Publications Archives - Consumers' Federation of Australia

Image 17 March , 2023

Consumers International Whitepaper – ‘Consumer protection and empowerment for a clean energy future’

Consumers International has recently released a white paper on ‘Consumer protection and empowerment for a clean energy future’ centred on the “twin challenge” of switching to sustainable and affordable alternatives in an increasingly shorter timeframe while ensuring consumers are represented and helped through and with the process. The report focuses on how “consumer protection and…

5 July , 2022

Australian consumers in their own words: new research from the CPRC

What does it mean to be a consumer in Australia? New research from the Consumer Policy Research Centre outlines how people across Australia describe their experiences and expectations of how business treat them. This is a media release from The Consumer Policy Research Centre (CPRC). It was originally published on 29th June, 2022. For more information about this research,…

14 March , 2022

Consumer Policy Agenda 2022 launched ahead of Federal Election

The Consumers’ Federation of Australia (CFA) has launched its Consumer Policy Agenda 2022. CFA is calling for new consumer policy reforms to be urgently implemented to put consumers in the economy recovery. Competition in key markets is flailing, consumer protections are falling behind best practice, and our institutional arrangements for consumer protection are not supporting…

19 September , 2019

Sale of consumer credit insurance by customer owned banking Code subscribers

Scrutiny of add-on insurance products by consumers, regulators and government has increased recently, with a particular focus on the sale of consumer credit insurance (CCI). Insurers and third-party sellers have been criticised for offering poor-quality products, pressure selling and selling to consumers who were unaware they were consenting to purchase CCI. In light of these…

24 May , 2018

Guidelines for development and review of industry codes & EDR schemes

The Consumers’ Federation of Australia has recently developed a set of good practice principles to offer guidance to industry bodies and EDR schemes about good practice in ensuring effective consumer input, including good practice in involving the consumer sector. The principles also set out consumer sector expectations for review processes. Read the document in full here.

22 February , 2017

CFA publishes Submission to the Commission’s Consumer Law Enforcement and Administration Draft Report

Consumers’ Federation of Australia has published its submission to the Commission’s Consumer Law Enforcement and Administration Draft Report. The submission calls for additional public funding for consumer advocacy. Furthermore, CFA encourages the Productivity Commission to develop mechanisms which found fund the necessary consumer advocacy and input, aside from a call on the Federal Budget. The…

2 December , 2016

Cooling-off periods for consumers don’t work: study

Paul Harrison, Deakin University When customers are offered a “cooling off” period, they don’t change their minds, even when the alternative is considered subjectively better, our research finds. We also found that some consumers (around 30%) only responded when contacted by the seller and asked if they would still like to opt in. Under current…

2 September , 2016

Is a banking tribunal really the answer?

Consumers Federation Australia along with the Consumer Action Law Centre, Financial Rights Legal Centre and Financial Counselling Australia have written a letter to the Prime Minister, Minister for Financial Services and the Treasurer in response to announcements of the Federal Government possibly instituting a financial services tribunal. CFA, along with other signed organisations have raised…

17 June , 2016

Consumers call for political parties to help ease the squeeze on living standards

The Queensland Consumers Association (QCA) and other consumer groups1 want all parties contesting the forthcoming federal election to do much more to help consumers experiencing cost of living pressures. QCA spokesperson, Ian Jarratt, says being able to easily and quickly get better value at the supermarket would help consumers to “ease the squeeze” on living…

29 May , 2013