News

First published in the Herald-Sun, 29 June 2025

By Stephanie Tonkin CEO Consumer Action Law Centre

On 17 June, the nation’s economy-wide regulator, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC), gave its answer to the country’s very first ‘super complaint’ submitted by Consumer Action under new powers brought in by the Albanese Government.

In our super complaint, we asked for a complete ban on unsolicited selling, the high-pressure sales practice of doorknocking (and cold-calling) when a spruiker flogs goods or services the ‘buyer’ generally neither wants nor needs—and in many cases, can’t afford. We also asked the ACCC to investigate ‘lead generation’ tactics, to how they are tied up in these sales.

This form of selling has a very long history. Decades ago, it was encyclopedias or expensive cooking machines for sale, but now its pricey white goods, solar panels and batteries that are offered. In addition, new forms of ‘lead-generation’ mean a person might click on a link and enter their details, inadvertently giving their address to door-to-door sellers or phone number to a cold-caller.

What’s so insidious about unsolicited ‘door-knock’ and cold-call sales like these, is that they happen out of sight, very often in regional areas, where people are pressured and deceived to sign up in their homes.

People living in regional areas are kind and trusting, some are isolated, others are living in vulnerable situations. What we often hear on our frontlines are stories of people being taken advantage of, lied to, in distress, and left with thousands of dollars of debt they can’t repay.

We want unsolicited selling banned, but if the ACCC wasn’t prepared to make that recommendation to Government immediately, our super complaint called for further scrutiny of the practice and the far-reaching harms it causes.

And the ACCC has agreed to conduct a detailed, national review of unsolicited selling and lead generation, including the harms these practices are causing. The consultation is now open, and public submissions are due by 31 July.

I am thrilled by this decision as it is the most promising development in this campaign to date, a campaign that has been going for more than 20 years to get a total ban. Unwelcome, dishonest and intimidating selling, lead generation, and their harms, are now under the spotlight for lawmakers to take notice and act. I think this shows the dynamic power of the new super-complaint process in action.  This is a real win for Australia’s consumers.

We now have a once-in-a-generation opportunity to finally stop this practice. In the last week, speaking on the radio in Victoria and all over the country about this issue, I have been astonished by the number of people who call in to tell their stories of being ripped off and swindled in their homes.

I asked those callers to tell their stories to the review, and I urge you to tell your stories too, just by write an email to the ACCC. The more evidence we have of the harms, the more likely the regulator and Government will support our call and ban unsolicited selling, once and for all.

ENDS

Media contact: Mark Pearce  mark@consumeraction.org.au  Tel: 0413 299 567