Curbing lead generation activity
This is a joint submission from Consumer Action Law Centre, Super Consumers Australia, Financial Rights Legal Centre, Mob Strong Debt Help, Financial Counselling Australia, Consumer Credit Legal Servi...
Consumer Action welcomes ASIC review into ‘lead generators’ – a focus of our designated complaint
Consumer Action Law Centre CEO Stephanie Tonkin has warmly welcomed moves by the Australian Securities and Investment Commission (ASIC) to review and investigate financial advice licensees using lead...
Consumer groups welcome consultation on reforms to stop unfair trading and strengthen consumer guarantees
Consumer groups have welcomed the release of Exposure Draft Legislation on Unfair Trading Practices, including two specific prohibitions targeting subscription traps and drip pricing. Consumer Acti...
A surge in scams while our ‘world leading’ Scam Prevention Framework missing in action
New scam data released today from the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) reveals that Australians lost nearly $260 million in scams in the first nine months of 2025, a 16% increase...
OPINION: The lessons of the Banking Royal Commission must not be forgotten
Published in the Herald Sun, 16 September, 2025. Opinion by Stephanie Tonkin, CEP Consumer Action Law Centre The Banking Royal Commission was a watershed moment for Australians. It shattered pub...
The attack on Camp Sovereignty was an attack on all Victorians
Consumer Action stands in solidarity with Camp Sovereignty and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities impacted by the egregious and racist attacks on Camp Sovereignty on 31 August. Consu...
Court Finds Money3 Breached Responsible Lending Laws: Consumer Advocates Welcome Outcome
In a decision handed down on Friday, the Federal Courthas found that car lender Money3 breached responsible lending laws. The case, brought by the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (...
OPINION: The evil reach of the ‘recovery’ scam as victims robbed again
First published in the Herald Sun, Sunday27 July 2025 The scams crisis is still raging, and some statistical indicators reveal this problem, which costs Australians billions of dollars every year,...
OPINION: Will our ‘super complaint’ stop the scourge of door-knock selling?
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 Commis...
Proposed AFCA Rules changes to expand jurisdiction over receiving banks in scams
We welcomed this year’s Federal Government announcement and Authorisation to expand AFCA’s jurisdiction to enable AFCA to consider complaints against banks for scam matters where an AFCA complainant d...
ACCC’s decision on first super complaint ‘shows the system works’ says Consumer Action
Consumer Action Law Centre CEO, Stephanie Tonkin says she is thrilled by the decision of the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission to launch a detailed review into the national impact and har...
Stop the harms! Regulate wage advance products now say consumer advocates
Consumer advocates from across Australia are calling on the Albanese Government to urgently regulate the proliferation of ‘wage advance’ products that are making the cost-of-living crisis worse for th...
Insurers once again shown to be failing customers, not meeting expectations
Consumer groups including Financial Rights Legal Centre, Financial Counselling Australia and Consumer Action Law Centre, have backed calls from the insurance regulator the Australian Securities and In...
Insurance code enforceability welcomed but delays and watering down protections a concern
Consumer groups including the Financial Rights Legal Centre, Financial Counselling Australia and the Consumer Action Law Centre, have welcomed the Insurance Council’s announcement that they will inclu...
OPINION: Why unsolicited selling should be banned
An edited version was first published in the Herald Sun on Sunday, 14 April 2025 Christine clicked on a Facebook site promising a solar deal with government rebates she could not refuse. Then a sal...
Much-needed Centrepay reforms the result of a decades-long campaign: Tonkin
Consumer Action Law Centre CEO Stephanie Tonkin said she was absolutely delighted that Minister Bill Shorten has announced consumer protections and reforms to Centrepay that restore it to its original...
Consumer advocates welcome proposed reforms to Government payment service
The Financial Rights Legal Centre, Mob Strong Debt Help, and Consumer Action Law Centre welcome the proposed reforms to Centrepay announced by Minister Bill Shorten this morning. These reforms include...
Government’s Scams Prevention Framework only goes halfway – we need a presumption of reimbursement say consumer advocates
A broad coalition of consumer advocates is calling for the Albanese Government to make one fundamental change to the proposed Scams Prevention Framework (SPF) and put reimbursement at its core, warnin...
Regulating Digital Asset Platforms: Crypto
Through our frontline services, we see widespread harm in the crypto market, and the urgent need for intervention. In this submission, we are responding to Treasury’s proposal paper Regulating Digi...
Banking industry announcement a big first step in addressing scams
Consumer Action Law Centre has welcomed the scams safe accord announced by the Australian Banking Association (ABA) and Customer Owned Banking Association (COBA) which has involved, for the first time...
REPORT: Our Impact 2022-23 fighting for a fairer marketplace especially for those needing help
We are delighted to publish our Impact Report 2022-23 which highlights our organisation’s achievements over the past year working for and with the people we help. Read about the many successes we h...
Consumer Action statement on the referendum result
The referendum result is incredibly tough for our First Nations staff, stakeholders and First Nations people across the country. Consumer Action feels deep disappointment and concern about the message...
Telcos still not connecting with Aussies -especially those most impacted by the cost-of-living crisis
The latest figures released in the Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman’s (TIO) 2023 Annual report show that the nation’s telcos are still not providing an acceptable standard of service in many key...
Personal insolvency discussion paper 2023
Consumer Action Law Centre provides financial counselling assistance and legal advice to people at all stages of the insolvency process. We regularly speak to people who end up in unnecessary and cost...
ASIC’s strong action against discredited loan-shark Cigno, BSF Solutions and its directors applauded
Consumer Action Law Centre and Financial Counselling Australia say they hope the Australian Securities and Investment Commission’s (ASIC) court action announced today against Cigno and BSF Solutions a...
Repeat offender Alinta Energy fined $380,000 for failing to help Victorians in dire need
Consumer Action has welcomed the Essential Services Commission (ESC) imposing $380,000 in penalties on energy retailer Alinta Energy Retail Sales Pty Ltd (Alinta Energy) for failing to provide adequat...
High Court dismisses last ditch appeal by rogue lender
Consumer advocates have welcomed the dismissal by the High Court of a special leave application by Cigno Pty Ltd (Cigno) and BHF Solutions Pty Ltd (BHFS) against the Full Federal Court’s finding in en...
ASIC lending model ban on rogue lender Cigno applauded
Consumer Action welcomed today’s announcement from the corporate regulator Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) that it will use its product intervention power to ban the excessivel...
“Devastating cultural and financial impact”: First Nations communities in crisis after Youpla collapse
New data reveals the local communities hit hardest by predatory insurer as calls grow for urgent Federal Government action “The collapse of the predatory funeral fund Youpla (ACBF) is having a deva...
Consumer advocates praise court decision against Cigno loans
Consumer advocates have welcomed a Full Federal Court decision striking down a credit law avoidance strategy used by Cigno Pty Ltd and BHF Solutions. For years, fringe lender Cigno has preyed upon...
OPINION: That lemon car sour taste just keeps getting worse
Opinion piece by Gerard Brody, CEO Consumer Action Law Centre A version of this opinion piece appeared in the Herald Sun today The pandemic has helped drive second-hand car prices up 50 percent...
Calls for stripping Sumo Power’s energy licence & compensation for those wrongly disconnected
Consumer groups* have written to the Essential Services Commission (ESC) calling for Sumo Power’s (Sumo) licence to operate in Victoria to be investigated and monetary compensation for those wrongfull...
Improving the effectiveness of the consumer guarantee and supplier indemnification provisions under the Australian Consumer Law
Consumers expect to purchase products that work, and when they don’t work people should be easily able to enforce their consumer guarantee rights. We welcome the opportunity to provide comments to...
Inhumane energy disconnections must end: $500K Sumo Power fine
Consumer Action has welcomed the Essential Services Commission (ESC) imposing $500,000 in penalties on energy retailer Sumo Power Pty Ltd for wrongfully disconnecting hundreds of families in the lead...
Banking Code Compliance Priorities 2022-23
The Banking Code Compliance Committee’s (BCCC) administration and enforcement of the Banking Code of Practice (the Code) is a key aspect of regulatory oversight in the banking sector. The BCCC’s mo...
Quality of financial advice review–Draft Terms of Reference
Conflicted remuneration is the root cause of many of the problems uncovered by the Royal Commission into Misconduct in the Banking, Superannuation and Financial Services Industry (Royal Commission)....
Time to finally end the harm done by Cigno loans
Consumer groups and financial counsellors are urging the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) to act now to put an end to the use of harmful lending models used to charge excessive...
Consumer groups call for new ombudsman to ‘prune’ lemon cars
Consumer advocates are calling on the Victorian Government to commit to a free and effective dispute resolution service for Victorians who are sold ‘lemon’ cars by car dealers in next year’s Budget....
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...
Consumer groups applaud Federal Court ruling to uphold ASIC intervention in short-term credit market
Today’s Full Federal Court decision to dismiss an application by Cigno Pty Ltd (Cigno), seeking to quash the Australian Securities and Investments Commission’s (ASIC) product intervention order to rei...
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?...
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...
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...
Vic Government called on to act as big gaps in consumer protection put solar customers at risk
Consumer Action has today published a report calling on the Victorian Government to fix the gaps in consumer protections that are leaving thousands of solar customers prey to high-pressure sales tacti...
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...