Consumer Action Law Centre says that proposed changes from the life insurance industry (welcomed by Assistant Treasurer Josh Frydenberg) to overhaul excessive commission structures and questionable ad...
Consumer groups say draft legislation to ban rent-to-buy goods providers from Centrepay (Centrelink’s service that allows third parties to receive direct payment from welfare payments) is an essential...
Australians want their insurance companies to be upfront with yearly price rises according to a survey commissioned by Consumer Action. If you own general insurance (for example, insurance for your...
Consumer Action is pleased to be able to publish a summary of a Melbourne Law School report into credit repair, which involved a review of Consumer Action’s casework and interviews with Consumer Actio...
Consumer Action Law Centre welcomes the Victorian Government’s move to stop disclosure of drivers’ personal details to private car park companies through the courts. Private car park companies have lo...
Gerard Brody, CEO of Consumer Action says that building a home is turning into a nightmare for too many Victorians. "Building your own home is a dream for many Victorians, but too often it can turn i...
Earlier this year we shared about the risks of junk insurance and rubbish warranties. Now we need your help. We would like to hear from you if you’ve recently been sold: a motor vehicle warran...
The Consumer Action Law Centre (Consumer Action) welcomes the opportunity to comment on Sharing the future: Getting the policy right in the Age of the App. We are generally supportive of new business...
In our experience, Retirement Village contracts can be extremely complex and contract terms around fees and exit entitlements can lack transparency. Different types of retirement accommodation can als...
Consumer Action has made a submission to the Federal Treasury’s consultation on the Competition Policy Review Final Report. In summary, the submission argues: • Competition policy should promote the...
Consumer Action Law Centre (Consumer Action) welcomes the opportunity to provide you with comment on the Clean Energy Council's application of revocation and substitution of the voluntary PV Code of C...
The Consumer Action Law Centre (Consumer Action) welcomes the opportunity to provide input into the AEMC's draft rule determination to expand competition in metering and related services. Read the fu...
Consumer Action Law Centre (Consumer Action) welcomes the opportunity to provide input into the Australian Energy Regulator's (AER) Notice of draft instrument: Amendments to the AER Retail Pricing Inf...
Consumer Action Law Centre and Financial Rights Legal Centre say changes to Centrepay (Centrelink’s service that allows third parties deduct from payments) announced today by the Federal Government ar...
Consumer Action Law Centre welcomes the release of the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission’s Debt Collection Industry Research Report released today, but says the industry can still do much...
We welcome the opportunity to comment on AEMO’s Metering Data Provision Procedures (MDPP). Read the full joint submission with CUAC and the ATA here. [PDF]...
Rogue energy door knocker tries to sign 12-year-old-girl to contract Herald Sun, May 1 2015 The creeping danger of Australian household's love affair with credit Sydney Morning Herald, May 2 2015...
You may have noticed this option pop up in your Facebook groups. It looks like Facebook is on a mission to make it easier to sell and buy items through their network, but what are your rights? I...
The Consumer Action Law Centre (Consumer Action) welcomes the opportunity to comment on the draft ACDBA Code of Practice (the Code). Read the submission in full here (PDF)....
Consumer Action Law Centre (Consumer Action) welcomes the opportunity to provide input the Review of Governance Arrangements for Australian Energy Markets Issues Paper (the Issues Paper). Click her...
Consumer Action Law Centre (Consumer Action) welcomes the opportunity to provide input into the Essential Services Commission's (the Commission) Inquiry into the financial hardship arrangements of ene...
Australia’s leading consumer groups have made a joint submission to the Senate Economics Committee’s Scrutiny of Financial Advice Inquiry calling for a last resort compensation scheme for consumers wi...
Consumer Action Law Centre (Consumer Action) welcomes the opportunity to provide input into the Essential Services Commission's (the Commission) Inquiry into the financial hardship arrangements of ene...
Today marks the start of new national rules for energy retailers, which are intended to provide more clarity on fixed-term contracts, but instead, do little to protect Australians from unexpected pric...
You might have bought something useless and don’t even know it. If you’ve purchased a used car or taken out a credit card or loan, you may have paid for some junk insurance or a rubbish warranty that...
The Consumer Action Law Centre (Consumer Action) welcomes the opportunity to comment on how to improve the quality, stability and sustainability of the Victorian training market. Read our full submis...
The Consumer Action Law Centre (Consumer Action) and Financial Rights Legal Centre (Financial Rights) welcome the opportunity to comment on the Review of Card Payments Regulation Issues Paper (the Iss...
Consumer Action Law Centre welcomes reports that independent Senator Nick Xenophon MP and Labor Senator Sam Dastyari have called for a last resort compensation scheme for financial services...
Consumer Action Law Centre (Consumer Action) welcomes the opportunity to provide input the Energy Market Reform Working Group's (EMRWG) paper, New products and services in the electricity market—consu...
Have you been disconnected from your electricity supply because you couldn’t afford to pay your bills? If so, we want to hear from you. We’re attempting to understand what households face when they c...
ANZ bank wins court appeal against late payment fees PM with Mark Colvin, 8 April, 2015 The vexed issue of payday loans News.com.au, 8 April, 2015 Upfront fees will make it cheaper for consume...
Consumer action has published the April edition of On the Wire, a quarterly publication featuring updates on national energy market reforms and regulatory processes. Edition 42 can be found here....
A former customer of Malouf Group Enterprises (Malouf), which holds itself out as being "Leaders in Credit Repair Solutions" has issued proceedings in the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (...
The Consumer Action Law Centre, Financial Rights Legal Centre and Financial Counselling Australia have made a joint submission to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) on the likel...
The Consumer Action Law Centre, COTA Victoria and Residents of Retirement Villages Victoria have made a joint submission to the Consumer Affairs Victoria review on the effectiveness of the Retirement...
Consumer Action Law Centre welcomes the release of the Harper Review into Competition Policy and particular the finding that purpose of competition is to make the market economy better serve the long-...
The Financial System Inquiry (FSI) Final Report was released in December 2014. Consumer Action has made a submission to the Treasury as part of consultation on the final report. A full copy of our su...
Australia’s leading consumer advocates and largest microfinance organisation have today called on the Australian Government to take a fresh look at regulation governing payday lending. New research r...
Consumer Action Law Centre, Financial Rights Legal Centre, CHOICE and Maurice Blackburn Lawyers have welcomed John Trowbridge's final report into retail life insurance but believe that the industry ha...
Consumer Action Law Centre welcomed a new report from the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) which questions whether payday lenders are complying with the law. The 2013 law ref...
Consumer Action has welcomed an announcement from Assistant Minister for Education and Training Simon Birmingham this morning about reforms designed to crack down on dubious marketing practices by tra...
Consumer Action is encouraged by the Education and Employment References Committee’s interim report into the operation, regulation and funding of private vocational education training (VET) providers...
Consumer Action Law Centre has welcomed news that Allianz Australia Insurance will refund $400,016 to Australians who were sold its Consumer Credit Insurance (CCI) alongside payday loans. Consumer Ac...
Consumer Action has made a submission to the Australian Law Reform Commission’s Issues Paper 46 Traditional Rights and Freedoms—Encroachments by Commonwealth Laws. This submission recommends that when...
Fee shock pushes pensioners to take on retirement industry The Age, 4 March 2015, Simon Johanson Think For Yourself: Short Term Loans Independent Australia, 3 March 2015, John Turnbull ‘They’re no d...
The legality and fairness of ‘deferred management fees’ will be challenged in the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT) in a case that should be watched closely by the retirement living i...
Consumer Action has provided comment to the Senate Education and Employment Committees on the operation, regulation and funding of private vocational education and training (VET) providers in Australi...
Consumer Action’s addressed the Senate Inquiry into the performance and management of electricity network companies on 18 February 2015. Our opening address was as follows: "Thank you for the oppor...
Consumer Action has provided input to the Australian Energy Market Commission's 2015 Retail Competition Review Approach Paper. Effective competition is critical for energy consumers to the extent that...
Consumer Action has made a submission to Australian Energy Regulator about regulating innovative energy selling business models under the National Energy Retail Law. The issue of appropriate regulati...