ASIC sues HSBC Bank for failure to protect customers from scams
The Australian Securities and Investment Commission (ASIC) has taken strong enforcement action, announcing today that it is suing HSBC Bank for its ‘widespread failures to act honestly, efficiently an...
Consumer advocates welcome proposed reforms to Government payment service
The Financial Rights Legal Centre, Mob Strong Debt Help, and Consumer Action Law Centre welcome the proposed reforms to Centrepay announced by Minister Bill Shorten this morning. These reforms include...
Consumer groups welcome passing of buy now, pay later regulations
Key loophole in credit laws will be closed Consumer groups have welcomed the passing of the Treasury Laws Amendment (Responsible Buy Now Pay Later and Other Measures) Bill 2024 (BNPL Bill) through...
Major overhaul of Building Regulator good news for Victoria’s consumers
Consumer Action Law Centre has welcomed the Victorian Government's announcement today of a major overhaul of the Victorian Building and Plumbing Regulator's enforcement powers and structure, and domes...
Flood Inquiry Report provides clear roadmap to lift insurer standards
Consumer groups have welcomed the release of the Final Report of the Standing Committee on Economics’ Inquiry into Insurer’s responses to 2022 Major Floods. The groups have called on the insurance...
Stronger consumer protections needed to make our marketplace fairer
The two major consumer protections announced today -the ban on unfair trading and consultation on penalties for breaches by traders and service providers of the consumer guarantees under the Australia...
Stronger telco protections targeting those experiencing domestic and family violence real progress
Consumer Action Law Centre Acting Director of Policy and Campaigns Luke Lovell said the new protections for telco customers experiencing domestic and family violence (DFV) announced today by Minister...
Government’s Scams Prevention Framework only goes halfway – we need a presumption of reimbursement say consumer advocates
A broad coalition of consumer advocates is calling for the Albanese Government to make one fundamental change to the proposed Scams Prevention Framework (SPF) and put reimbursement at its core, warnin...
Consumer safeguards must be front and centre of new scams framework say consumer advocates
Consumer Action Law Centre, CHOICE, the Australian Communications Consumer Action Network (ACCAN) and Super Consumers Australia, have welcomed the announcement from the Albanese Government of a consul...
Update on the Class Action against Pawnbroker, Taylors Business Pty Ltd, located in Delahey, Victoria
Consumer Action Law Centre (Consumer Action) is conducting a class action against Taylors Business Pty Ltd (ACN 107 445 723), located in Delahey, Victoria. What are the legal claims and orders soug...
Door-knock sales ban starting this week in Victoria will reduce harms say consumer advocates
Consumer Action Law Centre campaigned long and hard for a ban on door-to-door sales in Victoria and we are delighted that the ban for businesses that are part of the Victorian Energy Upgrades (VEU) ha...
AFCA scam complaints ‘off the charts’ while banks fail to reimburse customers
The Australian Financial Complaints Authority (AFCA) received a record number of complaints in 2023-24 after disputes to the ombudsman service increased 9 per cent to more than 105,000 for the year. C...
Money Yarns, Stronger Futures: New Report Highlights Financial Challenges for First Nations People
The Consumer Action Law Centre has today released a groundbreaking report titled Money Yarns, Stronger Futures. The report amplifies the voices of First Nations people, sharing their personal experien...
ASICs ‘Better banking’ project will help First Nations customers -Remaining banks need to do better to reduce fee-harm-
Consumer Action Law Centre congratulates the Australian Securities and Investment Commission’s (ASIC) Indigenous Outreach Program team on the success of their Better banking for Indigenous consumers...
POLLING: Big majority of Australians say banks should do their job and take responsibility for keeping our money safe
Banks victim-shaming approach ‘immoral’- Tonkin New polling by Essential Media is unequivocal: the vast majority (75%) of Australians expect banks to keep their money safe from criminal scammers, a...
Consumer groups welcome reforms addressing harms caused by a bankruptcy system not fit for purpose
Consumer advocates have been calling for urgent reform for some time and last year outlined key pressure points during a round-table discussion organised by the Federal Attorney General, Mark Dreyfus...
‘ The Telco Code has run its course and failed to deliver’: ACMA must explore other options to protect consumers
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has called on the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) to reject a proposed consumer protections code drafted by the telecommu...
Consumer Action and CHOICE chosen as designated complainants
The Albanese Government has announced today that Consumer Action Law Centre has been chosen as a designated complainant. This means that Consumer Action, with fellow consumer advocate CHOICE, and the...
Consumer advocates welcome revised Banking Code of Practice with incremental improvements noted
Consumer advocates are welcoming the revised Banking Code of Practice (the Banking Code) announced today which includes some incremental improvements to consumer protections. Consumer Action Law Ce...
REPORT: Energy debt higher than ever as low-income households priced out of essential service
Consumer Action Law Centre CEO Stephanie Tonkin says the Centre’s new report Energy Assistance Report 4th Edition: Keeping the Lights On published today, highlights that thousands of Victorians are st...
Consumer groups welcome new laws regulating Buy Now, Pay Later as credit but some concerns remain
New laws regulating Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) have been announced today. Consumer groups respond as follows: Quotes attributable to Stephanie Tonkin, CEO of Consumer Action Law Centre “We welcom...
Fed Court decision final ‘nail in the coffin’ for predatory lenders Cigno Australia Pty Ltd and BSF Solutions Pty Ltd
Consumer Action Law Centre is delighted the Federal Court has issued a strong decision that calls out Cigno Australia Pty Ltd, BSF Solutions Pty Ltd and two of the entities’ directors for exploiting l...
Victorian Default Offer price drop will help thousands of families but more needs to be done
Consumer Action Law Centre CEO Stephanie Tonkin says the Essential Services Commission’s (ESC) decision to lower the Victorian Default Offer (VDO) price is welcome but doesn’t go far enough to help th...
Mandatory codes for scams will work if the Govt can push banks, telcos and big tech companies to lift their game say consumer advocates
Consumer advocates have welcomed the Albanese Government’s plan to set up the legislative framework and push to make the banks, telcos, and digital platforms lift their game to stop scams. The m...
