Consumer InterAction – Issue 4 of 2013
The fourth edition of Consumer InterAction for 2013 is now online. In this edition: Default judgments in the spotlight; Simply and Red Energy lag behind; Funeral insurance marketing exposed; Debt col...
Driving change—effective motor vehicle dispute resolution
Many of the cases we are asked for advice on relate to second hand cars, the traders who sell or lease them, and the credit agencies who provide loans or leases. Going to court is intimidating for mos...
Profiting from Poverty—making a buck from bad luck
Low-income debtors often get the worst deal when it comes to dealing with debt—inaccessible or weak hardship assistance, particularly for those in long-term hardship; misleading or severe debt collect...
Power for People—essential service vs market commodity
Energy bills form a disproportionately high slice of the outgoings of low income and vulnerable consumers. Those who are experiencing financial hardship on multiple fronts are likely to find their out...
Slippery slopes and dodgy dealings—consumer leases
Financial inclusion is not only about access to financial services, but protection from exploitative products that are inappropriate to consumers’ needs. Consumer leases, or ‘rent to own’ deals as the...
Stop the Rip Offs – building the case for unfair trading prohibitions
High pressure sales practices are designed to get people to buy products they don’t want, don’t need, and can’t afford. In the worst cases, consumers are deliberately misled, and some even sign up to...
August 2013
Power grab by utilities over debts Herald Sun, 30 August 2013, Karen Collier Consumer groups demand action on funeral cover Insurance News, 26 August 2013 Consumers urged to mute funeral insurance a...
Media release: Move to emissions trading scheme could wipe $185 off annual power bills – but regulators must play a role
As delegates converge on Brisbane for the annual regulators conference, Consumer Action Law Centre has urged national and state energy regulators to ensure any move to an emission trading scheme resul...
Move to emissions trading scheme could wipe $185 off annual power bills—but regulators must play a role
As delegates converge on Brisbane for the annual regulators conference, Consumer Action Law Centre has urged national and state energy regulators to ensure any move to an emission trading scheme resul...
Media release: Energy retailers improve their behaviour, but Simply Energy & Red Energy didn’t get the memo
335 complaints about door-to-door salespeople have now been lodged with the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission through donotknock.consumeraction.org.au And while the latest round of compla...
Debt collection lawyer breached professional conduct rules
Consumer Action has welcomed the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal’s ruling that debt collection lawyer, Ms Pippa Sampson, of law firm Goddard Elliot, breached professional conduct rules whe...
Media release: New report highlights procedural failings in Magistrates Court—80 per cent of small money claims go undefended
A new report from the Consumer Action Law Centre calls for changes to Magistrates Court procedures to protect consumers from inaccurate law suits and inappropriate judgments. Each year 30,000 to 40,00...
Report: ‘Like juggling 27 chainsaws’: Understanding the experience of default judgment debtors in Victoria
A new report, prepared for the Consumer Action Law Centre by Dr Eve Bodsworth of the Brotherhood of St Laurence, explores the experiences of people who have received ‘default judgments’ for debt-relat...
Submission: Regulatory impact statement on retirement village contract and disclosure options
Consumer Action has provided comments on the Regulatory Impact Statement for the Retirement Villages Amendment (Records and Notices) Regulations 2013 and the Retirement Villages Amendment (Contractual...
Submission: Proposed Changes to Regulatory Instruments Relating to Flexible Pricing of Electricity
Consumer Action has provided comment on the Essential Services Commission’s Draft Decision in relation to Proposed Changes to Regulatory Instruments Relating to Flexible Pricing of Electricity. Energy...
Submission: Limited merits review – consultation draft legislation
Consumer Action has provided comment on the exposure draft Statutes Amendment (National Electricity and Gas Laws—Limited Merits Review) Bill 2013. Our comments are aimed to ensure the legislation enac...
Have you received an unexpectedly high electricity or gas bill?
Have you received an unexpectedly high electricity or gas bill? If so, you should visit https://compare.energy.vic.gov.au/ for information about why you might have a high energy bill and what you can...
July 2013
A consumer group is calling for action over what it calls 'procedural failings' in Magistrates courts across Victoria ABC News, 21 July 2013, Amy Bainbridge ASIC intervention guidelines welcomed Insu...
Financial hardship: What can I do if I am having difficulty paying my loan or lease payments?
[box type="note" icon="none"] 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...
Seeking help when you’re experiencing financial hardship – common problems and solutions
Key points: Getting a hardship variation will generally be trouble free. There are simple steps to take if your request does not go according to plan. This information is intended for Victoria...
Submission: Review of the Energy Saver Incentive Scheme
Consumer Action has provided input to the Review of the Energy Saver Incentive (ESI) Scheme. In short, our submission says: the promotion of energy efficiency products and services through door-to-d...
Media release: New payday lending protections welcome, but lenders get a back door to charge more fees
This week marks the introduction of new consumer protections in the payday lending industry. Payday lenders—which lend small amounts of money to low-income Australians at huge interest rates—are now r...
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...