groups

Junk insurance sold with credit cards and loans is on its deathbed according to consumer groups (Consumer Action Law Centre, Financial Rights Legal Centre and Financial Counselling Australia). The com...

Twelve months on, and still no Ombudsman for older Victorians

One year since the release of the Victorian Parliament’s Inquiry into the Retirement Housing Sector recommending the establishment of a Retirement Housing Ombudsman, we are still no closer to knowing...

Productivity Commission – Gerard Brody opening statement

Productivity Commission Competition in the Australian Financial System Opening Remarks from Consumer Action Law Centre – Public Hearings on Draft Report Thank you very much for having me...

Victorian State Budget Submission 2018-19

Consumer Action Law Centre (Consumer Action) has made a submission to Victoria's Department of Treasury and Finance during the 2018-19 Pre-Budget period. Consumer Action has focused this submission on...

Consumer Action and the Royal Commission

Consumer Action has made two submissions to the Royal Commission into Misconduct in the Banking, Superannuation and Financial Services Industry. The experiences of the people we help through our advic...

Submission: Consumer Action submission to National Energy Guarantee Draft Design Consultation Paper

Consumer Action welcomes the opportunity to provide a brief submission in response to the Energy Security Board’s (ESB) Draft Design Consultation Paper: National Energy Guarantee (Consultation Paper)....

Drought legal assistance scoping project – Final report

Victoria Legal Aid (VLA) contracted Consumer Action Law Centre (Consumer Action) to undertake a detailed scoping and service model development project for Drought Legal Assistance for Victoria. This...

Credit card reforms long overdue

Today, a package of reforms to improve credit card lending and marketing practices passed Federal Parliament. After a long consultation process, Consumer Action Law Centre is relieved to see the impor...

A new one-stop shop for financial disputes

Today, the legislation establishing a new one-stop shop for financial and superannuation complaints passed the Federal Parliament. The new Australian Financial Complaints Authority will replace the Fi...

Consumer Action asks insurance companies to show Australians some love – Media Release

High res images available for media use: Image 1 - Image 2 - Image 3 - Image 4 - Image 5 - Image 6 - Image 7 - Image 8 - Image 9 - Image 10 - Image 11 Consumer Action's 'DENIED' R...

Denied – Levelling the playing field to make insurance fair

There is a big ‘fairness’ problem in insurance. People often make insurance claims when they are at a low ebb. They can face shocking outcomes and no appropriate recourse under current laws. This repo...

Submission: Design and Distribution Obligations and Product Intervention Powers

We are grateful for the opportunity to comment on the exposure draft of the Treasury Laws Amendment (Design and Distribution Obligations and Product Intervention Powers) Bill 2018 (the Bill). We s...

Submission: Retirement Living Council Retirement Living Code of Conduct

Consumer Action Law Centre (Consumer Action), Residents of Retirement Villages Victoria (RRVV), Housing for the Aged Action Group (HAAG) and COTA Victoria (COTA Vic) have made a joint submission in re...

At this year’s State Election, “Energy Prices Matter”

In the lead up to November's Victorian State Election, Consumer Action Law Centre (Consumer Action) has launched a platform to ease the burden of energy prices, "Energy Prices Matter: Make it fair and...

New polling shows Victorians don’t trust power retailers and want a Fair Price Guarantee

Independent state-wide polling released today by the Consumer Action Law Centre and the Brotherhood of St Laurence has shown that most Victorians don’t trust their electricity companies and strongly s...

Royal Commission into Misconduct in the Banking, Superannuation and Finance Sector – Consumer Action submission part 2

Consumer Action Law Centre has published part 2 of its submission to the Royal Commission into Misconduct in the Banking, Superannuation and Finance Sector today. The submission draws on the experienc...

Submission: Bankruptcy Amendment (Enterprise Incentives) Bill 2017

Financial Rights Legal Centre and Consumer Action Law Centre made a joint submission to the Senate Legal and Constitutional Affairs Legislation Committee's Inquiry into the Bankruptcy Amendment (Enter...

ESC draft audit guideline for energy businesses

Consumer Action Law Centre (Consumer Action) welcomes the opportunity to provide comment on the Essential Services Commission’s (ESC) draft audit guideline for energy businesses (the draft guideline)....

ESC draft charter of consultation and regulatory practice

Consumer Action Law Centre (Consumer Action) welcomes the opportunity to provide comment on the Essential Services Commission’s (ESC) Draft Charter of Consultation and Regulatory Practice. It is im...

Minimum electricity feed-in tariffs to apply from 1 July 2018

Consumer Action Law Centre welcomes the opportunity to provide a submission in response to the ESC’s draft decision on the minimum Feed-In Tariff (FiT) to apply for the 2018-19 financial year. We supp...

Radio Rentals hauled over the coals for irresponsible lending – again.

Today, the corporate regulator ASIC announced it is taking action against consumer leasing giant Radio Rentals after the company admitted to breaching responsible lending laws. Consumer Action Law...

Royal Commission into Misconduct in the Banking, Superannuation and Finance Sector – Consumer Action submission part 1

Consumer Action Law Centre has published part 1 of its initial submission to the Royal Commission into Misconduct in the Banking, Superannuation and Finance Sector today. The submission draws on the e...

Royal Commission into Misconduct in the Banking, Superannuation and Finance Sector – Consumer Action submission part 1

Submission: ESC draft guidance for Western Water’s 2018 price review

Pricing regulation of essential services is critical to ensure that water service provision is in the best interests of consumers. The alignment of pricing reviews for all 17 Victorian water businesse...

All shoppers need to be wary of junk insurance

Gerard Brody, CEO - Consumer Action Law Centre As originally published in the Herald Sun 27/12/2017 Car yards, banks and insurance companies — we don’t need a Royal Commission to remind us tha...

Submission: Paper Billing Consultation Paper

Consumer Action Law Centre (Consumer Action) is pleased to make this submission in response to the Paper Billing Consultation Paper (Consultation Paper). Consumer Action supports Option 2 in the Co...

2018-19 Pre-Budget Submission

Every year, The Australian Treasury calls for ideas to feed into the budget process. We have focussed our submission for the 2018/19 Budget on three areas where budget action could make an immediate a...

The psychology of Christmas shopping: how marketers nudge you to buy

Paul Harrison, Deakin University Many people see marketing as a form of manipulation, particularly around Christmas and the other retail bonanzas: Easter, Valentine’s Day, Mothers’ Day and Fath...

Opinion: Afterpay – Buy now, pain later?

Opinion – Gerard Brody, CEO Consumer Action Law Centre The boom of ‘buy now pay later’ at popular retailers has been touted as a win for business and consumers alike. But at a time when Australians...

Submission – Proposed amendments to retirement village fact sheets

Thank you for the opportunity to provide feedback on the proposed amendments to retirement village fact sheets. Consumer Action, RRVV, HAAG and COTA Vic do not oppose the proposed amendments to the f...

Fixed benefit periods notification obligations for energy retailers – Draft Decision

Consumer Action appreciates the Essential Services Commission working towards better outcomes from the energy market with a focus on the long-term interests of Victorians. We support the proposed chan...

Rent-to-buy: How many second chances do they deserve?

How should we describe a Government that wants to end the practice of 884% equivalent interest rates being charged to Australians who don’t have a spare $345 to buy a clothes dryer? It is a Government...

Watch Your Nuts

It’s never been easier to get into debt. And it's not just those on low incomes struggling to make ends meet - increasingly working people with good incomes are turning to high cost lenders for short...

Consumer Action comment on Royal Commission into the financial services sector

Consumer Action Law Centre says the Royal Commission into the financial services sector will empower people who have been ripped off by the banks, insurers and other financial institutions. ‘This R...

Joint submission: Establishment of the Australian Financial Complaints Authority

Seven consumer groups made a joint submission to Treasury's consultation on the Establishment of the Australian Financial Complaints Authority (AFCA). Consumer advocates are very supportive of the...

Consumer Action response to the release of the Essential Services Commission Victorian Energy Market Report 2016-17

Too many people are doing it tough as energy retailers fail to give their customers a fair price and a fair go at staying connected to essential services. The Essential Services Commission (ESC) toda...

Submission in response to the ACCC retail electricity pricing inquiry preliminary report

Consumer Action welcomes the opportunity to comment on ACCC Retail Electricity Pricing Inquiry: Preliminary Report (Preliminary Report) for this inquiry. The ACCC has undertaken a welcome and extensiv...

Joint submission: Options to reform the sale of add-on insurance and warranties in car yards

Thank you for the opportunity to comment on Consultation Paper 294: The sale of add-on insurance and warranties through caryard intermediaries (CP 294). Read the full submission here [PDF]...

Knock it off

Download the full report here [PDF] https://youtu.be/j43zE3HBoFk...

Initial feedback: Essential Services Commission 2018 Water Price Review

This feedback was provided to the Essential Services Commission (ESC) which is currently reviewing the prices that 17 Victorian water businesses propose to charge from 1 July 2018. Access to water is...

Submission in response to the Draft Guidance Note – Payment difficulty and disconnection

We acknowledge the significant work the Essential Services Commission has undertaken in drafting a comprehensive Guidance Note focused on customer outcomes. With expansion and redrafting in some areas...

Submission: Remake of the Estate Agents (Professional Conduct) Regulations 2008

Consumer Action Law Centre (Consumer Action), COTA Victoria and Housing for the Aged Action Group welcome the opportunity to make this submission in relation to the remake of the Estate Agents (Profes...

Submission: Insurance Contracts Regulations 2017

Thank you for the opportunity to make this submission on the exposure draft of the Insurance Contracts Regulations 2017. We appreciate the improvements to enhance the readability and clarity of the Ex...

Joint submission: Options to reform the sale of add-on insurance and warranties in car yards

Our organisations strongly support ASIC’s proposal to mandate a delayed sales model for add-on insurance and warranties sold through car yards, and to improve supervision of these sales. We have held...

Submission: Small Amount Credit Contract and Consumer Lease Reforms

We are pleased to make a submission in regards to the Exposure Draft Bill (the Bill) and Explanatory Materials implementing the Government’s response to the Small Amount Credit Contracts Review (the R...

A call to the Prime Minister and Australian Parliament

Consumer Action supports the Uluru Statement from the Heart We support First Nations peoples' Uluru Statement from the Heart. We call on the Australian Parliament to make this a national priori...

Submission in response to Customer Price Information – Issues Paper

Consumer Action is happy to contribute to the development of materials to improve consumer engagement in the energy market—with the important caveat that we do not believe consumer engagement initiati...

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