Another arbitration provider heard matters in which it had a conflict

Remember how the National Arbitration Forum, also known as NAF, arbitrated disputes involving an affiliated debt collector? Well, the CFPB has banned another arbitration service provider, Ejudicate from consumer arbitrations for a variety of reasons, including that Ejudicate heard matters brought by a party with whom it had a financial relationship, Prehired Recruiting. The CFPB […]

SDNY holds online-only retailers are not covered by the ADA

Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act prohibits discrimination “on the basis of disability in the full and equal enjoyment of the goods, services, facilities, privileges, advantages, or accommodations of any place of public accommodation by any person who owns, leases (or leases to), or operates a place of public accommodation.” Courts of appeals […]

In this election, the future of the CFPB could be on the line

My latest op-ed, in the American Banker (behind paywall but available on Lexis). An excerpt: Polls show that the CFPB is extremely popular, even among Republican voters. So why are Republican politicians so quick to attack it? One answer is that the politicians believe that the free market provides better consumer protection than the government. […]

NACA announces 2-year consumer law fellowship program for upcoming law school grads

Here’s the announcement, which can also be found at Two Year Consumer Law Fellowship – NACA (consumeradvocates.org) NACA Consumer Law 2-Year Fellowship Program Jumpstart Your Career in Consumer Law: Be a NACA Inaugural Fellow and Make a Real Impact from Day One! This unique two-year fellowship offers students about to graduate law school the opportunity […]

Auto financing practices under scrutiny in CFPB’s latest supervisory report

In its recently released Supervisory report, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau highlights unfair (and abusive) acts and practices in auto financing. In this sector, the CFPB says its Supervision pays particular attention to auto repossessions, where it found numerous unfair acts and practices. Among them, the bureau found that a servicer or servicers erroneously repossessed […]

FTC settles with AI “Lawyer” DoNotPay

A company called “DoNotPay” operated an artificial intelligence service that it called  “the world’s first robot lawyer,” which it claimed “would allow consumers to “sue for assault without a lawyer” and “generate perfectly valid legal documents in no time.” Not surprisingly, the product did not live up to its claims. In late September, the FTC […]

ProPublica: “Desperate Times Led Wisconsin Tribe to High-Interest Lending, Dubious Partnerships and Legal Jeopardy”

ProPublia reports that, “[f]acing financial ruin, the Lac du Flambeau tribe began offering short-term loans online with annual rates often over 600%. But as the tribe rose in an industry derided for predatory practices, it put its reputation at risk and drew costly lawsuits.” The article is here.