Time’s up: Government must step up and pass payday lending and rent-to-buy reforms
Consumer Action's submission to the Senate Economics Legislation Committee calls on Parliament to pass the National Consumer Credit Protection Amendment (Small Amount Credit Contract and Consumer Leas...
Establishing a Compensation Scheme of Last Resort
Consumer groups have made a joint submission to the Treasury’s Discussion Paper, Implementing Royal Commission Recommendation 7.1 – Establishing a Compensation Scheme of Last Resort (December 2019). T...
Maintain households’ rights when accessing essential energy services
As new energy products and services create more options for consumers to access energy offers with non-conventional pricing or features, the complexity of making decisions increases and poses more ris...
Implement strong protections to ensure households benefit from new energy technology
Consumer Action’s legal and financial counselling services have regularly assisted consumers experiencing harm as solar technology grows in popularity in Victoria. Our Power Transformed, Knock It Off!...
Delivering on the promise to ban vendor terms and rent-to-buy agreements from Victoria’s housing market
Over the years, our team has assisted a number of people who have been adversely affected by failed vendor finance and rent-to-buy deals, which are promoted as an opportunity to achieve home ownership...
Critical moment to fix and prevent systemic mis-selling of junk insurance and warranties through caryards
Since 2016, Consumer Action’s free tool, DemandaRefund.com has helped people to generate over 9,000 demands totalling an estimated $17 million in refunds for junk consumer credit insurance (CCI), guar...
RBA Review of Retail Payments Regulation
The payments landscape has changed rapidly since the RBA’s last review of retail payment systems five years ago. The emergence of new payment schemes, such as buy now, pay later (BNPL) has skewed the...
Energy contracts can only be fair if all Victorian energy users have the same protections
Despite the introduction of the Victorian Default Offer for electricity, the state’s most vulnerable energy consumers still face challenges in the market. Energy prices changing unexpectedly, excessiv...
Remove barriers to energy efficiency for rental properties
Consumer Action’s National Debt Helpline service provided financial counselling to over 11,000 people in the 2018/19 financial year. Often issues with low quality rental properties or disputes with re...
Strengthening consumers’ voice in policy and regulation affecting superannuation
Choosing a superannuation fund is one of the most important financial decisions a person will make. However, the superannuation system is failing countless Australians. People across Australia cont...
Making the insurance claims process fair
From a consumer perspective, claims handling is the most critical part of the insurance process, and one of the most problematic. Too often, the claims process is arduous, lengthy and unfair. In ou...
FinTech and RegTech should support positive outcomes for consumers
While we support the development of innovative services and business models that genuinely meet the needs of consumers much of the existing legal and regulatory frameworks are no longer fit for purpos...
Lack of minimum efficiency standards put renters at greater risk of energy debts
The financial counsellors working on Consumer Action's National Debt Helpline service provided financial counselling to over 11,000 people in the 2018/19 financial year. Often issues with low quality...
Strong compliance and enforcement is needed in telecommunications industry
Consumer Action receives 2-3 new calls per week through our legal assistance and worker advice lines or the National Debt Helpline about clients who are negatively affected by unaffordable phone debt....
Enhanced protections and clearer responsibilities will better support retirees
There are many systemic issues exist with retirement housing that adversely affect retirees’ wellbeing in their golden years. These include housing providers using threats of eviction to discourage re...
Giving energy users access to fair finance for new energy tech
Consumer Action Law Centre (Consumer Action) welcomes the opportunity to comment on the AA1000439 – New Energy Tech Consumer Code— consultation on proposed amendments to draft Code (Proposed Amendment...
Local councils must take financial hardship into account when collecting rates
Financial counsellors assist clients who are experiencing financial hardship. Most of WEstjustice’s and Consumer Action’s clients are grappling with debts and meeting the high cost of living in Melbou...
Access to basic bank accounts essential for vulnerable banking customers
In our joint submission with Financial Rights Legal Centre (Financial Rights) and Financial Counselling Australia (FCA), we offered strong support for the conditions proposed by the ACCC in its Draft...
Effective banking codes require enforcement measures with teeth
In our joint submission with Financial Rights Legal Centre to Report Three of the Customer Owned Banking Association’s (COBA) independent review of the Customer Owned Banking Code of Practice (COBA Co...
Good consumer outcomes should not be sacrificed for bankers’ bonuses
The financial services industry plays an essential role in the lives of Australians, from providing for day-to-day transactions to providing for a comfortable retirement. Markets were opened becaus...
Funeral expenses only products must be held to a higher standard
Consumer advocates have held long standing concerns over the inadequate regulatory framework for funeral expenses products. In our joint submission with Financial Rights Legal Centre (Financial Rig...
All Victorians deserve access to fair energy pricing
Since its implementation on 1 July 2019, the Victorian Default Offer (VDO) has given more Victorian energy users access to fairer pricing for their essential electricity services. In our comment to...
Protecting Australian families from dodgy vendor terms and rent-to-buy arrangements
Over the years, our team has assisted a number of people who have been adversely affected by failed vendor finance and rent-to-buy deals, which are promoted as an opportunity to achieve home ownership...
Energy compliance and performance reporting guideline
Monitoring is only as effective as the information gathered. In our submission to the Essential Services Commission (ESC) Compliance and Performance Reporting Guideline updated to include new entit...
