Will consolidating my debts help?
Key message Get advice about all your options before: taking out a new loan to pay all your existing loans taking out a loan to consolidate your debt For free, independent and confidenti...
Can I get out of a contract to buy a car from a car trader? – your cooling-off rights
Key Messages: you can cancel a contract with a motor car trader in certain circumstances; act quickly and get advice about what your rights are. This fact sheet provides you informa...
How do I get more information about my loan?
Key points: If you are a borrower, mortgagor, or guarantor, under most consumer credit contracts the creditor is obliged by law to give you: your credit contract, mortgage, or guarantee; acco...
Cancelling a direct debit on a statement account
Key Message: You can cancel a direct debit from your bank account (not a credit card); Get advice about the consequences of not paying a debt before you stop payments. What is a direct debi...
Bank Fees Refund Scam
Use this Fact Sheet if: You have received an unsolicited phone call from someone claiming to be from Consumer Action or a similar organisation; AND They claimed that the bank has overcharged y...
Timeshare schemes
Key messages carefully consider what you are getting before you purchase an interest in a timeshare scheme; or there are a number of protections that may assist you if you think you have got a ba...
Debt collection – your right to stop contact
Key Message: A creditor or debt collector must not contact you about a debt if you tell them in writing not to contact you about the debt. However, the debt collector can make a genuine threat of...
Media release: Now’s our chance to extend unfair contract term laws to insurance
Consumer Action Law Centre and Insurance Law Service have welcomed the introduction of a bill into Federal Parliament that, if passed, will mean that unfair contract term laws will be extended to gene...
Media release: ASIC action exposes funeral insurance advertising tricks
The Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) has blown the whistle on the funeral insurance industry’s advertising tricks by publicly airing concerns about the advertising of Hollard Fi...
Media release: Revised water plan welcomed by consumer advocates
Today’s announcement from the Essential Services Commission (ESC), which sets metropolitan water prices for the next five years, has been welcomed by two of Victoria’s leading consumer advocate organi...
What can I do if I am having difficulty paying my loan or lease payments?
Key points: if you cannot pay your loan or lease because you are in financial difficulty (hardship) you may have the right to have your payments reduced, or changed in some other way. this i...
Submission: Credit card surcharges and non-transparent transaction fees
Consumer Action Law has made a submission to the Commonwealth Consumer Affairs Advisory Council’s study into Credit Card Surcharges and Non-Transparent Transaction Fees. We believe the key problems i...
Media release: Do Not Knock campaign has another win
Consumer Action Law Centre’s Do Not Knock campaign notched up another win today, with Origin Energy announcing it will stop using door to door selling by 30 September 2013. Origin’s announcement comes...
Outsmart the Scammers during Fraud Week
Have you ever bought or sold something online, only to find that the person at the other end isn’t the real deal? National Consumer Fraud Week 2013 is all about outsmarting scammers online by learnin...
Submission: Review of the Benchmarks for Industry-based Customer Dispute Resolution Schemes
Consumer Action has made a submission to the Commonwealth Consumer Affairs Advisory Council review of the benchmarks for industry dispute resolution schemes. In broad terms, we strongly support the b...
June 2013
Doorknocking sales to get ditched by Origin Energy Herald Sun, 19 June 2013, Karen Collier Origin stops door-to-door sales ABC Online, 19 June 2013, Amy Bainbridge Origin scraps door-to-door sales T...
Submission: Exposure Draft Insurance Contracts Amendment (Unfair Terms) Bill 2013
Consumer Action, the Insurance Law Service and Legal Aid New South Wales are broadly very supportive of the Exposure Draft Insurance Contracts Amendment (Unfair Terms) Bill 2013. Unfair contract term...
Media release: Financial Counselling groups welcome banks’ new hardship package
Financial Counselling Australia, the Consumer Action Law Centre and the Consumer Credit Legal Centre have welcomed a new hardship package released by the Australian Bankers Association (ABA) today. T...
Consumer InterAction – Issue 3 of 2013
The third edition of Consumer InterAction for 2013 is now online. This edition includes information on: New Director of Policy & Campaigns announced; New tool to stop door knockers; Regulator...
Report: Encouraging Good Practice in Measuring Effectiveness in the Legal Service Sector
Encouraging Good Practice in Measuring Effectiveness in the Legal Service Sector by Dr Liz Curran of ANU Legal Workshop (and commissioned by the Consumer Action Law Centre and the Footscray Community...
Submission: Proposals to strengthen regulation of debenture companies
Consumer Action has provided a submission to the discussion paper, Banking Act exemptions and section 66 guidelines, published by the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority. The discussion paper p...
Submission: Joint Consumer Submission to the Water Price Review 2013 draft decision
We welcome the Essential Services Commission’s overall approach articulated in their Draft Decision on the Water Price Review 2013. In summary, this submission states as follows: 1. We are pleased th...
Media Release: $1.5 million fine for AGL as the costs of door-to-door marketing misconduct start to add up for energy retailers
The Consumer Action Law Centre, the organisation behind the successful Do Not Knock sticker and campaign, has welcomed a Federal Court decision that AGL Sales Pty Ltd and AGL South Australia Pty Ltd p...
Media release: Simple online ‘No Contact Form’ the latest tool to stop door-to-door energy sales
There is a new weapon in the fight against pesky and persistent door-to-door energy salespeople. Australians can now visit www.donotknock.org.au, fill out a simple form, and have their ‘Do Not Knock’...
Fresh start or false hope: Are debt agreement administrators overstating their abilities?
A debt agreement, regulated by the Bankruptcy Act, is an option available to a debtor as a way of dealing with unmanageable debt. Debt agreements typically involve a compromise with creditors on the t...
A Policy Trilemma: A workshop towards creating an Affordable, Secure and Sustainable energy market
Energy: A Policy Trilemma A workshop towards creating an Affordable, Secure and Sustainable energy market 9 am – 4 pm Thursday 27th of June at Oaks on Market 60 Market Street Melbourne RSVP...
Joint Submission: Changes to Disclosure Requirements under the National Consumer Protection Act 2009
Consumer Action and the Consumer Credit Legal Centre welcomes Treasury's approach of basing revised disclosure on the findings made by the Uniquest report. Uniquest was commissioned by the Standing Co...
Total replacement insurance for home buildings
Earlier this year our former CEO, Catriona Lowe, appeared on ABC TV's The Checkout suggesting that consumers look for total replacement cover when shopping around for insurance. Since then we've had a...
Joint submission: Credit Reporting Privacy Code
Consumer Action has, in conjunction with five other consumer and privacy advocate organisations, made a submission to the review of the Credit Reporting Code of Conduct. An industry code should be se...
Consumer Affairs asked to investigate National Warranty Company
The National Warranty Company (NWC) sells warranty products to people buying new and used motor vehicles. But Consumer Action recently had concerns about a NWC 'Grand Warranty Plan' provided in 2012 a...
May 2013
The power of flexibility Christine Long, 26 May 2013, The Age AGL launches ‘do not knock’ sticker campaign while fighting legal battle against stickers UmBRELLA, 23 May 2013, Nic Christensen A...
Media release: Improved concessions and hardship programs will be the key if water price rises proceed
Improved access to water concessions and affordable payment plans will be paramount if the Essential Services Commission (ESC) proceeds with its draft decision to allow metropolitan water retailers to...
April 2013
Draft ruling by utilities regulator could mean water retailers slug customers with 25pc rise Herald Sun, 23 April 2013, Karen Collier Push for air conditioners to be fitted with remote switches...
Media release: Pensioner sues two Cash Converters lenders in the Magistrates’ Court
A Victorian Disability Support Pensioner has issued proceedings in the Magistrates' Court against two Cash Converters lenders.[1] Consumer Action's client alleges that over approximately a three year...
New Report: Regulator Watch
Consumer Action believes that a regulatory scheme with well-designed rules will be ineffective in addressing industry or market-wide problems if it can only be enforced by individual consumers taking...
New Indigenous consumer education film released by ACCC
A new Indigenous consumer education film is now available from the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC). The film, ‘Six Simple Rules’, encourages Indigenous consumers to use their ref...
ASIC raises concern about Carboodle’s ‘potentially misleading representations’
Car lease company, Green Light Auto Group Pty Limited which trades as Carboodle, has recently written to its customers about potentially misleading claims. In summary, Carboodle says that it promoted...
Nimble one cent loan could be setting you up to fail
A recent report looking at use of short-term cash loans showed half of borrowers interviewed had taken out more than ten loans in the previous two years, and three quarters of this group had taken out...
Submission: The exemption of retailers from the National Consumer Credit Protection Act 2009
Consumer Action has made a submission on Treasury's Discussion paper regarding the exemption of retailers from the National Consumer Credit Protection Act 2009. Briefly, this submission: supports o...
Consumer InterAction – Issue 2 of 2013
The second edition of Consumer InterAction for 2013 is now online. This edition includes information on: New Consumer Action CEO; Energy retailers end door-to-door sales; Review of Centrepay; Th...
Submission: Commonwealth Treasury consumer leases issues paper
Consumer Action has made a submission to the Commonwealth Treasury on regulation of consumer leases. The submission argues that the purpose of any reform of regulation of consumer leases should be to:...
New Report: Solving Problems – A Strategic Approach
This report is a joint project of the Consumer Action Law Centre (Consumer Action) and the Footscray Community Legal Centre (FCLC), who have asked Dr Liz Curran of the Australian National University t...
New CEO Appointment
The Board of Consumer Action Law Centre is very pleased to announce that Gerard Brody has been appointed CEO, following a rigorous recruitment process. Gerard has been the Director Policy and Campaig...
Submission: Exposure Drafts of the National Consumer Credit Protection Amendment (Credit Reform Phase 2) Bill 2012
The Consumer Action Law Centre welcomes the opportunity to comment on the draft National Consumer Credit Protection Amendment (Credit Reform Phase 2) Bill 2012. Briefly, this submission: strongly s...
Submission: Federal Government’s independent review of Centrepay, Centrelink’s voluntary bill-paying service
The Consumer Action Law Centre welcomes the opportunity to comment on the independent review of the Centrepay system. Consumer Action believes that Centrepay can be a valuable financial management too...
Submission: ASIC Consultation Paper on an online database for small amount lenders
Joint submission with Financial Counselling Australia and the Consumer Credit Legal Service (WA) to ASIC's Consultation Paper on an online database for small amount lenders. The Consumer Action Law Ce...
Media Release: AGL is second energy retailer in as many days to agree to blanket cessation of door-to-door sales – Consumer Action calls on others to follow their lead
Householders should soon notice a meaningful decrease in visits from unwanted energy hawkers, with the announcement by a second major energy retailer, AGL, that it too will cease all door-to-door sell...
Submission: Proposed variation to Numbering Plan – charges for calls to free-phone and local rate numbers
Consumer Action believes the Australian Communications and Media Authority's proposal of amending the numbering plan to make 1800 numbers free of charge and 13 and 1300 numbers (hereafter '13 numbers'...
Media release: EnergyAustralia leads industry in ending door-to-door sales
EnergyAustralia’s announcement that it will end door-to-door marketing will be warmly welcomed by Australian households. Last year the Consumer Action Law Centre surveyed consumers regarding their vie...
Submission: Essential Services Commission Victoria Harmonised Energy Retail Code
The signatories to this submission represent the interests of the majority of Victorian residential and small business energy consumers – being particularly cognizant of the special needs of low incom...