Welcome to the Consumer Action Law Centre, a campaign-focused consumer advocacy, litigation & policy organisation based in Melbourne, Australia.
Latest news
June 2009
26/6: Water prices. Larger than expected water price rises for Melbourne households were announced today. We are concerned about the impact on lower income and vulnerable households and tenant households, especially over the next two years. Read our media release.
17/6: Debt collection and unfair bankruptcy. Consumer Action is acting for a 60 year old pensioner who has been bankrupted over a Telstra Internet services bill of less than $1,000 and stands to lose her home. There are more appropriate legal avenues available to collect small debts than bankruptcy, which leads to unnecessary trustee fees that strip equity out of people’s homes. The Federal Government should raise the minimum bankruptcy threshold from $2,000 to $10,000, and specify that this threshold applies to the original debt, not to the debt after late fees, interest and costs are added. Read our media release.
15/6: Consumer Rights. Students on placement at Consumer Action from La Trobe University’s Public Interest Law Practice course have made a detailed submission to the National Human Rights Consultation arguing that consumer rights deserve protection in any national human rights act or charter.
May 2009
26/5: Telecommunications. Consumer Action argues that the current self regulatory regime for telecommunications is failing Australian consumers in a submission to the Federal Government.
21/5: Bank penalty fees. The Reserve Bank has revealed that Australians paid over $1 billion in unfair penalty fees in 2008. Consumer Action has been urging the banks to change their penalty fee practices for years. If they won’t act to stop this excessive fee-take, the Federal Government needs to step in. Read our media release.
April 2009
27/4: National consumer credit laws. Consumer Action welcomes today’s release of proposed national consumer credit laws. Some major improvements to Australia’s lending laws are proposed but there are also some serious flaws in the Bill. Read our media release.
24/4: Love Search Intros – introduction agency. Consumer Action Law Centre has issued legal action against introduction agency R & H Consulting, trading as Love Search Intros on behalf of a client. The action alleges unconscionable conduct, misleading and deceptive conduct and breaches of the Victorian Introduction Agents Act (1997). Read our media release.
21/4: Unit Pricing. Consumer Action has made a submission on the Federal Government’s draft unit pricing code. We welcome a mandatory unit pricing regime for Australian supermarkets, which will bring us up to date with best practice overseas by allowing Australians to compare the price and value of different grocery items and make large savings on grocery bills. Our submission sets out some of the ways we think the code needs to be improved to make sure our unit pricing regime is effective.
2/4: Mental Blank – education services. Consumer Action Law Centre has issued legal action against education course provider Mental Blank Pty Ltd on behalf of a client. The action alleges breach of contract for failure to deliver promised goods and services. Read our media release.