Consumer Action Law Centre

The Consumer Action Law Centre (Consumer Action) is an Australian community legal centre, financial counselling service and consumer policy organisation based in Melbourne, Victoria. It was formed in 2006 by the merger of the Consumer Law Centre Victoria and the Consumer Credit Legal Service and is funded jointly by Victoria Legal Aid and Consumer Affairs Victoria. Its mission is "just outcomes, for and with consumers".[1] The organisation is national in its policy and advocacy work, while its services primarily service people residing in Victoria, Australia.

Consumer Action provides free legal advice and representation to vulnerable and disadvantaged Victorians, and is the largest specialist consumer legal practice in Australia. As well as working with Victorians directly, Consumer Action provides legal assistance and professional training to community workers who advocate on behalf of consumers.

As a nationally-recognised and influential policy and research body, Consumer Action pursues a law reform agenda across a range of important consumer issues at a governmental level, in the media, and throughout the community directly. Consumer Action is represented on a number of national and state-based regulators' consumer consultative committees, including the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission, the Australian Securities and Investments Commission and the Australian Energy Regulator as well as a range of government, industry and community sector working groups, Ministerial roundtables, boards, consultative committees and roundtables.

Consumer Action advances the interests of low-income and vulnerable consumers, and of consumers as a whole.

Noteworthy casework and campaigns

Vocational education/VET FEE-HELP

The Centre played a leading role in uncovering the VET-FEE HELP scandals that plagued the vocational education sector in Australia from 2010-2016,[2] with CEO Gerard Brody advising the Australian Government on reforms to the scandal plagued sector.[3]

Do Not Knock

"Do Not Knock" was one of the Centre's most influential campaigns, providing Australians with stickers to halt the activities of door-to-door and unsolicited salespeople. The campaign led to an Australian Federal Court ruling[4] that found a "do not knock" sticker was a legally enforceable notice and meant significant fines for companies that ignored the notices.

Payday loans

The Centre has had long running campaigns against the payday lending industry, including a campaign to introduce a cap on the cost of payday loans[5] and casework that led to a major industry player having to notify the Australian Stock Exchange.[6]

Insurance

In 2016, the Centre launched[7] DemandARefund.com - a complaint letter generator and campaign to fight the selling of poor value Consumer Credit Insurance, Gap Insurance and Used Car Extended Warranties. The campaign followed similar scandals in the UK over Payment Protection Insurance with the Centre's own research showing Australians were being sold over $70m in "junk" Consumer Credit Insurance yearly.[8] By September 2016, Australians had generated letters complaining about over $300,000 worth of policies.[9]

References
  1. "Consumer Action Law Centre Strategic Plan - 2014 to 2017 - Consumer Action". 14 August 2014. Retrieved 16 September 2016.
  2. "Students 'being deceived' about cost and outcomes from training programs". 18 February 2015. Retrieved 16 September 2016.
  3. "Time is up for shonky VET spruikers". The Department of Education and Training. The Department of Education and Training. Retrieved 16 September 2016.
  4. "Media release: Federal Court finds Do Not Knock Sign is 'an unambiguous request to leave the premises' - Consumer Action". 11 October 2013. Retrieved 16 September 2016.
  5. "End the Payday Debt Trap | How payday loans exploit vulnerable consumers and what can be done about them". www.debttrap.org.au. Retrieved 16 September 2016.
  6. "Cash Converters International Ltd (ASX:CCV) Response to CALC Press Release". Retrieved 16 September 2016.
  7. "Bid to refund $350m of junk insurance". Retrieved 16 September 2016.
  8. "Australians urged to fight back against junk insurance and demand over $70m in refunds - Consumer Action". 23 March 2016. Retrieved 16 September 2016.
  9. Cormack, Lucy (12 September 2016). "ASIC report finds add-on insurance products sold by car dealers are failing consumers". Retrieved 16 September 2016.
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