At last, someone is taking action against agents over under-quoting of auction prices in Melbourne.

Consumer Affairs Victoria has started court action against real estate agency Jellis Craig, alleging it advertised properties below their own estimates and below the estimates quoted to vendors.

It seems the Victoria State Government (which has possibly the nation's worst Consumers Affairs Minister in Daniel Andrews) has finally been embarrassed into taking action, folllowing the results of a six-week survey by The Age newspaper which covered 800 auction properties and showed that they are under-quoted by an average 21%.

The Age reports that Jellis Craig is unlikely to contest six counts of under-quoting in the Magistrates Court. It also reports this strange remark from Enzo Raimondo, the chief executive of the Real Estate Institute of Victoria: "I'm a bit miffed as to why it's taken this long."

It's a strange reaction because Raimondo has repeatedly denied that under-quoting happens at all, despite all the evidence.