Manufactured Consent: New report shines spotlight on dodgy practice of lead generation
Consumer Action Law Centre has published a new report Manufactured Consent: stopping the harm from manipulative lead generation detailing the complicated practice and its devastating consumer harms....
REPORT: ASIC spotlights how car loans cause deep consumer harms
Consumer advocates nationwide have welcomed the release of the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) report ‘Lifting the bonnet: ASIC’s review of car loans’. ASIC’s Indigenous Outrea...
Changes to the insurance code of practice fall well short say consumer groups
The Financial Rights Legal Centre (Financial Rights), Financial Counselling Australia (FCA) and Consumer Action Law Centre (Consumer Action) have warned that government intervention may be needed if g...
Don’t miss out! Lodge your claim to AFCA asap if you were ripped off by Snaffle
In May, the Federal Court ordered a $33.5 million penalty against Snaffle, operated through Walker Stores, for inflating prices and overcharging customers on credit contracts. Many of the customers we...
Federal Court scathing on HSBC, bringing legal clarity: Australia’s banks MUST protect their customers from scams
Consumer Action Law Centre CEO Stephanie Tonkin says the $35 million penalty plus costs imposed on HSBC Bank in the Federal Court yesterday sends a clear and resounding signal to Australia’s banks: th...
Lemon car reforms welcomed: Vic Government takes first step but more needed to tackle faulty second-hand car sales
Consumer Action Law Centre has welcomed proposed amendments to the Motor Car Traders Act 1986 introduced by the Victorian Government last week, but more is needed for purchasers of faulty second-hand...
‘Unacceptable Harms’: Scam laws delay will see Aussies robbed of billions
Consumer advocates have slammed the nine-month delay in the implementation of the Scam Prevention Framework (SPF), announced today by Assistant Treasurer Daniel Mulino, calling it a ‘betrayal’ of hund...
Energy cost relief: Embedded networks reforms welcomed & raise the Utility Relief Grant Scheme to $4000
Consumer Action Law Centre CEO Stephanie Tonkin has welcomed the Victorian Government’s announcement of changes to the law to ensure that consumers in embedded networks will be able to access more aff...
Upcoming State Election will be won on cost-of-living and fairer essential services for all says Consumer Action
A strong plan built on fairness for Victorians to weather day-to-day cost-of-living pressures will decide the upcoming Victorian State Election, says Consumer Action Law Centre CEO, Stephanie Tonkin....
Rogue lender Cigno and Directors fined $7 million at Federal Court
Consumer advocates have welcomed the decision by the Federal Court to fine Cigno Australia and its director Mark Swanepoel, and BSF Solutions and its director Brenton Harrison a combined penalty of $7...
Wrong direction: Australians robbed of $2.2 billion in 2025 by scam-crime
More than $10 billion has been stolen in scams from Australians since 2020 -a deeply troubling statistic as victims continue to carry 95% of the losses, and 30% or more of victims don’t report their l...
ACMA finally rejects self-regulatory telco Code, moves to direct regulation
The Fair Call Coalition has strongly welcomed the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA's) decision to reject the draft Telecommunications Consumer Protections (TCP) Code. For too long,...
Energy price drop heralded by lower Victorian Default Offer is good news says Consumer Action
Consumer Action Law Centre CEO Stephanie Tonkin has welcomed the Essential Services Commission (ESC) announcement of a reduction in the Victorian Default Offer (VDO), the base energy price for eligibl...
Consumer Action welcomes ASIC review into ‘lead generators’ – a focus of our designated complaint
Consumer Action Law Centre CEO Stephanie Tonkin has warmly welcomed moves by the Australian Securities and Investment Commission (ASIC) to review and investigate financial advice licensees using lead...
Consumer groups call on Government to block scammers this Valentine’s Day
New protections needed to cover key businesses enabling romance scammers. A coalition of consumer advocacy groups, financial counselling organisations and community legal centres, including CHOICE,...
Consumer groups welcome consultation on reforms to stop unfair trading and strengthen consumer guarantees
Consumer groups have welcomed the release of Exposure Draft Legislation on Unfair Trading Practices, including two specific prohibitions targeting subscription traps and drip pricing. Consumer Acti...
‘Ongoing and significant harms’: New data shows millions still lost to scams in late 2025
Fresh data from Consumer Action Law Centre’s frontline services in the final quarter of 2025 confirms what Scamwatch reported throughout the year: Australians are still losing millions to scammers, wi...
Scam prevention laws must plug the gaps and guarantee fair compensation say consumer advocates
Joint submission warns current design leaves major scam channels uncovered, delays real protections, and will fail victims without a workable dispute resolution pathway Australia’s leading consumer...
Consumer Action wins landmark Federal Court case against pawnbroker Taylors Business
Consumer Action Law Centre (Consumer Action) has secured a comprehensive victory in the Federal Court of Australia against Taylors Business Pty Ltd (Taylors), in a judgment handed down yesterday that...
Consumer advocates welcome report on the national scourge of lemon cars
Advocates across Australia are welcoming a new report today from the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) which points a lens at one of the nation’s most pervasive and troubling consu...
Consumer Action calls for strong -world beating- Scams Prevention Framework as draft codes land
Consumer Action Law Centre has welcomed the latest consultation on the Federal Government’s Scams Prevention Framework (SPF), announced Friday by Assistant Treasurer Dr Daniel Mulino MP, saying Austra...
Our impact in 2024-25: Fighting injustice and working for a fairer marketplace
We are delighted to present our Impact Report 2024-25 which highlights Consumer Action Law centre’s work over the past year working with consumers, community workers, national advocates and cross-sect...
Landmark reforms to stop unfair trading and strengthen consumer guarantees
Consumer groups have welcomed the decision by Consumer Affairs Ministers to progress major reforms that will make unfair business practices illegal and introduce enforceable consumer guarantees, the m...
A surge in scams while our ‘world leading’ Scam Prevention Framework missing in action
New scam data released today from the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) reveals that Australians lost nearly $260 million in scams in the first nine months of 2025, a 16% increase...
