Submission: The definition of ‘terms contract’ under the Sale of Land Act 1962

Consumer Action has provided comment on Consumer Affairs Victoria's discussion paper on the definition of 'terms contract' under the Sale of Land Act 1962. We have argued that: the 2008 amendment t...

October 15, 2012

Media release: New case to highlight consumer protections in second hand car market

A new case lodged with the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT) highlights the Australian Consumer Law’s (ACL) ‘consumer guarantee’ provisions and their ability to deal with disputes ove...

October 12, 2012

October 2012

Victims in false debt claims The Age, 31 October 2012, Andrea Petrie Consumer law to-do list maps the big picture Daily Telegraph, 25 October 2012, Rosemarie Lentini Shorten's flexible approac...

October 12, 2012

Submission: Australian Energy Market Commission’s Power of Choice Review, Draft Report

In this submission, Consumer Action argues that the Australian Energy Market Commission (AEMC) has not adequately considered many of the practical implications of proceeding with its recommendations,...

October 11, 2012

Debt Collection – seeking compensation in relation to consumer credit and lease contracts

Key Message: When a creditor or debt collector has engaged in undue harassment, or other unlawful behaviours, in relation to a consumer credit contract (loan) or lease you may be able to seek compens...

October 10, 2012

On the Wire: edition 33

Consumer action has published the October edition of On the Wire, a quarterly publication featuring updates on national energy market reforms and regulatory processes. Edition 33 can be found here....

October 10, 2012

Joint media release: Consumer groups fear small debts could lead to big problems for Australian consumers

This is a joint media release from Financial Counselling Australia, Australian Privacy Foundation, Australian Communication Consumer Action Network, Consumer Credit Legal Centre NSW and Consumer Actio...

October 9, 2012

Submission: Economic Regulation of Network Service Providers—Draft Determination

Consumer Action welcomes the opportunity to provide comments on the Draft Determination of the Australian Energy Market Commission in relation to the Economic Regulation of Network Service Providers R...

October 5, 2012

Submission: ATM fees in selected very remote Indigenous communities

Consumer Action has supported the ACCC's draft determination on the Australian Bankers' Association (ABA) proposal to reduce ATM fees in selected very remote Indigenous communities. Financial Counsel...

October 1, 2012

Media release: Landmark Federal Court decision a ringing endorsement of the Do Not Knock sticker

The Consumer Action Law Centre, creator of the Do Not Knock sticker and the organisation behind www.donotknock.org.au, has welcomed a Federal Court decision which found that salespeople who ignore vis...

September 28, 2012

Senate Select Inquiry on Electricity Prices

Consumer Action has provided evidence to the Senate Select Inquiry on Electricity Prices. Before the committee, Consumer Action argued that consumer welfare has been given insufficient attention by Au...

September 27, 2012

Motor Finance Wizard – general information

Use this fact sheet if you:  have a contract with Motor Finance Wizard and want more information. More information can be found in our related factsheets: Action Sheet: Motor Finance Wiza...

September 27, 2012

Motor Finance Wizard: how to make a free complaint to the Credit and Investments Ombudsman

Use this fact sheet if you: want to make a free complaint about Motor Finance Wizard to the Australian Financial Complaints Authority (AFCA) This factsheet should be read along with our relate...

September 27, 2012

Motor Finance Wizard – Walker v DTGV1 Pty Ltd

Key Message: DTGV1 Pty Ltd, trading as V1 Leasing, is one of a number of companies which trade under the name of ‘Motor Finance Wizard’; in Walker v DTGV1 Pty Ltd, Motor Finance Wizard w...

September 27, 2012

Dispute Resolution: Consumer Disputes in VCAT

Key points If you have a dispute with a business, you can make a complaint to VCAT; Small Claims in VCAT are designed for consumers to represent themselves; application fees are usually wai...

September 27, 2012

Water debt

[box type="note" icon="none"] Use this information sheet if You are having problems paying your water bill Your water business is demanding that you pay more than you can afford You want to kno...

September 27, 2012

Electricity and gas debt

Use this information sheet if: you are having trouble paying your electricity or gas bill; or you want information about payment arrangements and your rights. You do have rights under the E...

September 26, 2012

Home Repossession

[box type="note" icon="none"] Use this Fact Sheet if: You are being pursued for payment of a debt; and You are threatened with court action to take possession of your home or other house or land....

September 26, 2012

Submission: Proposed regulations for the Privacy Amendment (Enhancing Privacy Protections) Bill

Consumer Action has made a submission to the Commonwealth Attorney-General's Department on proposed regulations for the Privacy Amendment (Enhancing Privacy Protections) Bill. This submission discusse...

September 26, 2012

Joint submission: Regulation of water retailers’ Debt Management Powers Consultation Paper

The Consumer Action Law Centre, Consumer Utilities Advocacy Centre, Victorian Council of Social Services, Community Information and Support Victoria, Uniting Care Kildonan, National Seniors Australia,...

September 21, 2012

Media release: Committee’s rejection of a Do Not Knock register can’t be the end of the debate

The Consumer Action Law Centre, the organisation behind the national ‘Do Not Knock campaign’, says a Federal Parliamentary committee's rejection of a private members bill designed to establish a do no...

September 17, 2012

September 2012

Electricity prices continue to soar in Victoria, Essential Services Commission report reveals Herald Sun, 20 September 2012, Anne Wright Power shock: bills up 33% in five years The Age, 20 Septem...

September 11, 2012

Submission: Early Termination Fees under Consumer Leases

Consumer Action welcomes the opportunity to comment on Treasury's discussion paper on early termination fees under consumer leases. In this submission: we welcome attempts to improve transparency an...

September 10, 2012

Media release: Consumer Action welcomes High Court ruling on bank penalty fees

Consumer Action has welcomed today's High Court ruling which found that a number of different bank fees are capable of being considered unlawful penalties. The Centre, whose predecessor Consumer Law C...

September 6, 2012

Submission: Response to draft regulations to support the Consumer Credit Enhancements Bill 2012

Consumer Action welcomes the opportunity to comment on Regulations to support provisions in the Consumer Credit Legislation Amendment (Enhancements) Bill 2012. Briefly, we have serious concerns about...

September 6, 2012

Submission: review of limited merits review discussion paper three

This submission responds to the Third Consultation Paper of the Expert Panel reviewing the Limited Merits Review regime for energy regulatory decisions. Read our submission: submission to Limited mer...

August 29, 2012

Consumer Action’s Policy and Campaigns Plan 2012-13

Consumer Action is a not-for-profit, independent community organisation, focused on advancing the interests of consumers. We advocate for more equitable outcomes for consumers, particularly those who...

August 28, 2012

Submission: Key facts sheets for home building and home contents insurance policies

Consumer Action welcomes the opportunity to comment on the draft Key Facts Sheets for home building and home contents insurance policies. Consumer Action continues to strongly support the introductio...

August 24, 2012

Media release: Parliamentary inquiry told door-to-door sales cause consumer detriment and hinder competition

The organisation which invented the Do Not Knock sticker and is behind the national Do Not Knock campaign has made a submission to a Federal Parliamentary inquiry into the Do Not Knock Register Bill 2...

August 22, 2012

Media release: Consumer Credit Legislation Amendment Bill offers mixed bag for consumers

Consumer advocates today acknowledged the passing of the Consumer Credit Legislation Amendment (Enhancements) Bill 2012 (the Enhancements Bill) by the Australian Parliament, but were disappointed at t...

August 21, 2012

Media release: Bulk complaint made against Motor Finance Wizard to the Credit Ombudsman Service

The Consumer Action Law Centre has assisted consumers to lodge a bulk complaint against DTGV1 Pty Ltd (which trades as Motor Finance Wizard in Victoria). Gerard Brody, Director of Policy and Campaign...

August 15, 2012

Submission: ASIC Consultation Paper 178 and ASIC’s draft good practice guidance on advertising credit products and services

Consumer Action strongly supports draft Regulatory Guide 234. In particular we support ASIC's position that advertisements should give clear, accurate and balanced messages and allow consumers to make...

August 14, 2012

Joint submission: Allowance payments for jobseekers

Consumer Action and the Consumer Credit Legal Centre NSW welcomes the opportunity to comment on the inquiry into the adequacy of the allowance payment system and related issues. This submission respo...

August 13, 2012

Media release: New report shows why greater consumer protections are needed in payday lending

The Consumer Action Law Centre has written to the Minister for Financial Services, the Hon Bill Shorten MP, and members of the Senate in a last ditch attempt to get vital consumer protections introduc...

August 13, 2012

Submission: Parliamentary inquiry into Do Not Knock Register Bill

Consumer Action's submission to this inquiry argues that door-to-door sales causes widespread consumer detriment, hinders market competition, and that greater consumer protections are desperately need...

August 6, 2012

August 2012

Push for ban on door-to-door sales Herald Sun, 28 August 2012, Karina Barrymore Door-to-door sales in hot water again as Fair Work Ombudsman accuses company of underpaying workers Smatrcompany.co...

August 2, 2012

Media release: Explore all your options before buying education software

The Consumer Action Law Centre regularly receives complaints about the in home sale of very expensive educational software and, sadly, many of these complaints come from families who have recently mig...

August 2, 2012

Consumer Affairs Victoria issues warning about maths tutoring software

Consumer Affairs Victoria says parents of school children should be wary about aggressive selling methods of maths tutorial software.  Some of these programs cost nearly $8000 and are marketed by sale...

July 26, 2012

Media release: Do Not Knock campaign lodges 100 door-to-door selling complaints with ACCC

Over 100 complaints about door-to-door salespeople have now been lodged with the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) since the national Do Not Knock campaign was launched in November...

July 24, 2012

Submission: Review of grocery unit pricing

Consumer Action believes unit pricing is, and will continue to be, an appropriate regulatory mechanism and appears to create a number of direct and indirect benefits to consumers and competition, at r...

July 23, 2012

Submission: Reforming Contract Law

This submission in response to the Commonwealth Government's discussion paper on the scope to reform Australian contract law. The submission: highlights the significance of consumer contracting (wh...

July 20, 2012

Policy report: The pursuit of the impossible, consumer experience with external collection of retail energy debts

A new report from the Consumer Action Law Centre gives an insight into the experiences of a number of Victorian energy consumers who had their energy debts passed onto external debt collectors. The pu...

July 17, 2012

July 2012

Home help has strings attached The Age, 25 July 2012, John Kavanagh Unpaid power bills going up The Age, 17 July 2012, Rachel Wells Avoid the stress zone on your home loan Sydney Morning Hera...

July 17, 2012

Media release: New report offers a snapshot of debt collection practices in the Victorian energy sector

A new report from the Consumer Action Law Centre gives an insight into the experiences of a number of Victorian energy consumers who had their energy debts passed onto external debt collectors. The pu...

July 16, 2012

Submission: Inquiry into the Privacy Amendment (Enhancing Privacy Protection) Bill 2012

The Consumer Action Law Centre (Consumer Action) welcomes the opportunity to comment on Privacy Amendment (Enhancing Privacy Protection) Bill 2012. Our submission concerns the changes relating to cre...

July 10, 2012

Media release: Time to build new consumer protections from the bottom up

In its response to a Victorian Government consultation paper, Consumer Action urged the Government to take decisive action, arguing small reforms around the edges would do little to help consumers see...

July 9, 2012

Submission: Submission to the Victorian Government’s consultation on the domestic building consumer protection framework

Broadly, this submission: argues that the nature of domestic building transactions mean that specialised and strengthened consumer protections are required; recommends that the entire consumer prot...

July 9, 2012

Media release: Credit Enhancements Bill a ‘win’ for payday lenders

Consumer advocates and financial counsellors have lamented the lost opportunity to effectively protect vulnerable Australians from exploitative payday and short term loans.  While pleased that the Gov...

June 27, 2012

Media release: Credit limit regulations so soft they’re almost redundant

The Consumer Action Law Centre has lamented that federal regulations designed to limit the harm caused by unsolicited credit limit increase offers have been watered down to the point where they are al...

June 25, 2012

Media release: Australians fed up with door-to-door sales urged to sign new petition

The Consumer Action Law Centre, tired of hearing stories of salespeople taking advantage of the vulnerable Australians, has launched a petition calling on Australia’s energy retailers to voluntarily e...

June 21, 2012