Consumer groups welcome passing of buy now, pay later regulations
Key loophole in credit laws will be closed Consumer groups have welcomed the passing of the Treasury Laws Amendment (Responsible Buy Now Pay Later and Other Measures) Bill 2024 (BNPL Bill) through...
Energy Consumer Reforms Consultation
Consumer Action supports the objectives of the Essential Services Commission (ESC’s) proposed reforms to ensure people experiencing payment difficulty are receiving the best price for energy from thei...
Our impact 2023-24: Fighting for a fairer marketplace in a cost-of-living crisis
We are delighted to publish our Impact Report 2023-24 which highlights what we’ve been doing over the past year working alongside consumers, national advocates and cross-sector stakeholders. The co...
AUSTRAC: Guidance on assisting customers who don’t have identification
This is a joint submission made on behalf of: •Consumer Action Law Centre •Financial Counselling Australia •Financial Rights Legal Centre •Indigenous Consumer Assistance Network •Mob Strong Deb...
Stronger consumer protections needed to make our marketplace fairer
The two major consumer protections announced today -the ban on unfair trading and consultation on penalties for breaches by traders and service providers of the consumer guarantees under the Australia...
Stronger telco protections targeting those experiencing domestic and family violence real progress
Consumer Action Law Centre Acting Director of Policy and Campaigns Luke Lovell said the new protections for telco customers experiencing domestic and family violence (DFV) announced today by Minister...
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...
Submission: Scams Prevention Framework – exposure draft legislation
This is a joint submission made on behalf of: • Consumer Action Law Centre • CHOICE • The Australian Communications Consumer Action Network • Financial Rights Legal Centre • Super Consumers Austr...
Services Australia: Centrepay Reform Discussion Paper
This submission to Services Australia is prepared by the Consumer Action Law Centre based on our casework experience. The primary issues we identify in our client files for Centrepay customers are:...
Network Outage Review
Consumer Action Law Centre is delighted to make a submission to the Network Outage Review. We were contacted by a small number of consumers impacted by the network outages in February 2024, and som...
REPORT: Energy debt higher than ever as low-income households priced out of essential service
Consumer Action Law Centre CEO Stephanie Tonkin says the Centre’s new report Energy Assistance Report 4th Edition: Keeping the Lights On published today, highlights that thousands of Victorians are st...
Consumer groups welcome new laws regulating Buy Now, Pay Later as credit but some concerns remain
New laws regulating Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) have been announced today. Consumer groups respond as follows: Quotes attributable to Stephanie Tonkin, CEO of Consumer Action Law Centre “We welcom...
OPINION: The victims of scams should not have to pay
First published in today's Herald Sun, by Stephanie Tonkin, CEO Consumer Action Law Centre I speak to the victims of scams every week and their stories leave me shaken and sad. Often, what’s stolen...
Fed Court decision final ‘nail in the coffin’ for predatory lenders Cigno Australia Pty Ltd and BSF Solutions Pty Ltd
Consumer Action Law Centre is delighted the Federal Court has issued a strong decision that calls out Cigno Australia Pty Ltd, BSF Solutions Pty Ltd and two of the entities’ directors for exploiting l...
Victorian Default Offer Draft Decision 2024-25
Consumer Action welcomes the opportunity to provide our submission to the Essential Services Commission (ESC) Draft Decision of the Victorian Default Offer 2024-25. We welcome the ESC’s draft deci...
Fighting SMS Scams – What type of SMS sender ID registry should be introduced in Australia?
The Australian Communications Consumer Network's (ACCAN) submission has been informed by feedback from consumer and community organisations who regularly assist consumers affected by scams and other d...
REPORT: At the front line of the cost-of-living crisis
Interest rates have gone up thirteen times since May 2022. Inflation calculators, which look at purchasing power over time, show that since 2022 there has been a ten percent decrease in the purchasing...
Senate Inquiry: Cost-of-Living crisis highlights the need for supermarket prices to be fair and transparent say consumer advocates
Consumer Action Law Centre CEO Stephanie Tonkin and Acting Director of Financial Counselling Practice Claire Tacon will be giving evidence today at the Senate Select Committee hearing into supermarket...
Regulation of Buy Now, Pay Later a step closer, but concerns remain over details
Consumer groups have responded to draft Buy Now, Pay Later legislation (BNPL) released today : Quotes attributable to Stephanie Tonkin, CEO of Consumer Action Law Centre “We welcome regulating Buy...
Inquiry into the Competition and Consumer Amendment (Fair Go for Consumers and Small Business) Bill 2024
We are strongly supportive of a designated complaints function as an important addition to the regulatory landscape in Australia, reflecting the value of intelligence and quality of decision making in...
Scam victims head to Canberra to tell politicians why banks should be incentivised to stop scams
Tim Watkins, Sarah Gerendasi, James Green, and Nina Merrilees were robbed of thousands of dollars by scammers. They are travelling to Canberra today to share their stories at the launch of the new Par...
Consumer fail: New Telco Code proposal delivers little for vulnerable consumers
The Communications Alliance, the peak industry body for the Australian communications sector, has released a proposed framework and review package for the Telecommunications Consumer Protections (TCP)...
Federal Court Grants Injunction to Protect Pawned Goods in Class Action against Pawnbroker, Taylors Business
The Federal Court has granted an injunction against pawnbroker, Taylors Business Pty Ltd (ACN 107 445 723) (Taylors Business) in class action proceedings filed by Consumer Action Law Centre (Consumer...
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 launches class action in Federal Court against pawnbroker Taylors Business
Consumer Action Law Centre (Consumer Action) has filed a class action in the Federal Court of Australia against Taylors Business Pty Ltd. The lead plaintiff, a Victorian woman, represents herself and...
The National Legal Assistance Partnership Review
The community legal sector’s work would not be possible without stable, indexed NLAP funding. This is a critical part of specialist community legal centres’ (CLC) baseline resourcing, now and into the...
ANALYSIS: Addressing and Preventing Legal Need
Consumer Action seeks to be a reflective, impact-driven organisation that can adjust and refine our services to meet legal need. We have done significant work to conduct evaluations of our existing se...
Good news: Predatory lenders Cigno and BHF won’t escape justice
The success of the Australian Securities and Investment Commission (ASIC) in its Federal Court action against Cigno Pty Ltd (Cigno) and BHF Solutions Pty Ltd (BHF Solutions), is good news which we hop...
REPORT: More support needed to help Victorians households manage power bills
A new report released today by Consumer Action Law Centre has found that while Victoria’s energy retailers continue to improve their support for people in financial hardship, many Victorians continue...
Australian scam victims left behind as UK puts responsibility on banks to reimburse customers
In a world first, the UK Parliament this week passed legislation that will protect banking customers from the losses they experience as a direct result of being tricked by scammers. British banks a...
NAB customers on notice that using NAB bank accounts as a tool of financial abuse will not be tolerated
Consumer Action Acting CEO Tania Clarke has welcomed the announcement today by National Australia Bank (NAB) updating its terms and conditions (T&Cs) that puts NAB customers, who use NAB accounts...
Submission to the NDIS Review
As part of Consumer Action’s NDIS project, we prioritise data collection and analysis for clients calling our advice lines with NDIS related matters. Concerningly, our casework reveals that NDIS parti...
REPORT: Telco industry has ‘failed on almost every level’ to protect and support vulnerable customers
This latest report by the Telecommunications Ombudsman (TIO) published today, Time for Change is shocking to read and makes it clear that industry self-regulation has failed on almost every level when...
More support needed for Victorian households as cost of default prices for electricity will increase by 25%
The Essential Services Commission (ESC) has listened to consumer groups’ calls for a reduction of the proposed increase to the Victorian Default Offer (VDO) for energy in Victoria. However, today's an...
Vic energy regulator urged to scale back proposed price hikes
Victoria's leading social, legal, financial and consumer rights' bodies have united to oppose a dramatic planned rise in power prices across Victoria. The state's independent energy regulator, the Es...
Victorian Default Offer 2023-24 Draft Decision: We need a meaningful reduction to the proposed 31% increase
To date, we believe that the Victorian Default Offer (VDO) has been successful in achieving the policy objective of providing consumers unable or unwilling to engage in the market with a simple, trust...
Now is the time to make positive reforms to bankruptcy laws say consumer advocates
Consumer advocates around Australia have welcomed moves by Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus KC MP to reform bankruptcy laws. Last month, consumer advocates attended a Ministerial Roundtable on Perso...
ACCAN report reveals massive telco failure to provide effective hardship support for those doing it tough to stay connected
Telcos are not doing enough to provide access to adequate hardship measures for those doing it tough in what is now the worst cost-of-living crisis in a generation, says David Hofierka, Senior Policy...
Scams must be stopped: Westpac alerts for mis-matched payments and money transfer measures welcomed
Consumer Action CEO Stephanie Tonkin says Westpac’s announcement of a new verification system for payments and money transfer measures to new accounts are “…steps in the right direction to help stop t...
OPINION: Banks, get tougher on scams
An edited version of this opinion piece appeared in the Herald Sun 18 February, 2023 You’d be hard-pressed these days to find someone who hasn’t been the target of a scam. Whether it’s a fraudulent...
PODCAST: “The best job I will ever have in my career,” Gerard Brody on his 10 years as Consumer Action CEO
PODCAST: In his last week as Consumer Action CEO, Gerard Brody sat down to reflect on some of his experiences at the centre. One of the most incredible aspects of Gerard's leadership is his calm and v...
Inquiry into the extent and nature of poverty in Australia
Consumer Action’s financial counsellors and lawyers advise and assist people experiencing financial hardship and poverty on a daily basis. The data Consumer Action collects, as well as the reflections...
Australia’s banks should follow CBA’s lead and introduce stronger measures to stop scams
The Commonwealth Bank (CBA) has announced it is introducing measures to strengthen its payment system that will make it harder for crooks to scam their customers. The measures called NameCheck and Cal...
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...
PODCAST: Why funeral insurance is a crap product and what you can do about it
Philippa Heir is Managing Lawyer at Consumer Action, she is an expert in all things insurance. She says, in short, that funeral insurance is a crap product and makes no sense. "There are a number o...
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...
Energy price caps welcomed, but bill relief needs to reach those doing it toughest in cost-of-living crisis
Consumer Action Law Centre has welcomed today’s passing of the Competition and Consumer Amendment (Gas Prices) Bill 2022, which will cap gas prices and deliver bill relief, as well as plans to support...
Initial feedback: 2023-28 Water Price Review
Access to water is a basic human right recognised by the United Nations and the Australian Government as fundamental to health, wellbeing, and an adequate standard of living. Critical to upholding thi...
ACMA Telstra direction reveals weak and worrying gaps in its powers to regulate telecommunications
Consumer advocates* are raising deep concerns about the ineffective framework for telco regulation in Australia following a direction from the Australian Communications Media Authority (ACMA) to Telst...