A Pennsylvania appeals court yesterday reversed the sale of a home that was triggered by an unpaid tax bill of $6.30 in 2004, which with interest had increased to $235 by the time the property was sold at auction in 2011. The court held that the auction sale of the $280,000 home was not valid […]
Author Archives: Allison Zieve
Yesterday, I received an email from the Consumer Protection Branch at the U.S. Department of Justice with links to recent announcements from that office. Here is what DOJ's consumer lawyers were up to in November: November 21, 2014 – United States Files Enforcement Action Against Michigan Sandwich Company and Co-Owner to Stop Distribution of Adulterated […]
In a letter today to the head of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, 15 state attorneys general asked the agency to adopt rules to protect consumers from mandatory arbitration clauses in consumer contracts. "The letter, which was organized by Delaware Attorney General Beau Biden, Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley and Kentucky Attorney General Jack Conway, […]
A new study has found that more than half of calls to U.S. poison control centers about energy drinks like Red Bull and Monster are for children younger than 6, some suffering seizures and heart problems. Bloomberg has the story. "The study bolsters the idea that energy drinks aren’t safe for children and should carry […]
A settlement obtained by the Federal Trade Commission and the Office of the Florida Attorney General permanently shuts down an Orlando-based operation that bilked seniors by using pre-recorded robocalls to sell them supposedly free medical alert systems. The FTC's press release is here. The Stipulated Order and Permanent Injunction is here.
The Federal Communications Commission has in recent years received several petitions concerning the Telephone Consumer Protection Act. Responding to some of them, the FCC last week issued an order confirming that all faxed advertisements must include an opt-out notice. The FCC's notice explains: The FCC’s rules require that a “facsimile advertisement that is sent to […]
Last week, the Federal Trade Commission sued Gerber Products Co. in federal district court in New Jersey, alleging that the company deceptively advertised that feeding infants Good Start Gentle formula would prevent or reduce the risk that the babies would develop allergies. The complaint also alleges that Gerber falsely advertised Good Start Gentle’s health claims […]
A study released today reports on class actions that have "helped victims of corporate law-breaking and led to changes in corporate behavior that protect us all from many types of illegal conduct." Prepared by the Center for Justice and Democracy, the study looks at more than 150 class actions that have been litigated since 2005 […]
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) announced yesterday action against M&T Bank for deceptively advertising free checking accounts. As explained in the CFPB press release: The CFPB found that M&T lured in consumers with promises of “no strings attached” free checking, without disclosing key eligibility requirements. When consumers failed to meet the requirements, M&T automatically […]
Blogging for The Wall Street Journal, Ed Silverman reported yesterday: In response to recent reports that the cost of some generic drugs has been unexpectedly rising at a rapid clip, two members of Congress have launched an investigation and asked 14 generic drug makers to providing data about what the lawmakers called the “escalating prices they […]