Consumer Action has provided comment to the Parliamentary Joint Committee’s inquiry, Litigation funding and the regulation of the class action industry (Class Action Inquiry). Class actions p...
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...
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...
by Gerard Brody, CEO of Consumer Action Law Centre Fairness will be the big issue in consumer policy during 2020. It is being talked about like never before. This follows on from Kenneth...
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....
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...
Consumer Action Law Centre (Consumer Action) welcomes the introduction today of legislation in the Senate by Labor and Centre Alliance, in the wake of Government inaction. The Bill is an important mea...
The Victorian Government’s proposed changes to class action rules should enable greater access to justice and promote corporate accountability, according to Consumer Action Law Centre. The Justice...
In the wake of CommInsure’s breaches of anti-hawking laws, Consumer Action Law Centre (Consumer Action) says it’s time to take urgent and decisive action by implementing an economy-wide ban on unsolic...
We have been contacted by a number of financial counsellors, community workers and the general public with serious concerns about ClearLoans. On its website ClearLoans advertises itself as “guarantor...
“Stand up to the insurance lobby” - that’s the message of leading consumer groups as they deliver signatures of over 20,000 Australians to Parliament House in Canberra. The groups anticipate the Fe...
The updated Banking Code received authorisation yesterday from the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) and the ABA are now seeking final approval from the Australian Securities and I...
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...
The general insurance industry’s new code of practice is a long awaited and necessary advancement, according to the Financial Rights Legal Centre (Financial Rights) and Consumer Action Law Centre (Con...
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...
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...
The Design and Distribution Obligations (DADOS) require financial service providers to provide products that meet customer needs rather than focussing on securing the sale. In our joint submission on...
In our joint response to exposure draft legislation implementing certain aspects of the ASIC Enforcement Review Taskforce (ERT) Final Report, Consumer Action and Financial Rights Legal Centre (Financi...
In our joint submission with Financial Rights Legal Centre to the Report Two of the Customer Owned Banking Association’s (COBA) independent review of the Customer Owned Banking Code of Practice (COBA...
Access to fee-free ‘basic bank accounts’ are an important support for vulnerable banking customers. In light of the harm banking fees can cause for low-income and vulnerable consumers, Commissioner Ha...
The mortgage broking industry is long overdue for reform. Landmark inquiries from the Banking Royal Commission and the Productivity Commission, as well as a number of ASIC investigations, have all...
Consumer Action supports the Treasury Laws Amendment (Prohibiting Energy Market Misconduct) Bill 2019 (the Bill). We feel that it will ensure the Australian Energy Regulator (AER) has appropriate powe...
Consumer Action says the Australian Securities and Investment Commission’s (ASIC) proposal to use its product intervention powers (PIP) for add-on insurance and warranties sold by caryards lacks teeth...
It is our firm stance that fairness should be at the forefront of all markets. In our comment on the Energy Security Board (ESB) Post 2025 Market Design Issues Paper (Issues Paper), Consumer Action...
New complaints data released by the Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman (TIO) emphasises the clear need for regulation and strengthened regulator enforcement powers to protect Australians from poor...
A Victorian woman who has suffered at the hands of payday lenders has an important message for the Government about the dangers of payday loans as she joins the Stop the Debt Trap Alliance, a coaliti...
A Victorian woman living with a disability has brought proceedings in the Federal Circuit Court regarding five consumer lease contracts from Darranda Pty Ltd, trading as Rent4Keeps, and Mobberley Ente...
The Energy & Water Ombudsman Victoria (EWOV) plays an important role in ensuring Victorian households have ongoing access to fair outcomes in relation to the provision of essential energy and wate...
Consumers rely on energy distribution businesses to ensure a consistent supply of their essential electricity services. It is important that these businesses are regulated effectively so that consist...
There is a big fairness problem in insurance. People often make insurance claims when they are at a low ebb, but they can face shocking outcomes when insurers rely on unfair terms in insurance contrac...
It is critical that the process to make and resolve complaints with a bank, insurer, or super fund is timely, fair, and accessible, including for people experiencing vulnerability and disadvantage. O...
In our feedback to the Banking Code Compliance Committee (BCCC) inquiry into banks’ compliance when accepting and enforcing guarantees, Consumer Action discusses our concerns with guarantee provision...
The Victorian Default Offer (VDO) was designed to re-regulate electricity pricing to ensure that more Victorian households receive a fair price on their electricity service. Since the VDO’s establishm...
Businesses such as Cigno Pty Ltd, which facilitate access to predatory and unregulated payday loans by exploiting loopholes in the law, are on notice as the Australian Securities and Investment Commis...
In its response to the High Court finding that a ‘book-up’ credit scheme operated in the remote Aboriginal community of Mintabie in the South Australian APY lands was not unconscionable, Consumer Acti...
Newly enacted laws about the fairness of financial products and services can work to prevent harm in banking and finance if the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) takes immediate...
Consumer Action Law Centre (Consumer Action) has recommended that financial service providers be required to improve their approach to dispute resolution in its comments to the Senate Legal and Consti...
Consumer Action has made a submission to The Australian Government Treasury’s 2019-20 Pre-Budget Submission process. We have focused this submission on two areas where budget action could make an imme...
This Senate Inquiry is a crucial opportunity to close the regulatory loopholes exploited by fringe lenders and ‘debt help’ companies. These companies can entrench disadvantage for some of the most vul...
Consumer Action Law Centre together with WEstjustice made a submission to the CommsAlliance on the Telecommunications Consumer Protections Code Draft (DR C628:2018) (draft Code), which has been produc...
Consumer protection mechanisms in the telecommunications market are failing Australians. The Telecommunications Consumer Safeguards Review is an important and timely opportunity to move from self-regu...
Consumer Action Law Centre made a submission to the Australian Law Reform Commission's Inquiry into Class Action Proceedings and Third-Party Litigation Funders (Discussion Paper 85, June 2018) (ALRC I...
The Consumer Action Law Centre, Residents of Retirement Villages Victoria, Housing for the Aged Action Group and COTA Victoria welcome the opportunity to comment on the most recent Draft Retirement Li...
This written submission is provided by Consumer Action Law Centre (Consumer Action) following the conclusion of the Round 3 hearings on loans to small and medium enterprises. Misconduct and conduct...
In Australia, everyone should be able to easily access a free, fair, fast and effective service to resolve complaints against their lender, insurer or superannuation fund. To ensure that the Australia...
We reject the legal status quo which enables garnishee orders issued prior to bankruptcy to continue to garnish the wages of bankrupted individuals post-bankruptcy. As we understand it, garnishee ord...
Consumer Action has launched our latest election platform for this November's Victorian State Election which calls on our state politicians to make access to justice fairer and more affordable for all...
In Australia, everyone should be able to easily access a free, fair, fast and effective service to resolve complaints against financial firms. The establishment of the Australian Financial Complaints...
Currently, there is no plan for the increased longevity and diversity of Victoria’s population. The result is a fragmented approach to policy and programs relating to older people between the ages of...
Consumer Action Law Centre (Consumer Action) has made a submission to Victoria's Department of Treasury and Finance during the 2018-19 Pre-Budget period. Consumer Action has focused this submission on...