News - Consumer Action Law Centre

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...

Penalised for poverty – consumer groups say Morrison announcement will make the poor pay more

Turnbull Government proposals to mandate ‘comprehensive credit reporting’ (CCR) will have negative consequences unless changes are made, according to Consumer Action Law Centre and Financial Rights Le...

Submission: Banking Executive Accountability Regime Bill

We welcome the opportunity to provide comments in relation to the Treasury Laws Amendment (Banking Executive Accountability and Related Measures) Bill 2017 (the Bill). We support the Banking Execut...

Consumer Action takes consumer lease provider Rent4Keeps to court

In the same week that the Federal Government has released draft legislation to reform payday loans and consumer leases, Consumer Action Law Centre (Consumer Action) has announced proceedings in the Fe...

Supplementary Submission: Open Banking Review

Consumer Action Law Centre (Consumer Action), Financial Rights Legal Centre (Financial Rights) and Financial Counselling Australia (FCA) are pleased to make this supplementary submission in response t...

Supplementary Submission: ACCC New Car Inquiry

Consumer Action Law Centre (Consumer Action) welcomes the opportunity to make a supplementary submission to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) New Car Retailing Inquiry. Our sup...

Submission: National Water Reform

Water is arguably the most essential of services: without it we would not live. Most of us access water every day for drinking, cooking, washing/hygiene and efficient removal of waste. For some though...

Turnbull’s energy policy won’t stop energy retailers from price gouging, but a Basic Service Offer will

Gerard Brody, CEO - Consumer Action Law Centre This week it was reported that energy bills for an average Victorian household have skyrocketed to a shocking $3,655 a year. The ACCC confirms tha...

Essential Services Commission releases new Payment Difficulty Framework

The new Payment Difficulty Framework will challenge energy retailers in Victoria to improve how they deal with customers in financial difficulty, and has the potential to reduce disconnections when it...

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