News - Consumer Action Law Centre

Policy report: A scan of the return policies of online retailers in Australia

In January 2011, the Australian Government introduced legal protections for consumers buying goods or services called ‘consumer guarantees’. Consumer Guarantees ensure that you can get a refund, repla...

Getting the most out of the new Australian Consumer Law

The Australian Consumer Law came into effect on 1 January 2011. It harmonises consumer protection and fair trading legislation nationally, and introduces new national unfair contract terms protections...

Community lawyers claim The Cash Store’s holiday marketing is irresponsible

A new advertisement from one of Australia’s leading payday loan brokers, The Cash Store, has raised the ire of two community legal centres, who fear the advert may result in many Victorian’s entering...

Media release: Community lawyers claim The Cash Store’s holiday marketing is irresponsible

Media release: Hire car insurance is not what it seems, in fact, it’s often not insurance at all

As many Victorians head off on holidays, the Consumer Action Law Centre is warning consumers that hire car 'insurance' is not what seems. Indeed, it’s often not insurance at all but, rather, an indemn...

Submission: Retirement villages contract and information disclosure reports (Consumer Affairs Victoria)

Submission on Consumer Affairs Victoria's discussion paper Retirement Villages: Contracts and Information Disclosure reports. To read the submission, please click here....

Media release: Contracting competition in the energy retail market results in lacklustre performance

A new report showing three leading energy retailers control almost 75 per cent of market share is bad news for Victorian households which are missing out on the financial benefits and service improvem...

Media release: Public education the key to realising the benefits of Victoria’s smart meter rollout

Households can look forward to the long promised but often delayed benefits of smart meters following the Victorian Government’s decision to go ahead with the rollout, due to be completed by the end o...

Submission: Debt collection harmonisation (Consumer Affairs Victoria)

Submission to Consumer Affairs Victoria supporting harmonisation of Australian debt collection laws, and calling for stricter regulation of the debt collection industry. To read our submission, pleas...

Submission: National electricity amendment (Australian Energy Market Commission)

Submission on the Australian Energy Market Commission's Consultation Paper; National Electricity Amendment (Economic Regulation of Network Service Providers) Rule 2011. To read our submission, please...

Media release: National unfair contract terms and consumer guarantees to be under the spotlight

The Australian Consumer Law’s unfair contract terms provisions are set to be tested in the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT) after the Consumer Action Law Centre issued proceedings ag...

Media release: Committee’s report shows responsible lending laws aren’t enough

The Consumer Action Law Centre has welcomed the finding from a parliamentary committee of inquiry that Australia’s responsible lending laws don’t sufficiently protect consumers from harmful payday loa...

Joint Submission: Future of financial advice reforms (Parliamentary Joint Committee)

Joint consumer submission to a Parliamentary Joint Committee inquiry on the Future of Financial Advice reforms. To read the joint submission, please click here. [PDF]...

Media release: Door-to-door salespeople meeting a sticky end

A national Do Not Knock campaign, aiming to put a stop to unwelcome, dishonest and intimidating door-to-door salespeople, has begun with the Consumer Action Law Centre launching a new interactive webs...

Submission: Supporting ‘Calls to Freephone’ proposal (Australian Communications and Media Authority)

Consumer Action has supported a proposal by the Australian Communications and Media Authority to make 1800 numbers free from mobiles and 13 numbers the cost of a local call. To read our submission, p...

Submission: Telecommunication consumer protection code (Communications Alliance)

Submission to Communications Alliance on its draft Telecommunications Consumer Protection Code. To read our submission, please click here....

Media release: Energy rules must change—consumers and big business agree

Consumer groups from around Australia have joined the Australian Energy Regulator (AER) and some of the nation’s biggest businesses in calling for reform to the process that sets electricity network p...

Media release: ASIC payday lending report reveals fundamental non-compliance—a cap is needed

The Consumer Action Law Centre has welcomed the Australian Securities and Investment Commission’s (ASIC) report, Review of micro lenders' responsible lending conduct and disclosure obligations. Catrio...

Media release: Time for the Federal Opposition to show its hand on payday lending reforms

A coalition of consumer groups has called on the Federal Opposition to back the Government’s proposed national credit reforms, which are designed to protect payday loan borrowers from effective intere...

Media release: Consumer Action welcomes ASIC investigation into broker responsible lending conduct

Consumer Action Law Centre has welcomed the release of the Australian Securities and Investment Commission's (ASIC) investigation into mortgage brokers' responsible lending conduct, focusing on ‘low d...

Media release: Stronger response needed to ensure consumers are protected in times of disaster

The Consumer Action Law Centre has expressed disappointment with the Government’s initial response to the National Disaster Insurance Review (NDIR) Panel's report which it labelled as 'indecisive'. Wh...

Submission: Energy price and products disclosure (Essential Services Commission)

Consumer Action's comments to the Essential Services Commission in relation to proposed amendments to Guideline 19 - Energy Price and Products Disclosure. To read our submission, please click here....

Media release: Government warned that new credit card regulation may require running repairs

The Consumer Action Law Centre has welcomed the Federal Government’s ban on credit providers making unsolicited credit card limit increase offers to customers, but believes that ambiguity in the regul...

Media release: Is eBay selling consumers short?

The Consumer Action Law Centre has taken its concerns about outdated and potentially misleading information on eBay.com.au to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) after eBay Inter...

Submission: Advertising financial products (ASIC)

Consumer Action has welcomed draft advertising guidelines for financial products and advice services prepared by ASIC. To read our submission, please click here....

Submission: Recent consumer credit reforms (Treasury)

Consumer Action has provided comment on two short discussion papers on the operation of recent consumer credit reforms. To read our submission, please click here....

Joint Submission: Future of financial advice reforms (Parliament)

Consumer Action contributed to a joint consumer submission on the second slice of the Future of Financial Advice reforms. To read our joint submission, please click here....

Media release: Report into consumer credit insurance exposes dirty tactics

The Consumer Action Law Centre has responded to ASIC’s report into consumer credit insurance (CCI), by saying that it confirms two of its long held suspicions; that many lenders selling CCI are using...

Media release: Payday lending practices challenged in court

The lending practices of Australian’s biggest payday lender, Cash Converters, are being challenged in proceedings issued in the Victorian Magistrates Court. A disability support pensioner is alleging...

Media release: New website delivers the cold hard and sad facts about payday lending

A coalition of consumer and financial counselling organisations has launched a new website to ensure the hard truths are heard in the debate about the future of short term high cost loans - www.debttr...

Media release: Unfair process leading to higher electricity prices

Two prominent consumer advocacy groups are calling for the federal government to abolish the current process of appeal for electricity distribution pricing determinations. A new report released by the...

Submission: Review of Debt Agreements Under the Bankruptcy Act 1966

Consumer Action has provided a submission to this review of debt agreements undertaken by the Attorney-General's Department. The submission: argues for a minimum income threshold to access debt agre...

Submission: Australian Energy Market Commission’s Power of Choice Review, Issues Paper

This submission responds to the Issues Paper released by the Australian Energy Market Commission on its demand side participation (stage 3) review, dubbed 'Power of Choice'. Read our submission click...

Media release: Government reforms offer a branch to consumers stuck in high cost short term lending quicksand

The Consumer Action Law Centre has welcomed the Federal Government’s proposed cap on the amounts lenders of high cost short term loans (often referred to as 'payday loans') can recover from consumers,...

Media release: Complex energy contracts are confusing consumers and stifling choice

Energy retail contracts have been put under the microscope in a report just released by the Consumer Action Law Centre. And while the report found that most contracts largely met their regulatory requ...

Media release: Jobseekers should know that unpaid work is unlawful

Two leading community legal centres have joined forces to warn jobseekers about the practices of some recruitment and job placement agencies that are directing clients into unpaid trial work, using th...

Policy report: Barriers to fair network prices

A new report released by the Consumer Action Law Centre and the Consumer Utilities Advocacy Centre, shows electricity distribution companies are routinely challenging pricing determinations made by th...

Media release: ASIC grants licence to ‘misleading, deceptive and unconscionable’ trader

In a move that has disappointed the Consumer Action Law Centre, ASIC has granted a consumer credit licence to a company whose conduct has been found to be misleading, deceptive and unconscionable. Th...

Media release: New energy sales self-regulation scheme fundamentally flawed

Consumer Action Law Centre has today warned that a new self-regulatory approach for door-to-door sales of energy marketing is unlikely to reduce consumer detriment caused by widespread poor practices...

Submission: Taxi industry inquiry – complaints handling and dispute resolution

In this submission, Consumer Action responds to only one of the questions in the consultation paper - that is, ‘do the Victorian Taxi Directorate and taxi booking networks have adequate policies and p...

Media release: 400 per cent interest rates undermine ‘responsible lending laws’

Exorbitant effective interest rates on short term loans, upwards of 400 per cent, continue to put the pinch on vulnerable Australians despite the introduction of responsible lending laws in 2010. Mis...

Submission: Advanced metering infrastructure program – Issues paper for public consultation

Consumer Action welcomes the new Government's attempt to understand and address some of the underlying consumer concerns with the mandated rollout of Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) or smart me...

Media release: Consumer groups urge cross benchers to support a ban on mortgage early exit fees

A coalition of consumer groups is urging Parliament’s cross-benchers to support the Government’s proposed ban on mortgage early exit fees, a ban which will improve competition amongst lenders and shin...

Joint submission: Reforming flood insurance – clearing the waters discussion paper

The following is a joint consumer submission in response to the Clearing the Waters discussion paper released by the Australian Government on 5 April 2011. The Brotherhood of St Laurence, Choice, Cons...

Joint submission: Reforming Flood Insurance – Clearing the Waters discussion paper

Consumer Action has contributed to a joint consumer submission in response to the Clearing the Waters discussion paper (the discussion paper) released by the Australian Government on 5 April 2011. The...

Media release: Legal tribunal finds Motor Finance Wizard’s practices ‘unfair’ and ‘seriously flawed

Motor car dealer and financier Motor Finance Wizard has been ordered to cancel a car lease contract with a vulnerable customer, refund her money and clear her credit report. The legal decision, made...

Policy report: A review of Victorian retail energy contract terms and conditions

Submission to Productivity Commission Inquiry on Network Regulation

Consumer Action welcomes the Productivity Commission’s investigation into benchmarking as a means of achieving more efficient delivery of network services and electricity infrastructure. Benchmarking...

Direct Debits

Consumer Action has an ongoing interest in the use of Direct Debits and their impact on consumers. We’d like to hear from you about your experiences using Direct Debits as a payment method. If you ha...

Submission: Reserve Bank of Australia – Treasury ATM Taskforce consultations

Consumer Action welcomes the opportunity to contribute to the RBA-Treasury ATM Taskforce's report on the March 2009 ATM reforms. The March 2009 reforms can be considered a broad success, both because...

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