A consumer group is using special new powers to take aim at unsolicited sales tactics that are leaving vulnerable customers trapped in a debt spiral. The consumer action law centre says providers of services like rooftop solar, are promising government rebates in aggressive cold-calling operations.
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00:00Christine Hurchfield's panels sit in prime position to capture the sun, but they're unused
00:08because of a dispute with the solar company.
00:11Like a lamb to the slaughter.
00:13It began when she responded to a Facebook ad and soon found herself visited by a sales
00:19rep.
00:20I am kicking myself that I was stupid enough to ever open that front door and let the man
00:24in the door.
00:25You could shoot holes in this.
00:27Ms Hurchfield claims when the finance contract arrived it was more than she was promised
00:31and unaffordable.
00:33When it comes to the crunch, a lot of the information they fed me was not correct.
00:39It was misleading.
00:41Now the Consumer Action Law Centre is using new powers to help customers like Christine.
00:47It's dubbed a super complaint and allows three consumer and business groups to bring urgent
00:53to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission about widespread problems.
00:59The complaint alleges cold calling, door knocking and using social media to push unsolicited
01:05products like rooftop solar is rife and causing serious financial and emotional harm.
01:12We are seeing huge numbers of people, particularly people in rural regional areas, particularly
01:17people who are suffering mental health issues, financial difficulty and other challenges
01:23are being signed up to exorbitant loans they can't afford.
01:27They want consumer laws strengthened to ban unsolicited sales, but the solar industry
01:33believes that's unnecessary and there should be better enforcement of existing laws.
01:38It has a new voluntary code trying to restore trust.
01:42This is something the code is trying to address.
01:45We are actively working with retailers to address the issues identified like sales practices.
01:54When he made all of those promises.
01:56The ACCC has until mid-June to respond publicly to the complaint.
02:01Christine Hurchfield's solar company did not respond to questions.