Vulnerability - Consumer Action Law Centre

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...

Image of wind turbines denoting a submission about energy

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...

ConsumerAction · "The best job I will ever have in my career..." Gerard Brody on his 10 years as Consumer Action CEO

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...

ConsumerAction · Why funeral insurance is a crap product and what you can do about it

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...

Buy now pay later changes must go all the way, consumer groups say

Buy now pay later (BNPL) products must be fully regulated as credit to protect consumers and put all credit providers on a level playing field, a coalition of consumer groups has said. The group, i...

Protecting consumers of distributed energy resources

With Victorians wanting to play their part in carbon reduction, consumer protections for new energy products and services need to be enhanced. This submission to the Department of Environment Land...

Our Impact 2021-22: It’s the change we are making, helping people fight the powerful, advocating for a fairer Australia

Today we are delighted to publish our Impact Report 2021-22 which highlights our organisation’s achievements over the past year working for and with the people we help. Read about the many successe...

Let’s pass the Finance Sector Reform Bill: The Stop the Debt Alliance strongly endorses Senate committee recommendation

The Stop the Debt Trap Alliance, a coalition of dozens of consume advocacy organisations from around Australia, including financial experts, community advocates and service providers has strongly endo...

ConsumerAction · Hannah Dodd's advice for Consumer Action’s next Managing Lawyer 'be kind'

PODCAST: Hannah Dodd’s advice for Consumer Action’s next Managing Lawyer ‘be kind’

Hannah Dodd, Consumer Action's Managing Lawyer talks about her nearly five years at CALC, and what she is looking forward to in her new role at Australian Financial Complaints Authority. She talks...

People should get their money back quicker and more easily following new ASIC guidance, say consumer advocates

The Australian Securities and Investment Commission (ASIC) has today published updated and revised remediation guidance for financial firms with the goal of treating wronged customers fairer and ensur...

Finally, time to Stop the Debt Trap!

Consumer advocates making up the Stop the Debt Trap coalition across Australia have welcomed the introduction of the Financial Sector Reform Bill 2022 which, among other things, enhances long overdue...

With scams at crisis levels, banks and payment system providers must do more

Online and telephone scams targeting Australians are now at crisis levels and victims will continue to bear the burden of financial losses, which will only get worse without urgent action from governm...

Hundreds of thousands of lemon cars sold ‘down the lane’, why we need an ombudsman

Data from Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) actions, recalls and other court actions has revealed that there are hundreds of thousands of lemons on Australia’s roads, many of which...

Water Customer Service Codes Review

Consumer Action Law Centre (Consumer Action) welcomes the opportunity to provide feedback on the Essential Services Commission’s (the ESC) proposed amendments to the water customer service codes. O...

ConsumerAction · Save Sorry Business Day of Action 3 August with Josephine Beckhurst

PODCAST: Josephine Beckhurst and the #SaveSorryBusiness Canberra Day of Action

Josephine Beckhurst is a Yorta Yorta woman from Barmah in Victoria's north. Josephine and her family are among the many thousands of First Nations Australians ripped off by Youpla/ACBF, the funeral in...

Wholesale energy upheaval should not push default electricity prices higher

The Consumer Action Law Centre (Consumer Action) has written to Kate Symons, Chairperson of the Essential Services Commission (ESC), urging caution before accepting electricity retailer arguments to r...

‘Telcos still behaving badly’: Report highlighting key drivers of customer complaints welcomed

Consumer Action has welcomed a report released today from the Telecommunciations Industry Ombudsman (TIO) that reveals a high level of customer complaints about poor mobile services and the continued...

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...

Banks can do more to stop scams say consumer advocates

Australia’s banks can do much more to stop the plague of scams that is destroying families and costing the economy more than $2 billion annually. That’s the message from consumer advocates in response...

ConsumerAction · Dianne Dejanovic, Consumer Action's longest serving financial counsellor

PODCAST: Dianne Dejanovic, Consumer Action’s longest serving financial counsellor

Dianne Dejanovic worked for 13 years as a financial counsellor on the National Debt Helpline at Consumer Action. She has helped thousands of people during her time and made a massive contribution t...

Opinion: Victoria needs a fair default offer for household gas supply

Reports of gas bills to rise by $150 per annum adds unwanted pressure to Victorian household budgets, when inflationary pressures are already biting.* Over a long period, unfair market tactics have...

Crypto: As risky as gambling and a haven for scams that demands action

Consumer Action is calling for meaningful protections from scams to apply to businesses operating in the crypto sector. The call comes in a submission to the Treasury’s consultation paper Crypto as...

Telcos are an essential service and must step up to help customers in need

Consumer Action has welcomed the Statement of Expectations today from the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) setting out clarity for telcos on assisting customers experiencing vulner...

Victorian Default Offer electricity tariffs 2022-23

Consumer Action Law Centre (Consumer Action) welcomes the opportunity to comment on the Essential Services Commission’s (the ESC) Draft Decision for Victorian Default Offer (the VDO) tariffs to apply...

ASIC litigation against fictitious high-cost ‘leases’ protects against exploitation

Consumer Action has welcomed the Australian Securities and Investment Commission’s (ASIC) announcement that it has sued Rent4Keeps and Layaway Depot for breaches of the National Credit Code involving...

Water is an essential service and must remain affordable for everyone

Consumer Action Law Centre has written to the Chairs and Managing Directors of the Victorian water corporations about the impending 2023 Water Price Review, urging them to prioritise affordability so...

US Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s Inquiry into Buy-Now-Pay-Later (BNPL) Providers

While there have always been various forms of instalment credit products in the marketplace, Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) is a uniquely Australian invention, that has now been exported around the world....

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...

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...

Product intervention orders in credit: A joint submission

Consumer Action Law Centre (Consumer Action), Financial Rights Legal Centre (Financial Rights), the Indigenous Consumer Assistance Network Ltd (ICAN), the Victorian Aboriginal Legal Service and WEstju...

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...

Our submission on Buy Now Pay Later to the UK Woolard Review

Our casework experience in Australia shows that buy now pay later (BNPL) debts are causing or exacerbating financial hardship in substantially the same manner as detailed in the Woolard Review. In...

Australian consumer groups warn UK Government against industry “self-regulation” of Buy Now Pay Later

Financial Counselling Australia and the Consumer Action Law Centre have shared Australia’s experience of weak consumer safeguards for Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL), as part of the UK Government’s consultat...

Consumer protections and the Post-2025 Distributed Energy Resources Implementation Plan

As the Energy Security Board (the ESB) begins to develop its 3-year reform road map to unlock value for customers from the integration of Distributed Energy Resources (DER) and flexible demand into en...

Submission: Compensation Scheme of Last Resort and Financial Accountability Regime

Uncompensated losses arising from financial misconduct can cause a range of lasting impacts on people, including the loss of a family home, bankruptcy, the collapse of the family business, mental and...

Our submission to New Zealand Government inquiry into buy-now pay-later

Our submission is supported by Financial Counselling Australia, the peak body for financial counsellors (commonly known as financial mentors in New Zealand), who work with not-for-profit community org...

Central and Gippsland Region Sustainable Water Strategy: Our submission

Access to water is an indispensable human right. All Victorians have the right to enjoy access to safe, reliable water supplies, so that they are able live healthy and dignified lives. Fundamental...

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