News - Consumer Action Law Centre

Unfair bank fees live another day. Now time for law reform: Consumer Action and CHOICE

The law must be changed to restore fairness in bank fees according Consumer Action Law Centre and CHOICE. Following the High Court’s decision today which allows banks to continue charging exorbitan...

Review of Enforcement Regimes under the National Energy Laws: Proposed policy positions for consultation

Consumer Action Law Centre welcomes the opportunity to comment on the consultation paper, Review of Enforcement Regimes under the National Energy Laws: Proposed policy positions for consultation, rele...

Federal Circuit Court Financial Counselling Project Evaluation

Since September 2014, the Federal Circuit Court (FCC) in Melbourne has provided direct financial counselling services to self-represented debtors in the FCC’s Bankruptcy Lists. This pilot service, imp...

Evaluating Consumer Action’s worker advice service

Consumer Action Law Centre (“Consumer Action”) improves the lives of Victorians by advancing fairness in the marketplace. To this end, we publish consumer law information, run a legal advice service,...

Parliamentary Inquiry into the Retirement Housing Sector

The Consumer Action Law Centre (Consumer Action), Council on the Ageing Victoria (COTA), Housing for the Aged Action Group (HAAG), Justice Connect (Seniors Law) (Justice Connect) and Residents of Reti...

Indigenous insurance exploitation must be stopped following court decision: Consumer groups

A Federal Court decision has allowed for the continued exploitation of Indigenous Australians through dud Funeral Insurance schemes. For years, low income Indigenous communities have been targeted...

Redesigning VET FEE-HELP – responding to the Discussion Paper

Consumer Action is pleased to comment on the Australian Government's discussion paper outlining a raft of proposed changes to the VET FEE-HELP system. We have responded positively to a number of key s...

New polling shows that Australians are ready for a Retail Ombudsman

A new poll released today made a strong case for the establishment of a Retail Ombudsman, a free and informal way to resolve disputes between everyday Australians and businesses, including tradies and...

FOS Determination on hardship variations, and credit reporting

The Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS) has recently made a determination which has important implications for credit reporting in Australia, particularly in how it relates to hardship variations. Pr...

Telephone Financial Counselling Service – Evaluation of Service Quality and Outcomes

Consumer Action Law Centre is pleased to publish this evaluation of our telephone financial counselling service, MoneyHelp. Consumer Action regularly evaluates its services, particularly its advice se...

Credit Cards: improving consumer outcomes and enhancing competition

Consumer Action Law Centre (Consumer Action) and the Financial Rights Legal Centre (FRLC) is pleased to comment on the proposed reforms outlined in Credit cards: improving consumer outcomes and enhanc...

Submission to AER on its approval of minimum amount owing for disconnection

Consumer Action has provided a submission to the Australian Energy Regulator on its approval of the minimum amount owing for disconnection of electricity or gas under the National Energy Retail Rules....

Role of LIV in regulation of the profession: Submission

In the June edition of the Law Institute Journal, the Law Institute of Victoria asks “who should regulate the profession”? It is the view of consumer and community lawyers that any modern regulatory...

Andrew Leigh and Labor announce beefed up ACCC

Today at a media conference with Labor's Andrew Leigh, Consumer Action Law Centre's Gerard Brody called out current penalties under the Australian Consumer Law as "inadequate". The following commen...

Senator Nick Xenophon and Last Resort Compensation Scheme

Today at a media conference with Independent Senator for SA Nick Xenophon, Consumer Action Law Centre again called for the establishment of a Last Resort Compensation Scheme to protect people left out...

Consumer property law review: Issue Paper 3: Sale of land and business

Consumer Action Law Centre (Consumer Action) is pleased to make this submission to Consumer Affairs Victoria's (CAV) review of Victoria's consumer property laws on Issue Paper 3: Sale of land and busi...

Australian Consumer Law Review – submission

The Consumer Action Law Centre (Consumer Action) welcomes the opportunity to respond to the Australian Consumer Law Review—Issues Paper (Issues Paper). The Review is highly anticipated and offers a...

AER Electricity Ring-Fencing Guideline

Ring-fencing is undertaken when a monopoly business also operates in a contestable market, and some form of functional separation is deemed necessary to ensure the market remains competitive. Read...

Submission to Consumer Property Law Review: Issue Paper 2 – Owners corporations

Lawyers and Referrer Conflict—an underrated risk

The risk of a conflict of interest can arise in some arrangements where lawyers have a relationship with a party from which they receive regular client referrals. The extent of this conflict of intere...

Improving bankruptcy and insolvency laws – Proposals paper

The Consumer Action Law Centre (Consumer Action) welcomes the opportunity to provide input to proposed changes to Australia’s bankruptcy and insolvency laws. To read a PDF of the submission online,...

Submission to the AER Draft Sustainable Payment Plan Framework

The Consumer Action Law Centre (Consumer Action) is pleased to provide comment on the AER Draft Sustainable Payment Plan Framework (the draft framework). Read our full submission here [PDF]...

Submission to ESC’s Draft Energy Compliance and Enforcement Policy, April 2016

The Consumer Action Law Centre (Consumer Action) wishes to make a brief submission to the Essential Services Commission’s (the Commission) consultation on its Draft Energy Compliance and Enforcement P...

New Polling: 3 in 4 Australians want ban on door-to-door sales

Consumer Action Law Centre (Consumer Action) has launched new polling data from IPSOS, one of Australia’s leading polling agencies, on unsolicited sales. Unsolicited sales are commonly performed th...

Speech to the CIO Dispute Resolution Conference 18 May 2016, Melbourne

On Wednesday, 18 May 2016, Consumer Action CEO Gerard Brody gave a speech to the CIO Dispute Resolution Conference. An edited transcript of the speech can be found below. ***CHECK AGA...

Good enough for Google. Good enough for Australia.

Google’s decision last week to ban the advertisement of payday loans demonstrates that the world is moving against the proliferation of payday loans. It is Australia’s turn to show leadership and clam...

Review of the Small Amount Credit Contract Laws – Final Report

Consumer Action Law Centre (Consumer Action) is pleased to comment on the Review of the Small Amount Credit Contract Laws – Final Report as part of The Treasury's review of the Small Amount Credit Con...

Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (Fees) Regulations 2016

The Consumer Action Law Centre (Consumer Action) welcomes the opportunity to provide input to the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (Fees) Regulations (VCAT Fees) Review. Read our full su...

Residential Tenancies Act review: Issues Paper 3 – Rights and responsibilities of landlords and tenants

Consumer Action Law Centre (Consumer Action) is pleased to comment on Issues Paper 3 - Rights and responsibilities of landlords and tenants as part of Consumer Affairs Victoria's (CAV's) review of the...

A VET FEE-HELP Ombudsman will help victims of Australia’s VET scandal

Australians duped by Vocational Education and Training (VET) providers and brokers into signing up to dodgy courses are a step closer to receiving justice today. The Federal Government has released...

Price Review 2016: Melbourne Water – Essential Services Commission Draft Decision

The Consumer Utilities Advocacy Centre (CUAC) and the Consumer Action Law Centre (CALC) welcome the opportunity to comment on the Essential Service Commission’s (Commission) Price Review 2016: Melbour...

Scrutiny of Financial Advice Inquiry: Additional terms of reference on the life insurance industry

Joint submission with Financial Rights Legal Centre and CHOICE to the Senate Economics References Committee Scrutiny of Financial Advice Inquiry: Additional terms of reference on the life insurance in...

Residential Tenancies Act review: Issues Paper 2 – Rent, bonds and other charges

Consumer Action Law Centre (Consumer Action) is pleased to comment on Issues Paper 2—Rent, bonds and other charges as part of Consumer Affairs Victoria's (CAV) review of Victoria's Residential Tenanci...

Consumer groups welcome a stronger ASIC

Consumer groups CHOICE and Consumer Action Law Centre welcome today’s announcement of new funding and powers to protect consumers of financial services. In 2014-15 ASIC’s budget was reduced by $120...

Payday loans the next financial disaster

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DaVTYoVoZaE A financial disaster is looming unless there is an urgent response to expert recommendations to clean up payday loans and consumer leases. As pressure...

CP247: Client review and remediation programs and update to record-keeping requirements

The Consumer Action Law Centre (Consumer Action) welcomes the opportunity to comment on ASIC’s Consultation Paper 247: Client review and remediation programs and update to record-keeping requirements....

Review of Card Payments Regulation – Consultation Paper

Thank you for the opportunity to provide comment on the reforms proposed by the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) in the Review of Card Payments Regulation Consultation Paper (Consultation Paper), relea...

NAB locks out the most vulnerable from unfair bank fees refunds

Consumer Action Law Centre has written to the CEO of National Australia Bank (NAB) requesting that vulnerable customers unfairly excluded from its bank fees class action deal be compensated. On 6 A...

Response to a finance sector Royal Commission: Gerard Brody

In response to the announcement that a Labor Government would initiate a Royal Commission into the finance sector, Consumer Action Law CEO Gerard Brody said: “A Royal Commission into the finance se...

Inquiry into the causes and consequences of the collapse of listed retailers in Australia

The Consumer Action Law Centre (Consumer Action) welcomes the opportunity to comment on the Inquiry into the causes and consequences of the collapse of listed retailers in Australia (Inquiry). View...

Australians urged to fight back against junk insurance and demand over $70m in refunds

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tLFnf30Qu6k Australians could be due for over $70m* worth of refunds each year for insurance and warranty products they don’t even know they’ve bought. The latest...

Energy retailers to help Victorians stay out of debt: Consumer Groups

Energy retailers are to provide improved, targeted assistance to customers experiencing financial difficulty under a proposed new regulatory framework announced by the Andrews Government today. The fr...

From Good to Great – the Australian Consumer Law Review and beyond – Consumer Congress 2016 Speech

Gerard Brody, National Consumer Congress, 16 March 2016 The Australian Consumer Law has served the community well since it was enacted back in 2010, and it has produced a number of significant outc...

Submission to consumer property law review: Issue Paper 1 – Conduct and institutional arrangements for estate agents, conveyancers and owners corporation managers

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