Author Archives: Allison Zieve

“The truth about the arbitration rule is it protects American consumers”

I don't post every article about the Consumer Financial Protection bureau rule barring financial services companies from using forced arbitration provisions to impose class-action bans on consumers. But I wanted to pass along this one by CFPB director Richard Cordray responding very directly to a couple of the rule's opponents.

NCLC article on CFPB payday lending rule

On October 5, 2017, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau issued its final rule on payday, vehicle title, and certain high-cost installment loans. The National Consumer Law Center  prepared this article describing the rule's coverage, two main provisions, and effective date. The article also lists ways under current law to challenge abusive payday, auto title, and installment […]

FTC refunds money to people charged for “free trials” for health products

The Federal Trade Commission announced to day that it is mailing 227,000 refund checks totaling more than $9.8 million to people who bought “fat burning” and “weight loss” products and other dietary supplements, DVDs, or skin creams, including Pure Green Coffee Bean Plus and RKG Extreme, from Health Formulas LLC and related companies. The average […]

Monopoly Man at the Equifax hearings

Amanda Werner of Americans for Financial Reform and Public Citizen attended the Equifax hearing today to draw attention to forced arbitration and make the point that forced arbitration gives corporations a monopoly on justice. Amanda seems to have attracted as much attention as the former Equifax CEO who was testifying. Below is a small sample […]

CFPB issues rule to help mortgage servicers communicate with certain borrowers at risk of foreclosure

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau today issued an interim final rule and a proposed rule "to provide mortgage servicers more flexibility and certainty around requirements to communicate with certain borrowers under the Bureau’s 2016 mortgage servicing amendments. The interim final rule gives servicers more flexibility regarding when to communicate about foreclosure prevention options with borrowers […]

Recents announcements from DOJ’s Consumer Protection Branch

Below are announcements from the Department of Justice's Consumer Protection Branch from July through September. September 27, 2017 – District Court Enters Permanent Injunction Against Illinois Caviar Supplier to Prevent Distribution of Adulterated Food September 26, 2017 – District Court Enters Permanent Injunction Against Two New Jersey Companies and Two Individuals to Stop Distribution of […]

Industry sues to challenge CFPB arbitration rule

Today, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, American Bankers Association, American Financial Services Association, Consumer Bankers Association, Financial Services Roundtable, and a coalition of associations located throughout Texas filed a legal challenge to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s anti-arbitration rule. The complaint alleges that the rule violates the requirements of the Dodd-Frank Act because the CFPB […]

Survey finds more than one-quarter of cars at CarMax have unrepaired safety recalls

In a survey of nearly 1,700 vehicles for sale at eight CarMax locations – four in Massachusetts, two in California, and two in Connecticut – more than one in four vehicles (27 percent) were found to contain unrepaired safety recalls. The survey is described in a report released today by Consumers for Auto Reliability and […]

New report shows widespread use of forced arbitration by large companies

A new report examines the use of arbitration agreements in the workplace by the top 100 largest domestic United States companies, as ranked by Fortune magazine. The key finding: 80 of the top 100 largest companies in America, including subsidiaries or related affiliates, have used arbitration agreements in connection with workplace-related disputes since 2010. Of […]