A Strategic Plan for the Payments System
We consider the safety and resilience of the payments system to require urgent attention and intervention and outline the reasons for this in our joint submission with Financial Rights Legal Centre....
Inquiry into the extent and nature of poverty in Australia
Consumer Action’s financial counsellors and lawyers advise and assist people experiencing financial hardship and poverty on a daily basis. The data Consumer Action collects, as well as the reflections...
Australia’s banks should follow CBA’s lead and introduce stronger measures to stop scams
The Commonwealth Bank (CBA) has announced it is introducing measures to strengthen its payment system that will make it harder for crooks to scam their customers. The measures called NameCheck and Cal...
Code Governance Committee’s monitoring and compliance program for 2023-24 consultation
We are grateful for the opportunity to provide input to the Code Governance Committee’s (CGC) monitoring and compliance program for the 2023-24 financial year. In our submission we recommend that t...
Victorian Default Offer 2023-24: Consultation Paper
Consumer Action Law Centre welcomes the opportunity to comment on the Essential Services Commission’s (ESC) Consultation Paper on the review of the Victorian Default Offer (VDO) for 2023-24. On bal...
Repeat offender Alinta Energy fined $380,000 for failing to help Victorians in dire need
Consumer Action has welcomed the Essential Services Commission (ESC) imposing $380,000 in penalties on energy retailer Alinta Energy Retail Sales Pty Ltd (Alinta Energy) for failing to provide adequat...
Submission to the Department of Treasury and Finance ahead of the 2023-24 Victorian Budget
Consumer Action Law Centre (Consumer Action), WEstjustice, Victorian Aboriginal Legal Service (VALS), Hume Riverina Community Legal Service, Barwon Community Legal Service and Eastern Community Legal...
PODCAST: Why funeral insurance is a crap product and what you can do about it
Philippa Heir is Managing Lawyer at Consumer Action, she is an expert in all things insurance. She says, in short, that funeral insurance is a crap product and makes no sense. "There are a number o...
Regulate Buy Now, Pay Later like other credit products to boost customer safeguards, consumer groups say
Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) late fees and charges would be capped, and providers would be licensed and banned from making unsolicited offers of credit, under recommendations for proper regulation of the...
Treasury Options Paper, Regulating Buy Now Pay Later in Australia
Consumer Action has joined with 22 other organisations as part of the "Close Lending Loopholes Alliance" to make a submission to Treasury on its Options Paper, Regulating Buy Now Pay Later in Australi...
Review of the Australian Finance Industry Association (AFIA) Buy Now Pay Later Code of Practice
Consumer Credit Legal Services (WA) Inc. (CCLSWA) has drafted these submissions on behalf of the Consumers’ Federation of Australia (CFA) and its members. CFA is the peak body for consumer organisatio...
Draft Telecommunications (Infringement Notice Penalties) Determination 2022
We welcome the opportunity to comment on the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts (the Department) consultation on the draft Telecommunications (I...
Financial Counselling Industry Funding Model
Consumer Action Law Centre and Financial Rights Legal Centre have made a joint submission to the Department of Social Services Discussion Paper on the proposed Financial Counselling Industry Funding M...
High Court dismisses last ditch appeal by rogue lender
Consumer advocates have welcomed the dismissal by the High Court of a special leave application by Cigno Pty Ltd (Cigno) and BHF Solutions Pty Ltd (BHFS) against the Full Federal Court’s finding in en...
Energy price caps welcomed, but bill relief needs to reach those doing it toughest in cost-of-living crisis
Consumer Action Law Centre has welcomed today’s passing of the Competition and Consumer Amendment (Gas Prices) Bill 2022, which will cap gas prices and deliver bill relief, as well as plans to support...
Stephanie Tonkin appointed CEO of Consumer Action Law Centre
The Consumer Action Law Centre board has appointed Stephanie Tonkin as CEO. Ms Tonkin will succeed current CEO Gerard Brody when he finishes at the beginning of February. Board Chair David Berry...
Robodebt Royal Commission: refer debt collection misconduct to the ACCC
Consumer Action has partnered with Financial Counselling Australia and Economic Justice Australia to make a submission to the Royal Commission into the Robodebt Scheme. The submission asks the Roya...
Revision to Banking Code of Practice needs teeth to really help those doing it tough
Consumer advocates are calling for Australian banks to maintain and enhance robust consumer protections, following an independent review of the Banking Code of Practice (the Banking Code). The Aust...
Opinion: Equity must be central to gas market intervention
An edited version of this opinion piece was published in The Guardian on 5 December 2022 The Treasurer Jim Chalmers is set to intervene in the gas market to push down very high bills, likely throug...
Consumer protections for high-cost and harmful payday loans and consumer leases finally pass Parliament
After a late-night Senate sitting, Consumer Advocacy groups across Australia are celebrating the passing through the Federal Parliament of long overdue reforms that will protect consumers from falling...
Water prices a welcome relief but hardship concerns remain
Consumer Action has welcomed the price proposals from Victorian water businesses for the period 2023-28 in a submission to the Essential Services Commissions Initial Feedback: 2023-28 Water Price Revi...
Initial feedback: 2023-28 Water Price Review
Access to water is a basic human right recognised by the United Nations and the Australian Government as fundamental to health, wellbeing, and an adequate standard of living. Critical to upholding thi...
Financial Services Legislation Inquiry –Interim Report B
Consumer Action has joined with Financial Rights Legal Centre and Redfern Legal Centre to make a submission to the Australian Law Reform Commission in response to its Financial Services Legislation In...
Dodgy rent-to-buy houses scheme leads to jail
A Victorian County Court verdict today handed Sheree Becker a three year and six month sentence jail sentence with 15 months before parole for 7 counts of fraud against the ANZ Bank. In the scheme...
‘A matter of urgency’: Community sector calls on Senate to pass the Financial Sector Reform Bill now
Community organisations that are part of the Stop the Debt Trap Alliance are urging the Senate not to further delay the Financial Sector Reform (FSR) Bill. The Bill needs to be passed as a matter of u...
ACMA Telstra direction reveals weak and worrying gaps in its powers to regulate telecommunications
Consumer advocates* are raising deep concerns about the ineffective framework for telco regulation in Australia following a direction from the Australian Communications Media Authority (ACMA) to Telst...
Retirement Villages Amendment Bill 2022 Exposure Draft
Retirement living is an important option for many older Victorians. The proposed Retirement Villages Amendment Act includes some positive measures that will improve consumer protection standards. O...
Buy now pay later changes must go all the way, consumer groups say
Buy now pay later (BNPL) products must be fully regulated as credit to protect consumers and put all credit providers on a level playing field, a coalition of consumer groups has said. The group, i...
Quality of Advice Review
People who seek financial advice, including in relation to insurance, deserve to have confidence that it will be high-quality and free from conflict of interest. Despite this, conflicts of interest co...
Protecting consumers of distributed energy resources
With Victorians wanting to play their part in carbon reduction, consumer protections for new energy products and services need to be enhanced. This submission to the Department of Environment Land...
Our Impact 2021-22: It’s the change we are making, helping people fight the powerful, advocating for a fairer Australia
Today we are delighted to publish our Impact Report 2021-22 which highlights our organisation’s achievements over the past year working for and with the people we help. Read about the many successe...
Let’s pass the Finance Sector Reform Bill: The Stop the Debt Alliance strongly endorses Senate committee recommendation
The Stop the Debt Trap Alliance, a coalition of dozens of consume advocacy organisations from around Australia, including financial experts, community advocates and service providers has strongly endo...
PODCAST: Hannah Dodd’s advice for Consumer Action’s next Managing Lawyer ‘be kind’
Hannah Dodd, Consumer Action's Managing Lawyer talks about her nearly five years at CALC, and what she is looking forward to in her new role at Australian Financial Complaints Authority. She talks...
Impacted by flood? Crucial tips about insurance to bear in mind
Consumer Action Managing Lawyer Philippa Heir is an expert in the complex law around insurance and at this critical time she gives the following tips for people whose homes have been impacted by the V...
“Time for the financial harms to stop”: Consumer groups urge Senate to quickly pass reforms on payday loans and consumer leases
Consumer Action is one of 20 community organisations strongly recommending that the consumer credit reforms in the Finance Sector Reform Bill (FSR Bill), relating to Small Amount Credit Contracts (SAC...
Financial Sector Reform Bill 2022 – Compensation Scheme of Last Resort and Financial Accountability Regime
Consumer groups strongly support the passage of a well-designed Compensation Scheme of Last Resort (‘CSLR’) and Financial Accountability Regime (‘FAR’). These reforms are landmark recommendations of t...
Submission to Senate Economics Committee: Financial Sector Reform Bill 2022 – consumer credit reforms
The submission, on behalf of 20 community organisations, recommends that the consumer credit reforms in the Finance Sector Reform Bill (FSR Bill) relating to small amount credit contracts and consumer...
Harvey-Norman and Latitude case alleging misleading ‘interest-free’ credit card promotions welcomed by consumer advocates
Consumer Action, Financial Rights Legal Centre and CHOICE have welcomed the Australian Securities and Investments Commission’s (ASIC) commencing legal action against Latitude Finance Australia and Har...
OPINION: Optus data breach underscores urgent need for reforms to protect Australians from scams
Opinion piece by Gerard Brody, CEO Consumer Action The massive data breach affecting up to 9.8 million Optus customers has shone a spotlight on what can be done to protect Australians from harm and...
People should get their money back quicker and more easily following new ASIC guidance, say consumer advocates
The Australian Securities and Investment Commission (ASIC) has today published updated and revised remediation guidance for financial firms with the goal of treating wronged customers fairer and ensur...
Quality of Advice Review: Proposals Paper
Australians who seek financial advice have the right to expect that the advice they receive will be independent, high quality and in their best interests. Poor financial advice has lasting impacts on...
TIO annual report reveals complaints about mobile services at five-year high
The Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman (TIO) annual report released today has revealed stark contrasts—while complaints about phone and internet services decreased in the year ending 30 June 2022,...
Finally, time to Stop the Debt Trap!
Consumer advocates making up the Stop the Debt Trap coalition across Australia have welcomed the introduction of the Financial Sector Reform Bill 2022 which, among other things, enhances long overdue...
With scams at crisis levels, banks and payment system providers must do more
Online and telephone scams targeting Australians are now at crisis levels and victims will continue to bear the burden of financial losses, which will only get worse without urgent action from governm...
Hundreds of thousands of lemon cars sold ‘down the lane’, why we need an ombudsman
Data from Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) actions, recalls and other court actions has revealed that there are hundreds of thousands of lemons on Australia’s roads, many of which...
Quality of Advice Review proposal: A major step backwards in consumer financial protection
Consumer groups have responded to the Quality of Advice Review’s proposal to dismantle core consumer protections Quotes attributable to Consumer Action Law Centre CEO Gerard Brody “One of the si...
Consumer Action board announces CEO departure
The board of Consumer Action Law Centre has announced that its CEO, Gerard Brody, will step down from the role after more than 11 years with the Centre. The board is pleased that Mr Brody will continu...
“A decade-long disgrace”: Thousands likely remain uncompensated by the Freedom Insurance Remediation program
The Australian Securities and Investment Commission revealed today that it is likely thousands of customers remain entitled to an unclaimed refund from the Freedom Insurance Remediation Program. “...
Water Customer Service Codes Review
Consumer Action Law Centre (Consumer Action) welcomes the opportunity to provide feedback on the Essential Services Commission’s (the ESC) proposed amendments to the water customer service codes. O...
PODCAST: Josephine Beckhurst and the #SaveSorryBusiness Canberra Day of Action
Josephine Beckhurst is a Yorta Yorta woman from Barmah in Victoria's north. Josephine and her family are among the many thousands of First Nations Australians ripped off by Youpla/ACBF, the funeral in...