News - Consumer Action Law Centre

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

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 1: Conduct and instituti...

Submission to Council on Federal Financial Relations Affordable Housing Working Group – Innovative financing models

Consumer Action Law Centre (Consumer Action) is pleased to make this submission to the Affordable Housing Working Group. Consumer Action's legal service and financial counselling service assist many...

Review of the Warehousemen’s Liens Act 1958 (VIC)

Consumer Action Law Centre has provided comment on the review of the Warehousemen’s Liens Act 1958 (Vic) (“Act”). Read our full submission here [PDF]...

Vendor terms and rent-to-buy schemes

Vendor terms or 'rent-to-buy' schemes promise to help you buy property when you don’t have the income, savings or credit history to get a regular mortgage. Often there’s a broker or agent who advertis...

“Because you need an interpreter should not disadvantage you and you should not be punished for it”

Funding for the Telephone Interpreter Service must be restored. Email EO@FCRC.org.au to find out more....

As Australians face over $1 trillion personal debt crisis, advocates warn about ‘debt vultures’

With ABS data showing that Australians are living with over $1 trillion of personal debt, consumer advocates are warning that an emerging industry of ‘debt vultures’ is making things worse. Debt vu...

Debt Management Firms Communiqué

Around forty representatives from consumer advocacy organisations, industry associations, ombudsman schemes, government agencies and regulators met in Melbourne on 18 February 2016 to discuss the soci...

Access to Justice Review

The Consumer Action Law Centre (Consumer Action) welcomes the opportunity to provide input to the Access to Justice Review. We have provided responses to specific relevant questions raised under each...

Stop selling junk – ASIC reports show how Australians are being dudded out of millions

Consumer Action Law Centre is calling on insurance and warranty companies to stop selling junk following the release of two damning ASIC reports. ASIC today released two reports examining add-on in...

Consumer Action responds: Parliamentary Inquiry into Retirement Housing

Consumer Action Law Centre (Consumer Action) has responded to the establishment today of a Parliamentary Inquiry into the retirement housing sector. The inquiry will be heard by the Legal and Social I...

Our finances are a mess – could behavioral science help clean them up?

Hal Hershfield, University of California, Los Angeles and Abigail Sussman, University of Chicago The first few months of a new year can be a stressful time financially. The Christmas holidays typic...

‘Debt vultures’ in the spotlight

Australians live with over $1 trillion in personal debt, according to recent data from the Reserve Bank of Australia. That’s a staggering figure that should have economists, legislators and regulators...

Unemployed and at risk: more help needed for those out of work

The mental health of the unemployed deteriorates the longer they are out of work and this is a barrier to securing future employment, research has found. While different ways to reach this group are b...

Submission to The Treasury on priorities for 2016-17 Federal Budget

Consumer Action Law Centre (Consumer Action) welcomes the opportunity to provide input into The Treasury’s budget development for financial year 2016-17. The stated aim of the Government in inviting s...

Good communication the key to successful electricity tariff reform: Gerard Brody

In response to "Andrews Government accused of killing $1.6b benefit of tariff changes" (3/2/2016) in the Australian Financial Review: Claims that the Victorian Andrews Government’s ‘backing away’ f...

Victorian Mum takes on consumer rental company Flexirent and wins

A Victorian Mum of four has won a settlement of nearly $4000 after she took legal action against Flexirent Capital Pty Ltd, a subsidiary of the ASX listed company FlexiGroup Limited. Michelle T...

Draft Life Insurance Code of Practice

Joint submission with Financial Rights Legal Centre and Financial Counselling Australia to the draft Life Insurance Code of Practice. Read the full report here [PDF]...

Submission to the 2016 Retail Competition Review Approach Paper (RPR0004)

Consumer Action Law Centre (Consumer Action) welcomes the opportunity to provide input into the approach to the Australian Energy Market Commission (AEMC) 2016 Retail Competition Review (the Review)....

Submission: SACC Review Interim Report

Consumer Action has made its submission in response to the SACC Review Interim Report. We continue to push for tighter regulation on payday loans and consumer leases, which have been shown to cause si...

Further Education and Training (Training Ombudsman) And Another Act Amendment Bill 2015 (QLD)

The Consumer Action Law Centre (Consumer Action) welcomes the opportunity to comment on the Further Education and Training (Training Ombudsman) And Another Act Amendment Bill 2015 (Bill) (QLD) Read o...

Debt vultures are not your friends

The huge up-front fees and dubious value of services provided by for-profit debt businesses is in the spotlight after a new report by the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC). Co...

Commissioner warns legal clients against email and internet scams

Email and internet scams are finding their way into the provision of legal services offered by honest solicitors. The Victorian Legal Services Commissioner, Michael McGarvie, warned both consumers and...

Don’t give up! Dick Smith customers still have options.

Following the news that electronics retailer Dick Smith has gone into administration – don’t assume you’ve lost your rights. Sarah has recently advised us that she purchased a mobile phone from Dick...

Life Insurance Reform Legislation

The Consumer Action Law Centre (Consumer Action) welcomes the opportunity to comment on the exposure draft Corporations Amendment (Life Insurance Remuneration Arrangements) Bill 2015 (the draft bill)....

Training Provider Open Colleges sued for breach of consumer law

As the crisis in Vocational Education deepens, another student is fighting back by taking on education provider Open Colleges in the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal. Tanea Ferris (a 52...

Victoria’s Future Industries: New Energy Technologies Discussion Paper

The Consumer Action Law Centre (Consumer Action) welcomes the opportunity to comment on the New Energy Technologies Discussion Paper. Read our response here [PDF]...

Why an unfairness test might be a better way to tackle big business bullies

Eileen Webb, University of Western Australia Unconscionable conduct proceedings against Woolworths by the corporate regulator announced this week are a (yet another) brave attempt to crack down on an...

Reforming vocational education: it’s time to end the exploitation of vulnerable people

Mary Leahy, University of Melbourne Australia’s vocational education sector is a mess. Tightening regulation and tweaking some of the settings will contain the damage, but these measures alone w...

Stop lifelong debt sentences – Consumer Action responds to Credit Card Inquiry.

The Government must take meaningful action on the lifelong debt sentences wreaking havoc on many Australians by credit cards. Consumer Action Law Centre commends the recommendation of the Senate in...

Junk Merchants – A Consumer Action Law Centre Report

Read our full media release here. Download the 'Junk Merchants' report here [PDF] View the report below: ...

Junk merchants fleecing millions from unknowing Australians

Unknowing Australians could be paying millions of dollars for junk insurance according to a new report from Consumer Action Law Centre. The ‘Junk Merchants’ report says that Consumer Credit (CCI) a...

What to do next – Consumer Credit and Gap Insurance complaints

What to do next... If an insurer rejects your complaint, or their response isn’t good enough, you have further options. Here’s what you can do once you’ve made a complaint. [Haven’t yet made a compl...

How to make a complaint – step-by-step guide

What do I need to start? It's best to have your insurance or warranty documents with you when you complete the letter. If you don't have them, see below for tips for requesting these documents....

Gap insurance – fact sheet

What is it? Gap insurance (sometimes called ‘shortfall insurance’, ‘price protection insurance’ or ‘guaranteed asset protection’) is designed to provide cover for the 'gap' between: What you owe un...

Consumer credit insurance – fact sheet

What is it? If you have taken out a loan recently, or you have a credit card, the finance provider might also have sold you consumer credit insurance. Consumer credit insurance (CCI) is sometimes ca...

Consumer credit insurance – Tips on reading your policy

It is good to check your policy wording so you can decide if your policy is suitable for you or get some advice if you are not sure what protection it gives you. These are some things to look out for...

Building consumer protections welcomed

Consumer Action Law Centre has welcomed the introduction into State Parliament of a bill to improve building consumer protection. The Building Legislation Amendment (Consumer Protection) Bill 2015...

Solar sale burns buyer

A Melbourne couple are fighting to get their money back after being sold solar panels that they say were trouble from the moment they were installed. The couple, Michael and Amanda Cousins, assist...

VET Sector needs a national ombudsman: Consumer Action

Consumer Action Law Centre welcomes reforms announced today by the Federal Government for the vocational education and training (VET) sector and calls for the establishment of a national ombudsman sch...

Higher Education Support Amendment (VET FEE-HELP Reform) Bill 2015 Inquiry

Consumer Action Law Centre provides free legal advice and pursues litigation on behalf of vulnerable and disadvantaged consumers across Victoria. In recent years we have built up substantial experienc...

Submission to the draft AER (Retail) Exempt Selling Guidelines

The Consumer Action Law Centre (Consumer Action) is pleased to provide comment on the revised AER (Retail) Exempt Selling Guideline (the Guideline). Read our full submission here [PDF]....

FIX IT! How to fix the energy market rule making process to improve competition and consumer outcomes

The National Energy Retail Rules (NERR) impose minimum requirements that apply to terms and conditions of energy retail contracts. For market retail contracts, energy retailers are required to notify...

FIX IT! How to fix the energy market rule making process – an evaluation

Since 2012, consumer advocates have been able to propose a ‘rule change’ to the National Energy Retail Rules (NERR), which regulates the sale and supply of electricity and gas to retail customers in s...

Lawyering for Change: new research on the value of strategic advocacy by community legal centres and how to do it

Access to justice is not as simple as the provision of free legal services according to a new report. Strategic advocacy is often the missing ingredient to ensure that justice is done. The new report,...

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