Unsolicited rooftop solar sales subject to first ACCC ‘super complaint’

ABC NEWS (Australia)

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.

Transcript

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.

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