News - Consumer Action Law Centre

Grant Stewart – Royal Commission Witness: MEDIA RELEASE

Today Victorian man Grant Stewart, 61, gave evidence to the Financial Services Royal Commission about a life insurer pressure-selling insurance to his son, who has a disability. Mr Stewart told t...

Why are Victorians paying too much for energy?

This is a simple question with many complicated and at times contested answers. But there are a few things that everyone can agree on. Retail charges represent a large component of our energy bil...

Submission: draft Telecommunications Consumer Protections Code

Consumer Action Law Centre together with WEstjustice made a submission to the CommsAlliance on the Telecommunications Consumer Protections Code Draft (DR C628:2018) (draft Code), which has been produc...

Submission: Telecommunications Consumer Safeguards Review Part A – Consumer Redress and Complaints Handling

Consumer protection mechanisms in the telecommunications market are failing Australians. The Telecommunications Consumer Safeguards Review is an important and timely opportunity to move from self-regu...

Life insurance cold calling must be banned: consumer advocates

Consumer advocates are calling for a ban on life insurance cold calling, after ASIC today revealed major rip offs and startlingly high claims rejections. ASIC reported today that insurers are cold-...

Submission: Easy and Transparent Trading Consultation Paper

The Consumer Action Law Centre (Consumer Action) welcomes the opportunity to comment on the Easy and Transparent Trading Consultation Paper (the Consultation Paper). We have limited our comments to Se...

Submission: Extending unfair contract terms protections to insurance contracts

The case for extending unfair contract terms (UCT) laws to insurance contracts is clear. The insurance industry is virtually the only industry enjoying an exemption from the economy-wide UCT regime...

Enough talk on electricity, governments must walk the walk and guarantee lower prices

In light of the disappointing Federal Government decision on the National Energy Guarantee, consumer and end-user groups (the ‘Group’) representing regional and urban communities have joined together...

A basic service offer is a quick fix for the energy mess

This piece from Zac Gillam (Senior Policy Officer) originally appeared in The Age. It was fascinating listening to the Premier attack the price gouging of energy retailers in Victoria, more so...

Class Actions and Third-Party Litigation Funders: ALRC Inquiry

Consumer Action Law Centre made a submission to the Australian Law Reform Commission's Inquiry into Class Action Proceedings and Third-Party Litigation Funders (Discussion Paper 85, June 2018) (ALRC I...

Solar energy rebate a win for households – now for fair energy tariffs

Consumer Action Law Centre has welcomed a new Victorian government solar energy rebate program for 650,000 households, saying that solar energy on homes can help people save on power costs. “A reba...

Submission: Revised Design and Distribution Obligations and Product Intervention Powers Bill

Thank you for the opportunity to comment on the revised exposure draft of the Treasury Laws Amendment (Design and Distribution Obligations and Product Intervention Powers) Bill 2018 (the revised Bill)...

Lobbyists beat the battlers on payday loans and rent-to-buy

The Federal Government is letting the worst and most harmful financial products in the community run wild according to consumer advocates. It’s now one year, eight months, one week and fifteen days...

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

Energy Retail Code obligations for exempt sellers under the General Exemption Order 2017: Draft Decision

Consumer Action has made this joint submission alongside VCOSS. Embedded networks have presented serious difficulties for energy consumers for far too long, and the General Exemption Order 2017 is...

Submission: Retirement Living Revised Code of Conduct

The Consumer Action Law Centre, Residents of Retirement Villages Victoria, Housing for the Aged Action Group and COTA Victoria welcome the opportunity to comment on the most recent Draft Retirement Li...

Submission: Credit card responsible lending assessments

The Consumer Action Law Centre, Financial Rights Legal Centre, CHOICE and Financial Counselling Australia welcome the opportunity to comment on Consultation Paper 303 on credit card responsible lendin...

New Banking Code must have teeth: consumer groups

Australia’s banks will have to commit to strict enforcement and strong resourcing for the new Code of Banking Practice, if the Code is to achieve real change in the industry, say consumer advocates....

Stop the spread: New ASIC powers to be extended to funeral insurance, “buy now pay later” credit

The Turnbull Government is set to boost the power of the corporate regulator, with proposed legislation that would allow ASIC to stop even more predatory products from hurting Australians. This leg...

Royal Commission into Misconduct in the Banking, Superannuation and Finance Sector – Submission on Round 4 Hearings (General)

Consumer Action Law Centre has published its submission to the Royal Commission into Misconduct in the Banking, Superannuation and Finance Sector following the Round 4 hearings on issues affecting Aus...

Royal Commission into Misconduct in the Banking, Superannuation and Finance Sector – Submission on Round 4 Hearings (Case Studies)

ACCC report calls for much needed, long overdue reform of Australia’s dysfunctional energy market

Consumer Action Law Centre (Consumer Action) commends the ACCC on its report into Australia’s electricity market, Restoring electricity affordability and Australia’s competitive advantage. The report...

Treasury Laws Amendment (Protecting Your Superannuation Package) Bill 2018

Consumer Action Law Centre made a joint submission with Financial Rights Legal Centre to the Senate Economics Legislation Committee's inquiry into the provisions of the Treasury Laws Amendment (Protec...

Royal Commission into Misconduct in the Banking, Superannuation and Finance Sector – Submission on Background Paper 14 General Insurance

We refer to the Royal Commission’s Background Paper 14: General Insurance (Background Paper) and make the following comments. We note that the Background Paper reflects the views of the authors and no...

National Energy Guarantee Draft Detailed Design Consultation Paper – Commonwealth Elements

The Consumer Action Law Centre (Consumer Action) welcomes the opportunity to comment on the National Energy Guarantee (Guarantee) Draft Detailed Design Consultation Paper for Commonwealth Elements (Co...

Consumer concern at Federal Government review of telco complaints handling

The consumer movement has expressed strong concerns at Government proposals to reduce the remit of the Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman. ‘One of the vital elements in the consumer protection r...

Royal Commission into Misconduct in the Banking, Superannuation and Finance Sector – Submission on Round 3 Hearings

This written submission is provided by Consumer Action Law Centre (Consumer Action) following the conclusion of the Round 3 hearings on loans to small and medium enterprises. Misconduct and conduct...

Credit cards should not be a lifelong debt sentence: Media Release

A proposal to prevent credit cards becoming a lifelong debt sentence has been welcomed by Consumer Action Law Centre. The Australian Securities & Investment Commission (ASIC) has released its p...

Tracey Walsh – Royal Commission Witness: Media Release

Today Tracey Walsh, a 53-year-old Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander woman from Victoria, gave evidence to the Royal Commission into Misconduct in the Banking, Superannuation & Financial Servic...

Joint submission: Australian Financial Complaints Authority (AFCA) Draft Rules

In Australia, everyone should be able to easily access a free, fair, fast and effective service to resolve complaints against their lender, insurer or superannuation fund. To ensure that the Australia...

National Energy Retail Amendment (Strengthening protections for customers in hardship) Rule 2018 consultation paper

The Consumer Action Law Centre (Consumer Action) welcomes the opportunity to comment on the National Energy Retail Amendment (Strengthening protections for customers in hardship) Rule 2018 Consultatio...

AER Powers Civil Penalty Regime Consultation Paper

The Consumer Action Law Centre (Consumer Action) welcomes the opportunity to comment on the Australian Energy Regulator (AER) Powers and Civil Penalty Regime Consultation Paper, published by the Stand...

Consumer Groups warn banks’ plan to protect vulnerable customers will fail

Consumer groups have today criticised a plan by the four major banks to exclude customers from the new mandatory Comprehensive Credit Regime if an agreement with their bank is reached on hardship arra...

Terrorism Insurance Act Review 2018

Consumer Action has reviewed a selection of current Product Disclosure Statements (PDSs) of major brands of domestic insurance to assess whether they are likely to cover loss, damage, liability, costs...

Consumer rights and protections, and older consumers: the value of loyalty

Gerard Brody, speech to COTA Forum June 28, 2018 Thank you to Ian and COTA Australia for the opportunity to speak today. Today I’d like to talk about values and consumer protection, and part...

Joint submission: Attorney-General’s Department Review of Financial Hardship Arrangements

Consumer advocates consider that any additional information permitted to be shared or held as part of the credit reporting system is inherently a further privacy intrusion and must be justified to be...

Submission: Reforms to strengthen penalties for corporate and financial sector misconduct – Draft Legislation

Review into the Australian Taxation Office’s use of Garnishee Notices

We reject the legal status quo which enables garnishee orders issued prior to bankruptcy to continue to garnish the wages of bankrupted individuals post-bankruptcy. As we understand it, garnishee ord...

Retirement ombudsman: Safe and fair retirement should be bipartisan

Victorian Opposition Leader Matthew Guy MP and Shadow Minister for Consumer Affairs Heidi Victoria MP have announced that the Coalition will establish an ombudsman for retirement housing residents if...

Lemon-Aid

It is not always easy for people to obtain a refund or replacement when they purchase a faulty ‘lemon’ product. The current Australian consumer guarantee regime is not well equipped to deal with the u...

Victorian water prices to remain steady

The Essential Services Commission (ESC) has today made its final pricing determinations for the 2018 Water Price Review. The determinations specify the prices that water companies can charge as well a...

Payment difficulty framework amendments to the Compliance and Performance Reporting Guideline draft decision

The Consumer Action Law Centre (Consumer Action) welcomes the opportunity to comment on the payment difficulty framework amendments to the Compliance and Performance Reporting Guideline draft decision...

Are we there yet? (the mysterious case of the vanishing SACC Bill)

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Letter to the editor: Credit reporting not great for the public

The fintech industry's claims that delays in putting more customer data into credit reports will entrench the big four's market dominance need scrutinising ('Labor credit report delay will entrench ba...

Energy Market Commission confirms the deregulated energy market has not delivered for Victorians

The Australian Energy Market Commission (AEMC) has admitted that competition among energy retailers is not delivering ‘expected benefits’ in its annual retail energy competition review. The Victor...

Submission: Protecting Your Super package: Exposure Draft

This submission focuses on insurance in superannuation and the interests of people who are on low incomes or have low superannuation balances. It supports the majority of CHOICE’s recommendations in i...

Submission: NSW Emergency Services Levy Insurance Monitor Standard Profile Quotations

This joint submission from Financial Rights Legal Centre and Consumer Action Legal Centre responds to the NSW Emergency Services Levy Insurance Monitor’s 'Standard profile quotations Mid-term review,...

Submission: Options for greater involvement by private sector life insurers in worker rehabilitation

This joint submission of CHOICE, Financial Rights Legal Centre and Consumer Action Law Centre responds to the insurance industry proposal for greater involvement by life insurers in worker rehabilitat...

Submission: Implementation of prohibition on flex-commissions

The Consumer Action Law Centre welcomes the opportunity to comment on the implementation of the prohibition on flex-commissions Consultation Paper (the Consultation Paper). We generally support the...

Draft AER Benefit Change Notice Guidelines – Submission

Consumer Action welcomes the opportunity to provide a brief submission in response to AER’s Draft Benefit Change Notice Guidelines (Draft Guidelines). This policy area is well trodden ground for Co...

Submission: 2018 Water Price Review standard draft decisions

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

Data disaster – Commbank shows banks fail at the basics

A data disaster is coming according to consumer advocates, following revelations that 12 million customers’ personal financial histories were lost by the Commonwealth Bank. “A data disaster is comi...

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