Australian Consumer Law - Consumer Action Law Centre

ASIC Consultation Paper 346 – The Hawking Prohibition: Update to RG 38

This submission has been prepared by Consumer Action Law Centre with contributions and endorsement from the Financial Rights Legal Centre, Financial Counselling Australia and Super Consumers Australia...

Finance executives who break the law must be held to account

The Banking Royal Commission revealed that many decisions made by senior leaders of financial services firms have had a devastating impact on people across Australia. Their conduct has driven many mem...

Federal Government’s commitment to compensation scheme of last resort welcomed

A coalition of consumer groups has welcomed the Federal Government’s commitment to establish a compensation scheme of last resort. Uncompensated losses arising from financial misconduct can cause a...

Consumer leases must not be excluded from Government’s design and distribution obligations regime

Consumer Action has today written to the Treasury noting that the Government intends to make amendments to the design and distribution obligations (DDO) regime. The letter strongly urges the Govern...

Victoria’s Embedded Networks Review: Our response to the Draft Recommendations

Consumer Action welcomes the opportunity to comment on the Embedded Networks Review Draft Recommendations Report. We agree with the Panel’s vision that, “...consumers should have equal protections,...

Our response to the Right to Repair Inquiry Draft Report

We strongly support recommendations to address the main barriers to accessing repairs and other remedies through consumer guarantees. These barriers would be reduced through the introduction of altern...

Victorian Gas Substitution Roadmap Consultation

For Victorians we speak to at Consumer Action their concerns are often about immediate affordability of energy bills, including gas. These bills are unaffordable for many reasons and can include, but...

Fairness, respect, reflection, courage: Our strategic plan 2021-25

Our strategic plan 2021-2025 is a snapshot of our priorities and ambitions for the next four years. We use our skills and knowledge in the law, financial counselling, policy, campaigning, and advoc...

Telstra Energy – application for electricity and gas retail licence raises questions

This submission is made jointly to the Essential Services Commission from the Consumer Action Law Centre, Financial Counselling Australia, Financial Counselling Victoria and the Victorian Aboriginal L...

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Consumer groups: Insurance exemption loopholes undermine spirit of Hayne reforms

Yesterday the Morrison Government announced that it would provide sweeping exemptions to the insurance industry from Financial Services Royal Commission reforms designed to improve insurance sales pra...

Regulating with consumer vulnerability in mind: Essential Services Commission’s draft strategy

Consumer Action welcomes the opportunity to comment on the Essential Services Commission’s (ESC) draft consumer access and equity strategy, Getting to fair: Breaking down barriers to essential service...

Court decision on Cigno lending model ‘extremely disappointing’

Today’s Federal Court decision that the lending model promoted by Cigno Pty Ltd did not breach the National Consumer Credit Protection Act (National Credit Act) is extremely disappointing, and consum...

Consumer issues in Victorian Aboriginal communities during 2020

This report has collated data, community intelligence, and case studies to answer the following questions: 1. What consumer, credit and debt issues are impacting Victorian Aboriginal communities?...

Consumer issues in Victorian Aboriginal communities during 2020

A report Consumer Issues in Victorian Aboriginal Communities during 2020 published today by Consumer Action Law Centre (Consumer Action) and the Victorian Aboriginal Legal Service (VALS) uses quantit...

Access, pricing and incentive arrangements for distributed energy resources

Consumer Action Law Centre welcomes the opportunity to comment on the Australian Energy Market Commission’s (AEMC) Access, pricing and incentive arrangements for distributed energy resources (DER) dra...

Next steps for the Victorian Default Offer

Consumer Action Law Centre welcomes the opportunity to comment on the Essential Services Commission’s (the Commisson) consultation paper Next steps for the Victorian Default Offer. These comments...

Tougher rules banning aggressive energy & solar sales a big win for all Victorians

Consumer Action has welcomed the Victorian Government’s announcement today that it is banning high-pressure sales tactics like unsolicited door-to-door sales and cold-calling to protect people from be...

Consultation on Draft Regulator Performance Guide

We support the Government’s planned introduction of a new framework to replace the existing 2014 Regulator Performance Framework (Old Framework), which is considerably flawed and outdated. The Draft G...

Framework for reform –Modernising Victoria’s building system

This submission responds primarily to the proposed improvements relating to consumer protection, in particular, the proposals to: Improve existing advocacy and support services for individual con...

More ‘trouble with telcos’ as bad service, hidden costs, and shoddy sales practices revealed

A report* published today by the Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman (TIO) reveals that telco sales culture, practices, and cost structures before and during COVID are continuing to fail Australia’s...

Gambling should not be funded by credit

While gambling is a legitimate form of entertainment for many Australians, we believe it should not be funded by credit and support a prohibition on the use of credit cards, including via e-wallets, f...

Telstra cops record $50 million fine, consumer groups say industry must improve its practices

The Federal Court today upheld the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission’s (ACCC) $50 million fine against Telstra for its treatment of Indigenous people in rural and remote parts o...

Consumer group calls for unsolicited sale ban after solar company fined $3 million

This week the Federal Court of Australia ordered Vic Solar to pay a $3 million fine for violating provisions of the Australian Consumer Law relating to unsolicited sales, among other breaches of cons...

The 2021 Water Price Review –Melbourne Water Draft Decision

Access to water is a basic human right. All Victorians are entitled to a supply of water necessary for an adequate standard of living. Fundamental to this is that water services remain affordable for...

ASIC must reject licence applications from predatory debt vultures

Consumer Action has welcomed the news that Federal Treasurer Josh Frydenberg MP has made new regulations requiring debt management firms – also known as ‘debt vultures’ – to be licenced to provide ser...

Surge in disconnections a blow to thousands during COVID

The latest data from the Essential Services Commission (ESC) reveals a big surge in the number of people being disconnected from their energy supply and increasing numbers of people struggling to keep...

Telco conduct harming customers reveals why self-regulation is a failure

A new report by Financial Counselling Australia has criticised the selling practices, customer service and financial hardship programs offered by the telco industry in the wake of COVID-19, revealing ...

Review of the Australian Financial Complaints Authority

Contributors to this submission have supported and represented thousands of people in disputes with financial services providers and superannuation funds over many years. This includes extensive exper...

Consumer remediation: Update to Regulatory Guide 256

We strongly support a continuing focus on consumer remediation by the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) in its enforcement. Remediation programs have been a very welcome develop...

Report: Our response to the New Energy Tech Consumer Code

The New Energy Tech Consumer Code (NET Code) is a voluntary industry code of conduct, which sets practice standards for the sale of New Energy Technology (NET) products, systems, and services by retai...

Consumer advocates ‘gobsmacked’ by majority Senate report on predatory lending laws

A newly released report by the Senate Economics Legislation Committee has recommended Parliament pass proposed laws that fall woefully short of what advocates say is needed to protect people from pred...

“Recipe for economic disaster”: Consumer groups slam Senate report on lending laws

Consumer groups condemn the majority’s recommendations of today’s Senate Inquiry Report, as the vote looms next week on the Government's disastrous proposal to axe safe lending laws. The repeal of...

Australian Communications Media Authority compliance priorities

Consumer Action Law Centre (Consumer Action) and WEstjustice welcome the opportunity to contribute to the development of ACMA compliance priorities for 2021 –2022, hence our submission. The past ye...

Saving Responsible Lending: Senate Committee opening statement

On 19 February 2021, Gerard Brody, CEO of Consumer Action Law Centre and Fiona Guthrie, CEO, Financial Counselling Australia spoke at the Senate Economics Legislation Committee hearing on the Nation...

Victoria’s Embedded Networks Review: Our response

Consumer Action Law Centre (Consumer Action) welcomes the opportunity to comment on the Embedded Networks Review (the Review) Issues Paper. We support the Victorian Government’s decision to ban emb...

Buy now pay later sector must be regulated by Government not itself

Consumer groups have united to call for Federal Government regulation of buy now pay later (BNPL) services to protect consumers and put all credit providers on a level playing field. Today the Aus...

Over 590,000 Australians have relied on safe lending laws for justice

As the Senate Economics Committee hosts hearings in Canberra today, over 22,000 Australians have joined the call for Federal Senators to strengthen instead of repeal safe lending laws, with many sha...

Scam alert: Be aware

We’ve had reports of scammers falsely using Consumer Action’s name to obtain money and banking details from their victims. Consumer Action is not responsible for these calls. We will never ask for mon...

Royal Commission add-on junk insurance reforms must be implemented industry-wide

Community legal centres are urging the Government to deliver on Commissioner Hayne’s recommendation that the deferred sales model for add-on insurance apply ‘industry-wide’. The Final Report of the...

Consumer groups support licensing of ‘debt vultures’ but reforms must go further to stop the harm

While some businesses stepped up to help Australians to recover from the COVID-19 crisis, others sought to profit from people’s desperate financial circumstances. Unregulated debt management firms ...

Licensing debt management firms: Exposure draft regulations

While some businesses stepped up to help Australians to recover from the COVID-19 crisis, others have simply sought to profit from people’s desperate financial circumstances. Debt management firms(...

Submission: Consultation on revision to the new Prudential Standard APS 220 Credit Risk Management

This submission is from Consumer Action Law Centre, Financial Rights Legal Centre, Victorian Aboriginal Legal Service, CHOICE, Financial Counselling Australia, Consumer Credit Law Service (W...

Right to Repair submission to Productivity Commission Inquiry

Consumer Action Law Centre (Consumer Action) welcomes the opportunity to provide feedback to the Productivity Commission Inquiry into a right to repair. The ability for consumers to access afford...

Deferred sales model for add-on insurance – exemptions by class

This submission is made by Consumer Action Law Centre, Financial Rights Legal Centre and WEstjustice. We oppose any exemptions for classes of add-on insurance products from the deferred sales model...

REPORT: Telcos miss the mark on hardship support during COVID, time to treat them as an essential service

A new report by the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) Customer financial hardship in the telco industry reveals stark variations in hardship support offered during the COVID-19 cris...

Opinion: Responsible lending law repeal will undo good

First published in the Herald Sun, 8 February 2021. In the two years since the Hayne Royal Commission Final Report while the Federal Government has made some changes to strengthen consumer protecti...

Submission from the Stop the Debt Trap Alliance: National Consumer Credit Protection Amendment (Supporting Economic Recovery) Bill 2020

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