The ACCC has created a series of short films to help inform and empower Indigenous people to exercise their consumer rights. Shot on the Tiwi Islands, the ACCC hopes the films will lead to earlier detection of contraventions of consumer laws, bringing about action to stop the conduct. Door to door sales—cooling off rights and [...]
23
May
21
May
$1.5 million fine for AGL as the costs of door-to-door marketing misconduct starts to add up for energy retailers
The Consumer Action Law Centre, the organisation behind the successful Do Not Knock sticker and campaign, has welcomed a Federal Court decision that AGL Sales Pty Ltd and AGL South Australia Pty Ltd pay $1.555 million for illegal door-to-door selling practices. In addition, CPM Australia Pty Ltd, the marketing company used by the AGL Energy companies, [...]
20
May
‘No Contact’ form the latest tool to stop door-to-door energy sales
There is a new weapon in the fight against pesky and persistent door-to-door energy salespeople. Australians can now fill out a simple ‘No Contact’ form, and have their ‘Do Not Knock’ request delivered directly to all energy retailers. In most Australian states, energy retailers are required to abide by a consumer’s requests for its salespeople [...]
07
May
Strangers are Calling! The experience of door-to-door sales in Melbourne’s refugee communities
Door-to-door energy sales can be disruptive, misleading and high pressure for any household, but spare a thought for those vulnerable sectors of our community that are disproportionately affected by this type of selling – refugees, non-English speakers, concession holders, the young and the old. A new report from Footscray Community Legal Centre, Strangers_are_Calling, found these [...]
17
Apr
Do Not Call Registrations will now last 8 years
Good news for Australians who want to keep away unwanted marketers: the Australian Communications and Media Authority has announced that registrations on the Do Not Call Register will now be valid for eight years. The 8.5 million numbers already listed on the Register will automatically be extended to eight years, according to ACMA Chairman Chris [...]
22
Mar
It’s no secret—extended cooling off periods apply when DNK sticker is ignored
Consumer Action’s legal service was recently contacted by a complainant who ran into trouble when he sought to exercise his rights to an extended cooling off period, after an encounter with a door-to-door energy salesperson. Ordinarily, for unsolicited consumer agreements, consumers are entitled to a cooling off period of 10 business days in which they [...]
08
Mar
ACCC files proceedings against third energy retailer for ignoring Do Not Knock sticker
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has filed proceedings in the Federal Court of Australia against another energy retailer, EnergyAustralia Pty Ltd (formerly TRUenergy Pty Ltd), and four marketing and sales companies engaged by Energy Australia, in relation to their door-to-door selling practices. It’s the third time the ACCC has instituted proceedings against an [...]
04
Mar
Businesses ignoring Do Not Knock stickers are risking big fines, as Consumer Action publishes information about alleged Australian Consumer Law infringements
It’s been five months since businesses across Australia were put on notice about the enforceability of Do Not Knock stickers, after the Federal Court’s landmark decision that a sticker is a request to leave a premise under the Australian Consumer Law (ACL). It was certainly an expensive lesson for energy retailer Neighbourhood Energy and marketer [...]
27
Feb
AGL is second energy retailer in as many days to agree to blanket cessation of door-to-door sales – Consumer Action calls on others to follow their lead
Householders should soon notice a meaningful decrease in visits from unwanted energy hawkers, with the announcement by a second major energy retailer, AGL, that it too will cease all door-to-door selling. The news comes hot on the heels of EnergyAustralia’s announcement on Monday that it will stop door-to-door selling at the end of March. “AGL [...]
25
Feb
EnergyAustralia leads industry in ending door-to-door sales
EnergyAustralia’s announcement that it will end door-to-door marketing will be warmly welcomed by Australian households. Last year the Consumer Action Law Centre surveyed consumers regarding their views of door-to-door selling and the overwhelming message from households was that they don’t like it. On the back of the survey results, Consumer Action called for energy retailers [...]
