The Federal Trade Commission yesterday issued a study on credit report accuracy. The study found that "most consumers who previously reported an unresolved error on one of their three major credit reports believe that at least one piece of disputed information on their report is still inaccurate." The congressionally mandated study on national credit report […]
Author Archives: Allison Zieve
In 2004, Costco bought some Omega watches from a third party in New York and sold them at a discount in its U.S. stores. The watches, otherwise sold only in Europe, had a small globe design on the back, and Omega sued Costco, arguing that the sale of the watches violated Omega's copyright in the […]
Reuters has the story. Need a refresher on the Federal Reserve rule at issue? You can read the Fed's June 2011 press release and access the rule here.
The latest FTC settlement with a company that was deceiving consumers requires the company and its head "to turn over virtually all of their assets to the agency, and prohibit[s] them from deceiving consumers in any future sales pitches." The FTC reports: Cream Group, Inc., which operates as Oro Marketing, and its mastermind Sami Charchian […]
From The Hill: On the heels of President Obama’s call for stronger cybersecurity protections on Monday, Sen. Mark Warner, (D-Va.) called on regulators to force banks to issue chip-and-PIN debit and credit cards to better protect American consumers from data breaches. “The President’s measure takes strong steps towards ensuring cards used by the federal government […]
The Washington Post reports today on churches in Virginia helping members of their congregations avoid payday lenders. The churches provide collateral so that the member can qaulfy for a loan through a church-affiliated credit union. Read Churches step in with alternative to high-interest, small-dollar lending industry.
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 […]
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 […]