Australian Consumer Law - Consumer Action Law Centre

Productivity Commission Draft Report – Consumer Law Enforcement and Administration

The Consumer Action Law Centre (Consumer Action) is pleased to provide comment in response to the Productivity Commission Draft Report – Consumer Law Enforcement and Administration (Draft Report)....

Australian Consumer Law Review: Interim Report

The Consumer Action Law Centre (Consumer Action) welcomes the opportunity to respond to the Australian Consumer Law Review—Interim Report (Interim Report). While we are engaged with the process, we...

Cooling off doesn’t work: New research

Australians have been told for decades that “cooling off” periods will protect them from predatory salespeople, but new research shows dodgy salespeople still have the upper hand. Dr Paul Harrison,...

Productivity Commission Issues Paper – Consumer Law Enforcement and Administration

The Consumer Action Law Centre (Consumer Action) is pleased to provide comment in response to the Productivity Commission Issues Paper – Consumer Law Enforcement and Administration (Issues Paper)....

Legal action against Get Qualified Australia

Consumer Action has assisted a 34 year old migrant to take legal action against Get Qualified Australia. GQA claims to assist people with the process of Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL). RPL is an...

Australian Consumer Law Review – submission

The Consumer Action Law Centre (Consumer Action) welcomes the opportunity to respond to the Australian Consumer Law Review—Issues Paper (Issues Paper). The Review is highly anticipated and offers a...

Inquiry into the causes and consequences of the collapse of listed retailers in Australia

The Consumer Action Law Centre (Consumer Action) welcomes the opportunity to comment on the Inquiry into the causes and consequences of the collapse of listed retailers in Australia (Inquiry). View...

Why an unfairness test might be a better way to tackle big business bullies

Eileen Webb, University of Western Australia Unconscionable conduct proceedings against Woolworths by the corporate regulator announced this week are a (yet another) brave attempt to crack down on an...

Solar sale burns buyer

A Melbourne couple are fighting to get their money back after being sold solar panels that they say were trouble from the moment they were installed. The couple, Michael and Amanda Cousins, assist...

Facebook makes it easier to buy and sell, but what are your rights?

You may have noticed this option pop up in your Facebook groups. It looks like Facebook is on a mission to make it easier to sell and buy items through their network, but what are your rights? I...

Submission: Financial System Inquiry – Improving Consumer Disclosure

The Financial System Inquiry Interim Report notes that the current disclosure regime for retail financial products and services is not always effective in meeting its objective. It produces complex an...

Media Release: Making home insurance fair and simple – Consumer Action welcomes new report findings

A new report by the Office of the Fire Services Levy Monitor has lifted the veil on Australia’s home insurance industry, exposing high profits, poor product and price disclosure, and a severe lack of...

Media Release: Inquiry recommends changes to ASIC

Consumer Action welcomes much of the findings of the Senate Standing Committees on Economics Inquiry into the Performance of the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC), and commends A...

Media release: Dozo car sales ordered to pay $2,150 after breaching consumer guarantees

Dozo Car Sales has been ordered to pay $2,150 to a vulnerable consumer after it refused, within a reasonable time, to provide a refund on a defective car and, instead, bought it back at a reduced pric...

Submission: Consumer Credit Regulations

Consumer Action and the Consumer Credit Legal Centre NSW have made a joint submission to Treasury on exposure draft consumer credit regulations affecting payday lenders. In summary, we are supportive...

Submission: Access to Justice Arrangements

Consumer Action has provided a submission to the Productivity Commission on its Issues Paper, Access to Justice Arrangements. The key points and recommendations made in this submission are: The inq...

Joint submission: Independent Review of the Financial Ombudsman Service

Consumer Action and Consumer Credit Legal Centre (NSW) have coordinated and written a consumer submission to the independent review of the Financial Ombudsman Service. The submission contains contribu...

Consumer Action Law Centre Policy and Campaigns Plan 2013-14

Consumer Action is a not-for-profit, independent community organisation, focused on advancing the interests of consumers. We advocate for more equitable outcomes for consumers, particularly those who...

Timeshare schemes

Key messages carefully consider what you are getting before you purchase an interest in a timeshare scheme; or there are a number of protections that may assist you if you think you have got a ba...

Consumer InterAction – Issue 3 of 2013

The third edition of Consumer InterAction for 2013 is now online. This edition includes information on: New Director of Policy & Campaigns announced; New tool to stop door knockers; Regulator...

Media Release: $1.5 million fine for AGL as the costs of door-to-door marketing misconduct start to add up for energy retailers

The Consumer Action Law Centre, the organisation behind the successful Do Not Knock sticker and campaign, has welcomed a Federal Court decision that AGL Sales Pty Ltd and AGL South Australia Pty Ltd p...

Joint Submission: Changes to Disclosure Requirements under the National Consumer Protection Act 2009

Consumer Action and the Consumer Credit Legal Centre welcomes Treasury's approach of basing revised disclosure on the findings made by the Uniquest report. Uniquest was commissioned by the Standing Co...

Consumer InterAction – Issue 2 of 2013

The second edition of Consumer InterAction for 2013 is now online. This edition includes information on: New Consumer Action CEO; Energy retailers end door-to-door sales; Review of Centrepay; Th...

Submission: Exposure Drafts of the National Consumer Credit Protection Amendment (Credit Reform Phase 2) Bill 2012

The Consumer Action Law Centre welcomes the opportunity to comment on the draft National Consumer Credit Protection Amendment (Credit Reform Phase 2) Bill 2012. Briefly, this submission: strongly s...

Consumer Guarantees: Defective goods and services

Key message: When you buy goods or services, those goods or services must meet certain standards called 'guarantees' under the Australian Consumer Law. Use this template letter if you purchase...

Media release: Consumer Action welcomes High Court ruling on bank penalty fees

Consumer Action has welcomed today's High Court ruling which found that a number of different bank fees are capable of being considered unlawful penalties. The Centre, whose predecessor Consumer Law C...

July 2012

Home help has strings attached The Age, 25 July 2012, John Kavanagh Unpaid power bills going up The Age, 17 July 2012, Rachel Wells Avoid the stress zone on your home loan Sydney Morning Hera...

Media release: Time to build new consumer protections from the bottom up

In its response to a Victorian Government consultation paper, Consumer Action urged the Government to take decisive action, arguing small reforms around the edges would do little to help consumers see...

Submission: Submission to the Victorian Government’s consultation on the domestic building consumer protection framework

Broadly, this submission: argues that the nature of domestic building transactions mean that specialised and strengthened consumer protections are required; recommends that the entire consumer prot...

What if I have been sued for a debt?

Key message Act quickly to get advice if you have been sued for a debt in the Magistrate’s Court of Victoria. The Magistrates Court Process If the amount owed is $100,000 or less, a creditor...

Submission: Inquiry into the post-GFC banking sector

This submission makes the following brief points: that the development of an independent measure of the cost of bank funding (including offshore wholesale funding, and deposits), regularly reported...

Submission: Inquiry into the post-GFC banking sector

Rather than responding to each point of the Committee's terms of reference, this submission makes the following brief points: that the development of an independent measure of the cost of bank fundi...

Credit limit offers in the spotlight

We've all seen letters or messages from banks trying to entice us to increase our credit card limits. They come in a range or forms from Congratulations, you’ve been pre-approved, to Increase your cre...

Submission: Productivity Commission’s Regulatory Impact Assessment benchmarking study

This submission argues that the Regulatory Impact Assessment process could be improved if government agencies had more guidance on how to assess the benefits of regulation and the less tangible impact...

May 2012

VicRoads ordered to court in parking case ABC Online, 30 May 2012, Sarah Farnsworth Credit limit offers in the spotlight Briefed: The Law Blog, Herald Sun, 28 May 2012, Gerard Brody Short-chan...

Media release: Linked credit case could cast doubt on more NAB student loans

The Consumer Action Law Centre has lodged a complaint with the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS) against the National Australia Bank (NAB) and is seeking to have its client’s NAB student loan terminat...

Submission: Proposed amendments to the Consumer Credit and Corporations Legislation Amendment (Enhancements) Bill 2011

In brief, this submission recommends: With regards to hardship variations that Government consider providing detailed guidance to credit providers, perhaps through ASIC, to assist them to better a...

Media release: Retirement village contracts confusing for consumers, says consumer group

The Consumer Action Law Centre says a case in which it is assisting an elderly retirement village resident with her dispute before the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT) demonstrates t...

Policy report: A scan of the return policies of online retailers in Australia

In January 2011, the Australian Government introduced legal protections for consumers buying goods or services called ‘consumer guarantees’. Consumer Guarantees ensure that you can get a refund, repla...

Getting the most out of the new Australian Consumer Law

The Australian Consumer Law came into effect on 1 January 2011. It harmonises consumer protection and fair trading legislation nationally, and introduces new national unfair contract terms protections...

Submission: Unconscionable Conduct Issues Paper

Consumer Action welcomes the opportunity to provide comment to the inquiry process established by the Government to examine options for clarifying the unconscionable conduct provisions of the Trade Pr...

Submission: Australian Consumer Law – draft unfair contract terms provisions

Consumer Action strongly supports national unfair contract terms regulation. We consider that the draft legislation in the Paper largely reflects the policy intent previously communicated by the Minis...

Submission: Trade Practices – Unconscionable Conduct

Consumer Action welcomes the opportunity to provide this submission to the Senate Economics Committee’s Inquiry into the need to develop a clear statutory definition of unconscionable conduct for the...

Submission: Productivity Commission Inquiry into Australia’s Consumer Policy Framework

Consumer Action has made a submission to the Productivity Commission Inquiry into Australia’s Consumer Policy Framework. To read our submission, click here: Productivity Commission Inquiry into Aus...

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