Leasing company to pay $1.25m for NCCP breach

The court handed down the penalty following its 28 April 2015 decision that Make It Mine Finance Pty Ltd (Make It Mine) failed to disclose important information to its customers, breached various responsible lending obligations and operated for a period while unlicensed.

His Honour Justice Beach made reference to the strong public interest in imposing penalties to deter other operators who fail to comply, stating that: “The consumer lease industry is growing… The undesirable practices of operators in consumer leasing and, by analogy, credit contracts for purchase by instalments, are a matter of significant public interest and importance, and are capable of serious adverse impacts on the most vulnerable members of the Australian community."

His Honour was clear in conveying a message that businesses dealing with vulnerable consumers must take considerable care in complying with and implementing statutory safeguards designed for the protection of those consumers.

In particular, he said: “Commercial behaviour leveraged off the vulnerability of others will be closely scrutinised and disciplined” where businesses fail to comply with the legislation.

ASIC said the decision demonstrates that tough penalties will be imposed on credit licensees who fail to comply with their obligations under the National Credit Act, including responsible lending obligations.

“As ASIC found in its report on the consumer lease industry issued in September 2015, the market for consumer leases is delivering poor outcomes for many consumers,” ASIC deputy chair Peter Kell said.

“Particularly given the very high cost of leases which are often taken out by vulnerable consumers, it is imperative that consumer lease providers disclose all information necessary to enable consumers to make an informed decision, and comply fully with their responsible lending obligations, including making proper inquiries about the consumer's income and living expenses and obtaining all necessary information to enable a meaningful suitability assessment to be made,” Mr Kell said.

“Relying on consumers being able to make payments as long as they are in receipt of government benefits is not a substitute to making these inquiries.”

In addition to the penalties, in September 2015, Make It Mine agreed to the imposition of a condition on its credit licence by ASIC. This licence condition will require Make It Mine to engage an independent external compliance consultant to conduct a review of and report to ASIC on Make It Mine's policies and procedures to ensure compliance with consumer credit laws.

Make It Mine supplies computers and household white goods to customers in receipt of Centrelink benefits.

In September 2015 ASIC issued its report on consumer leases.