The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission has obtained interim Federal Court orders to prevent the advertising of a personal loans facility aimed at people such as pensioners, bankrupts and people with bad credit.
The ACCC has filed proceedings against HRJ Financial Services Pty Ltd and its directors Rowland William Thomas and Helen Elizabeth Lewis alleging that people were being misled into making expensive 1900 phone call for a personal loan when all that was being offered is advice on how to secure a loan.
On Friday, the ACCC obtained an interim order restraining HRJ and its directors until the determination of the proceedings from representing that it provides personal loan facilities to customers, or secures or arranges loans on their behalf. The ACCC had alleged that the advertising of HRJ Financial Services Pty Ltd represented to the public in various newspaper advertisements around the country that personal loans were available to callers from the operator of the 1900 number or alternatively, that the operator arranged personal loans on behalf of callers. The proceedings are continuing.
