News - Consumer Action Law Centre

Submission: Proposed Principles of Reciprocity and Data Exchange

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...

Submission: Proposed re-make of Retirement Villages legislation

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...

Media Release: Consumer voices must be at heart of competition policy reform: Consumer Action

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-...

Submission: Financial System Inquiry Final Report

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...

Media Release: Australians want changes to Payday Lending industry

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...

Media Release: Trowbridge final report a step in the right direction, but fixation with commissions remains

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...

Media Release: Payday lending report questions compliance with the law

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...

Media release: Proposed ban on enrolment inducements a welcome step

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 interim report into vocational education training providers

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...

Media release: Consumer advocates welcome Allianz’s $400,016 refund but warn mis-selling of insurance is an ongoing problem

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...

Submission: Australian Law Reform Commission’s “Freedoms Inquiry”

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...

March 2015

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...

Pensioners head to VCAT to challenge ‘deferred management fees’

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...

Submission: Private vocational education and training providers in Australia

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 statement to the Senate Inquiry into the performance and management of electricity network companies

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...

Submission: 2015 Retail Competition Review Approach Paper

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...

Submission: Regulating innovative energy selling business models

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...

Consumer Action’s hopes for the new Victorian Parliament

Consumer Action has published its first newsletter for the new Victorian Parliament. The newsletter outlines pressing issues facing Victorian consumers and the action we're seeking in this parliamenta...

Submission: Interim report on Retail Life Insurance Advice

Consumer Action, Financial Rights Legal Centre, Choice and Maurice Blackburn Lawyers have provided comment on the Interim report on Retail Life Insurance Advice. In brief, the submission argues:...

Media release: Life insurance report lacks imagination in failing to look beyond commission based sales

The life insurance industry’s initial response to a damning report which revealed 37 per cent of all life insurance advice provided by Australia’s financial services licensees failed to comply with th...

Submission: 2015-16 Federal Budget

Consumer Action welcomes the Government’s invitation to the Australian community to provide input to the 2015-16 Commonwealth Budget. We continue to be mindful of the current economic conditions and...

Submission: National Approach to Electricity Network Tariff Reform

Consumer Action and the Consumer Utilities Advocacy Centre have provided input to the Energy Networks Association's position paper, Towards a National Approach to Electricity Network Tariff Reform. O...

Buying a car? Beware of being sold discretionary risk products

Extended warranty products are often sold with used cars. However, some of these warranty products, known collectively as “discretionary risk products”, give the provider an absolute discretion overpa...

February 2015

Should payday lenders be regulated under NCCP? Banking Day, 24 February 2015, Nathan Lynch Payday loans: beware the lure of quick money The New Daily, 23 February 2015, Alice Uribe Bills take...

Media release: ‘Vendor terms’ home ownership deal a fantasy with no basis in reality

The spotlight will be on ‘vendor terms’ home sales in a new case before the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT). ‘Vendor terms’ contracts are an alternative to mainstream bank mortgages...

Submission: Facilitating electronic financial services disclosure

Consumer Action has provided a submission on the Australian Securities and Investments Commission's Consultation Paper 224: Facilitating electronic financial services disclosure. Our responses to the...

Submission: Legal Services Council’s consultation on General Rules

Consumer Action and Financial Rights Legal Centre have made a joint submission to the Legal Services Council's consultation on the proposed General Rules under the Legal Profession Uniform Law. Our s...

Submission: Law Council of Australia’s consultation on Uniform Rules

Consumer Action and Financial Rights Legal Centre have made a joint submission to the Law Council of Australia's current consultation on the proposed Legal Practice Rules (Solicitors) and Legal Profes...

January 2015

Don’t mention the ‘P’ word News.com.au, 31 January 2015, Frank Chung Property spruiker facing legal action over rent-to-own scheme Brisbane Times, 24 January 2014, Chris Vedelago Former top banker i...

December 2015

Read, watch and listen to media featuring Consumer Action from December 2015. Government in "emergency" funding crackdown on vocational colleges https://www.google.com/url?rct=j&sa=t&url=...

Submission: The performance and management of electricity network companies

Consumer Action welcomes the opportunity to provide a submission to the Senate Standing Committee on Environment and Communications about the performance and management of electricity network companie...

December 2014

What the Murray Inquiry will mean for you News.com.au, 9 December 2014, Frank Chung Consumer groups broadly labelling the Financial System Inquiry report a 'win' ABC PM, 8 December 2014, Amy Bainbrid...

Media Release: Financial System Inquiry puts consumer welfare first

Consumer Advocate urges Government to implement recommendations ASAP The David Murray-led Financial System Inquiry represents a “paradigm shift” for Australia’s financial system. The report recogni...

Have you borrowed from Sunshine Loans or Cash Loan Money Centre?

Have you had loans from Sunshine Loans or Cash Loan Money Centre? If so, you may be entitled to compensation after ASIC expressed concern that these companies had business models designed to avoid...

Submission: 2015 Retail Competition Review Approach Consultation Paper

Consumer Action welcomes the opportunity to provide input into the approach to the Australian Energy Market Commission (AEMC) 2015 Retail Competition Review. Effective competition is critical for ener...

Media release: Major parties urged to commit to helping vulnerable seniors before election

Overly complex contract terms and unfair fee structures can make the decision to move into retirement accommodation a gamble. Many Victorians move into purpose-built retirement villages or other retir...

Submission: Competition Policy Review Draft Report

Consumer Action has provided comment on the Draft Report of the Competition Policy Review. Key points We agree that an effective competition policy must be focused on making markets work in the lon...

Submission: Revisions to the Telecommunications Consumer Protections Industry Code

Consumer Action has provided the following thoughts on the proposed revisions to the Communications Alliance Telecommunications Consumer Protections (TCP) Industry Code (DR C628:2014). Duplication bet...

Submission: Energy Green Paper

Consumer Action has provided the following submission to the Department of Industry on the Energy Green Paper. Australia’s energy market is rapidly changing, with the unprecedented fall in energy d...

Scam alert: Scammers falsely using Consumer Action’s name

Scam alert! We’ve had reports of scammers falsely using Consumer Action's name to obtain money and banking details from their victims. Consumer Action is not responsible for these calls. We will never...

November 2014

Bloody shocker: The dodgy things power companies do that drive us crazy News.com.au, 28 November 2014, James Law Consumer lease companies accused of targeting vulnerable people ABC PM, 27 November 20...

Media release: Ensuring ‘fixed’ means ‘fixed’ when it comes to energy contracts

Consumer Action Law Centre and the Consumer Utilities Advocacy Centre welcomed the Coalition's announcement that it will ban energy retailers using the term "fixed" when referring to contracts with va...

Are debt businesses unfairly targeting vulnerable consumers?

Ever seen an ad urging you make a quick phone call in order to get debt free fast, so you can get on with living a stress-free life? Chances are it was an ad for a debt agreement. Regulated by the Ba...

Legal Services Commissioner reprimands Mr James Woods of E C Legal

In what should act as a warning to legal firms involved in debt collection, the Legal Services Commissioner has reprimanded Mr James Woods, principal of E C Legal, for conduct which the Commissioner w...

Consumer Action’s 2013/2014 Annual Report

Consumer Action’s 2013/2014 Annual Report and Financial Report now available and features information about our: Legal practice; policy team; MoneyHelp financial counselling service; Volunteer p...

Energy retailers given green light to increase prices at will

Consumer advocates lament a lost opportunity to repair Australia’s broken energy retail market Energy retailers will continue increasing prices at their leisure after the Australian Energy Market Com...

Submission: Key Recommendations arising from the Review of Enforcement Regimes under the National Energy Laws Final Report

Consumer Action has provided comment on the Discussion Paper on Key Recommendations arising from the Review of Enforcement Regimes under the National Energy Laws Final Report. Consumer Action provided...

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