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...
Our Policy and Campaign Priorities for 2022-23
Consumer Action has revealed its Policy and Campaign Priorities for 2022-23 with a refreshed focus on making the marketplace for consumers fairer. Director of Policy and Campaigns Tania Clarke said...
Taxi Non-Cash Payment Surcharge Review 2022
Consumer Action has made a submission to the Essential Services Commission in relation to its Taxi Non-Cash Payment Surcharge Review 2022. The submission opposes the proposed methodology outlined i...
Wholesale energy upheaval should not push default electricity prices higher
The Consumer Action Law Centre (Consumer Action) has written to Kate Symons, Chairperson of the Essential Services Commission (ESC), urging caution before accepting electricity retailer arguments to r...
Embedded networks ban promotes consumer choice and is a win for Victorians
The announcement today from the Victorian Minister for Energy Lily D’Ambrosio banning embedded networks in new residential apartment buildings, and improving protections for existing networks,...
First step towards a resolution” Save Sorry Business Coalition welcomes initial response from government on Youpla/ACBF collapse
The Save Sorry Business Coalition, which is supported by 130 organisations and almost 20,000 individuals, welcomes today’s Government announcement for the family of policy holders who have passed and...
‘Telcos still behaving badly’: Report highlighting key drivers of customer complaints welcomed
Consumer Action has welcomed a report released today from the Telecommunciations Industry Ombudsman (TIO) that reveals a high level of customer complaints about poor mobile services and the continued...
Intense cost of living pressures make longstanding reforms to high-cost credit urgent
An edited version of this opinion piece appeared in the Herald Sun on 19 July 2022 Way back in November 2016, the Turnbull Government announced that it would implement recommendations made by an in...
ASIC lending model ban on rogue lender Cigno applauded
Consumer Action welcomed today’s announcement from the corporate regulator Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) that it will use its product intervention power to ban the excessivel...
“Devastating cultural and financial impact”: First Nations communities in crisis after Youpla collapse
New data reveals the local communities hit hardest by predatory insurer as calls grow for urgent Federal Government action “The collapse of the predatory funeral fund Youpla (ACBF) is having a deva...
Consumer and social service groups welcome community consultation on removing buy-now-pay-later and other credit loopholes
Key consumer and social service groups are welcoming the Federal Government’s announcement that the process of introducing better safeguards for buy now pay later (BNPL) and other credit products has...
Banks can do more to stop scams say consumer advocates
Australia’s banks can do much more to stop the plague of scams that is destroying families and costing the economy more than $2 billion annually. That’s the message from consumer advocates in response...
Consumer advocates praise court decision against Cigno loans
Consumer advocates have welcomed a Full Federal Court decision striking down a credit law avoidance strategy used by Cigno Pty Ltd and BHF Solutions. For years, fringe lender Cigno has preyed upon...
PODCAST: Dianne Dejanovic, Consumer Action’s longest serving financial counsellor
Dianne Dejanovic worked for 13 years as a financial counsellor on the National Debt Helpline at Consumer Action. She has helped thousands of people during her time and made a massive contribution t...
Commit to a lemon car ombudsman in November election say consumer advocates
Consumer Action Law Centre and WEstJustice Western Community Legal Centre are calling on the Victorian Government to make a solid commitment, ahead of the upcoming Victorian election in November, to i...
Government’s commitment to regulate buy now pay later products welcomed
Key consumer and community groups are welcoming comments by the new Minister for Financial Services, Stephen Jones, that the Government will move to regulate buy now pay later (BNPL). Minister Jone...
ASIC litigation against payday lender: new Federal Government must deliver overdue reform
Consumer Action has welcomed the Australian Securities and Investment Commission’s (ASIC) announcement that it is suing Sunshine Loans for breaches of the National Credit Code for charging unlawful fe...
Opinion: Victoria needs a fair default offer for household gas supply
Reports of gas bills to rise by $150 per annum adds unwanted pressure to Victorian household budgets, when inflationary pressures are already biting.* Over a long period, unfair market tactics have...
Penelope Hill talks about her wonderful career in financial counselling
"Thank you to all my colleagues, past and present... it's been a wonderful privilege to have worked with you all," she says....
Electricity disconnections on the rise as gaps in support for families revealed
Amidst worrying reports of rising energy prices, Consumer Action is calling for energy retailers to do more to help families and people who fall into difficultly with their bill payments, leading to d...
Crypto: As risky as gambling and a haven for scams that demands action
Consumer Action is calling for meaningful protections from scams to apply to businesses operating in the crypto sector. The call comes in a submission to the Treasury’s consultation paper Crypto as...
Crypto asset secondary service providers consultation paper
Consumer Action broadly supports the intention of the Government to introduce regulation to oversee the rapidly growing crypto asset environment. The crypto marketplace currently poses significant...
Retailer authorisation and exemption review: Issues Paper
Consumer Action Law Centre welcomes the opportunity to comment on the Australian Energy Regulator’s (the AER) Issues Paper as part of its review of the retailer authorisation and exemption frameworks...
Telcos are an essential service and must step up to help customers in need
Consumer Action has welcomed the Statement of Expectations today from the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) setting out clarity for telcos on assisting customers experiencing vulner...
Joint consumer submission on the Independent TIO Review
This is a joint submission from Consumer Action Law Centre, the Australian Communications Consumer Action Network (ACCAN), Financial Counselling Australia and WEstjustice. Our submission draws on...
Review of the Victorian Default Offer Order in Council
Consumer Action Law Centre welcomes the opportunity to comment on the Victorian Government’s review of the Order in Council (the Order) that was used to give effect to the Victorian Default Offer (the...
Youpla collapse to fuel ‘trauma and intergenerational debt’ for Indigenous families across Australia
A coalition of over 125 organisations has released an open letter to both major parties calling for urgent action to prevent more than ten thousand Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families from...
Rachna Bowman on the central role of language in financial counselling
"I see the demeanour change when speaking to people in their own language," she says....
We’re Hiring! A Financial Counsellor
Are you a Financial Counsellor looking to have real impact in driving systemic change? At Consumer Action Law Centre, our vision is a just marketplace where people have power and business plays...
Victorian Default Offer electricity tariffs 2022-23
Consumer Action Law Centre (Consumer Action) welcomes the opportunity to comment on the Essential Services Commission’s (the ESC) Draft Decision for Victorian Default Offer (the VDO) tariffs to apply...
ASIC litigation against fictitious high-cost ‘leases’ protects against exploitation
Consumer Action has welcomed the Australian Securities and Investment Commission’s (ASIC) announcement that it has sued Rent4Keeps and Layaway Depot for breaches of the National Credit Code involving...
Water is an essential service and must remain affordable for everyone
Consumer Action Law Centre has written to the Chairs and Managing Directors of the Victorian water corporations about the impending 2023 Water Price Review, urging them to prioritise affordability so...
Victorian Property Market Review
Consumer Action has provided a submission to the Victorian Property Market Review. The review is an important opportunity to improve property market laws to support Victorians to have fairer and easie...
We’re Hiring! A Director of Financial Counselling
Director of Financial Counselling About the role Consumer Action Law Centre has a vacancy for a Director of Financial Counselling. Reporting to the CEO you'll be leading our Financial Counselling Te...
The Australian Communication and Media Authority’s compliance priorities 2022-23
The impact of COVID-19 and lockdowns during 2021 underscored the essential nature of telecommunications, as well as the effect of poor telecommunications practices on people experiencing vulnerability...
US Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s Inquiry into Buy-Now-Pay-Later (BNPL) Providers
While there have always been various forms of instalment credit products in the marketplace, Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) is a uniquely Australian invention, that has now been exported around the world....
US Government urged NOT to follow Australia’s lead with self-regulation of buy now pay later products
Australian consumer groups have warned the USA’s chief consumer regulator, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), about major flaws in the self-regulation of buy now pay later (BNPL) product...
An evaluation of our Consumer Advice Service
The Consumer Advice Service (“CAS”or“the service”) is a free telephone legal advice service run by Consumer Action Law Centre(“Consumer Action”) for people living in Victoria. Lawyers delivering th...
Options Paper: Possible reforms to the bankruptcy system
This joint submission to the Attorney General's Department is made by Consumer Action and Financial Rights Legal Centre. It is staggering that the Government is proposing to roll back its own highl...
We’re hiring! Senior Policy Officer – Energy
Senior Policy Officer – Energy About the role Work for one of Australia’s leading not-for-profit consumer advocacy organisations, that makes life easier for people experiencing vulnerability and d...
We’re hiring! Campaigns and Advocacy Advisor
Campaigns and Advocacy Advisor About the role Work for one of Australia’s leading not-for-profit consumer advocacy organisations, that makes life easier for people experiencing vulnerability and d...
We’re hiring! A Solicitor
Solicitor About the role Consumer Action is one of Australia’s leading not-for-profit consumer advocacy organisations, that makes life easier for people experiencing vulnerability and disadvantage...
We’re hiring! A Senior Solicitor
Senior Solicitor About the role Consumer Action is one of Australia’s leading not-for-profit consumer advocacy organisations, that makes life easier for people experiencing vulnerability and disad...