Comment on ASIC CP 279: Flex commission arrangements in the car finance industry

Consumer Action supports ASIC’s proposal to prohibit flex-commissions in the sale of car loans through a legislative instrument. There are clearly significant variations in the interest rates charged...

March 31, 2017

Community Legal Centres face funding cut from July 1

UPDATE: The Federal Government has announced a reversal of the planned cuts. However, Community Legal Centres are still facing a surge in community need that the Productivity Commission estimates requ...

March 30, 2017

Progress on banking code, but missed opportunities too: consumer advocates

The Australian Banker's Association (ABA) response to the Independent Review of the Code of Banking Practice (Khoury Review) is a positive start, but consumer advocates say there are some missed oppor...

March 28, 2017

Supplementary submission: Design & Distribution Obligations and Product Intervention Power – Proposals Paper

The undersigned provided a comprehensive submission to the Design and Distribution Obligations and Product Intervention Power – Proposals Paper (the Proposals Paper) on 15 March 2017. We make this sup...

March 28, 2017

120 day delay inflicting greater payday pain

Consumer groups call for the Federal Government to take immediate action to protect payday loan and lease borrowers. The Consumers Federation of Australia, CHOICE, Consumer Action Law Centre, Financi...

March 27, 2017

Consumer Action calls for Fair Finance – Reform of payday loans and rent-to-buy

Consumer Action Law Centre has hit Federal Parliament to speak with Senators and MPs about making finance fair by reforming payday loans and rent-to-buy products. Read more about the day: Tweets about...

March 27, 2017

Radio Rentals sued over irresponsible ‘Rent Try Buy’ contracts

A Victorian single mother of four children has sued Radio Rentals in the Federal Circuit Court alleging that six 'Rent Try Buy' contracts were irresponsible and unjust. The woman, a victim of famil...

March 24, 2017

Review of the Warehousemen’s Liens Act 1958 – Position Paper

The Consumer Action Law Centre (Consumer Action) welcomes the opportunity to respond to the Storage Industry Position Paper. In our view, the proposed changes to the Warehousemen’s Liens Act 1958 (...

March 21, 2017

Independent Review into the Future Security of the National Electricity Market (Finkel review)

A reliable, secure and affordable energy supply is essential to health, wellbeing, economic participation and social inclusion, so there is a high risk to consumers when things go wrong and supply of...

March 21, 2017

Design and Distribution Obligations and Product Intervention Power – Proposals Paper

Nine consumer advocacy organisations have made a joint submission on the Design and Distribution Obligations and Product Intervention Power. This joint submission was coordinated by Consumer Action La...

March 21, 2017

Retirement villages in Australia – Life Matters

When people get older and start thinking about downsizing, retirement villages are an option many consider. However, it may be worth doing some research and assessing all of the associated costs befor...

March 20, 2017

Mortgage broker mayhem

CHOICE and the Consumer Action and Financial Rights Legal Centre are calling on the federal government to act on conflicted remuneration in the mortgage market following an ASIC report that found wide...

March 17, 2017

How to avoid a credit card debt disaster

Did you know that Australians owe over $50 billion (and rising) on their credit cards? Here are some tips from Consumer Action Law Centre CEO Gerard Brody on how we can stop Australians’ love of credi...

March 16, 2017

Consumer protection in the banking, insurance and financial sector

The Consumer Action Law Centre (Consumer Action) is pleased to provide a submission to the Senate Inquiry into consumer protection in the banking, insurance and financial sector. Read the full subm...

March 16, 2017

Submission to the review of electricity and gas retail markets in Victoria

The Consumer Action Law Centre (Consumer Action) welcomes the opportunity to comment on the review of electricity and gas retail markets in Victoria discussion paper following the consultation forum t...

March 16, 2017

Residents respond – Retirement Living Inquiry

Victorian retirees have responded to a Victorian Parliamentary Inquiry report....

March 8, 2017

$250K: the shocking cost of retirement housing disputes

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March 7, 2017

Victorian mum sues Cash Converters alleging unjust pawn agreements and payday loans

A Victorian mother of seven has taken Cash Converters to court alleging that 76 pawn agreements and 23 payday loans were unjust and unconscionable. She alleges that repaying the payday loans and pa...

March 1, 2017

“Car yards should be ashamed”: tips on avoiding car yard shonks

Consumer Action Law Centre is warning Australians about the behaviour of car yard shonks following an ASIC action refunding $400,000 to a group of NSW car buyers who were forced to purchase warran...

February 22, 2017

Consumer groups urge banks to implement recommendations of banking code report

Consumer Groups today welcomed the release of the Independent Khoury Review of the Australian Banking Association’s Code of Banking Practice as an important step in the right direction of improving th...

February 21, 2017

ACCC rejects weak effort by insurers to fix junk insurance

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has today rejected a cynical move by the insurance industry to keep selling junk insurance products. The industry has placed blame on the size...

February 17, 2017

Senate Standing Committee on Economics inquiry into Australia’s general insurance industry

This submission examines home and car insurance from the consumer’s perspective. It focuses on transparency in Australia’s home and car insurance industries, the benefits of establishing an independen...

February 17, 2017

Electricity Network Transformation Roadmap: Key Concepts Report

Consumer Action Law Centre (Consumer Action) welcomes the opportunity to respond to the Electricity network transformation roadmap: key concepts report. We support the focus of the roadmap of incentiv...

February 16, 2017

Public statement – Veda and Consumer Action Law Centre

Veda and the Consumer Action Law Centre (Consumer Action) have agreed upon a conciliated resolution to the representative complaint lodged by Consumer Action with the Office of the Australian Informat...

February 16, 2017

Retail Remuneration Review – Issues Paper

The Consumer Action Law Centre (Consumer Action), is pleased to provide a submission in response to the Retail Remuneration Review Issues Paper (Issues Paper). As stated in our joint response to th...

February 14, 2017

Competition is failing in energy retail and it’s hurting households: Gerard Brody

In his address to the National Press Club last week, prime minister Malcolm Turnbull called out that families across the nation need not just reliable but affordable power. For lower income earners wh...

February 13, 2017

EDR Review – Interim Report

Thank you for the opportunity to comment on the Review of the Financial System Dispute Resolution Framework – Interim Report (Interim Report). This joint submission was coordinated by Consumer Action...

February 3, 2017

BMW Finance – you could get compensation

The Australian Securities Investment Commission (ASIC) recently took action against BMW Australia Finance (BMW Finance) for signing up customers to car loans they could not afford between 1 January 20...

February 3, 2017

Australians need a one-stop-shop ombudsman to deal with banking & finance complaints

Getting problems with your bank, insurance or finance company solved fairly and quickly is too hard and Australia needs a one-stop-shop ombudsman for financial service problems, say leading consumer a...

February 3, 2017

Submission in response to Consultation Paper 272 – Remaking ASIC class orders on time-sharing schemes

Consumer Action Law Centre (Consumer Action) and Financial Rights Legal Centre (Financial Rights) are pleased to make this submission to the Australian Securities and Investments Commission’s (ASIC) p...

February 3, 2017

Productivity Commission Draft Report – Consumer Law Enforcement and Administration

The Consumer Action Law Centre (Consumer Action) is pleased to provide comment in response to the Productivity Commission Draft Report – Consumer Law Enforcement and Administration (Draft Report)....

January 30, 2017

Submission to The Treasury on priorities for 2017-18 Federal Budget

Consumer Action has provided input into The Treasury’s budget development for financial year 2017-18. We have identified four budget measures that would, if implemented, enhance justice for all Aus...

January 19, 2017

Proposed Industry Funding Model for the Australian Securities and Investments Commission – Proposals Paper.

Consumer Action Law Centre (Consumer Action) and CHOICE welcome the opportunity to comment on the Proposed Industry Funding Model for the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC). Re...

December 22, 2016

Submission: ANZ Banking Group Ltd—Exclusive Dealing Notification N99426

Thank you for the invitation to comment on the ANZ Banking Group Ltd—Exclusive Dealing Notification N99426 (the Notification), under which ANZ is only financing Esanda and ANZbranded comprehensive car...

December 22, 2016

Public Inquiry: Data Availability and Use – Draft Report

The Consumer Action Law Centre (Consumer Action) welcomes the opportunity to comment on the Data Availability and Use – Draft Report October 2016 (Draft Report). Read the full submission here [PDF]...

December 22, 2016

Submission to Consumer Property Law Review: Options for reform of the Owners Corporations Act 2006

The Consumer Action Law Centre (Consumer Action) is pleased to make this submission to Consumer Affairs Victoria's (CAV) comprehensive review of Victoria's consumer property laws, specifically on Opti...

December 22, 2016

Deferred Management Fees case settled: law reform now desperately needed

“The relief was immense”, a simple enough statement from one of the fourteen residents from Willow Lodge Over 50s Resort (Willow Lodge), but universally felt following the settlement of the long-runni...

December 22, 2016

Why we are willing to pay for mega expensive things

Paul Harrison, Deakin University It may not seem logical or good value for money, but there are plenty of us that will fork out for expensive presents this Christmas. Maybe it will be close to A$3,...

December 19, 2016

Veda to refund consumers after breaching privacy rules

Veda Advantage Information Services and Solutions Ltd (Veda) is being forced to refund thousands of consumers who paid to obtain credit reports under Veda’s expedited delivery deal, according to a dec...

December 15, 2016

Australian Consumer Law Review: Interim Report

The Consumer Action Law Centre (Consumer Action) welcomes the opportunity to respond to the Australian Consumer Law Review—Interim Report (Interim Report). While we are engaged with the process, we...

December 13, 2016

Supplementary Submission: Applications for authorisation—A191556-A91557 Aioi Nissay Dowa Insurance Company Australia Pty Ltd & Ors

We refer to our original submission on the application by insurers for Australian Competition and Consumer Authority (ACCC) authorisation to cap commissions on add-on insurance sold through motor vehi...

December 13, 2016

Debt vulture companies are ripping off Australians and stirring up the credit industry

It is not often that consumer advocates and the credit industry see eye to eye. Money worries keep many Australians up at night and for some companies this is good for business. When watching TV br...

December 7, 2016

Time to abolish unfair energy appeals

At their meeting in Melbourne this week, Energy Ministers from around the country will consider an issue that has the potential to save households and businesses hundreds of millions of dollars each y...

December 7, 2016

Victims of financial scandals need simple justice – response to Ramsay EDR Review

Following the slew of financial scandals Australians have faced in recent years, consumer advocates say that Australians need simple and accessible justice with reformed Ombudsman services. The Rev...

December 6, 2016

Submission: Life insurance industry inquiry

This submission will focus on issues seen in Consumer Action’s casework and policy work, including life insurance contract terms which could be ‘unfair’, an assessment industry self regulation and p...

December 2, 2016

Power price shock – fake discounts gouge Victorians

Energy price rises announced today will hit Victorians hard as the Consumer Action Law Centre warns energy companies to remember that their product is an essential service. "Over 60,000 Victorians...

December 1, 2016

Cooling-off periods for consumers don’t work: study

Paul Harrison, Deakin University When customers are offered a “cooling off” period, they don’t change their minds, even when the alternative is considered subjectively better, our research finds. W...

November 29, 2016

Payday lending reform will make people’s lives better

Consumer advocates say that the Government’s response to a recent review of payday lending and consumer leases laws is a good start and can go further to support Australians who are struggling to make...

November 28, 2016

Cooling off doesn’t work: New research

Australians have been told for decades that “cooling off” periods will protect them from predatory salespeople, but new research shows dodgy salespeople still have the upper hand. Dr Paul Harrison,...

November 24, 2016

House of Representatives’ Economics Committee, Review of the Four Major Banks – Consumer Action response

In response to the report published today by the House of Representatives’ Economics Committee, Review of the Four Major Banks, Consumer Action Law Centre CEO Gerard Brody said: “Dispute resolution...

November 24, 2016