John Van Alst of the National Consumer Law Center has written this comprehensive report entitled Time to Stop Racing Cars: The Role of Race and Ethnicity in Buying and Using a Car. Here is the executive summary: For many in America, a car provides not only physical mobility but also economic mobility. Yet for years, […]
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ProPublica and WNYC are investigating whether the Consumer Financial Protection Agency is enforcing federal consumer financial laws and holding companies accountable. They want to hear from people who work at the agency and those who have left recently, particularly people who are familiar with enforcement actions, supervisory exams, and proposed rules like those governing payday […]
The Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) provides people whose cell phones receive unconsented-to, autodialed calls and texts a right to sue. Since the Supreme Court's decision in Spokeo, Inc. v. Robins, 136 S. Ct. 1540 (2016), which held that statutory violations unaccompanied by "concrete injuries" do not provide a plaintiff with "standing" to sue in […]
Section 6(b) of the Consumer Product Safety Act generally requires the Consumer Product Safety Commission to get permission from a manufacturer before releasing to the public any information about a defective product that would reveal the identity of the manufacturer. Even when the CPSC announces an alert or recall, companies often can restrict the information […]
In 2015, Congress amended the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) to exempt calls made to collect a debt owed to or guaranteed by the federal government from the TCPA’s ban on unwanted robocalls to cell phones. Last week, in a case called American Association of Political Consultants v. FCC, the U.S. Court of Appeals for […]
Vox explains how consumer product recalls work and the need for improvements in the recall system in an article titled "People buy millions of unsafe products every year. Here’s why recalls are harder than they should be," here.
This study published today by the National Bureau of Economic Research finds that a 10% increase in the minimum wage and the Earned Income Tax Credit has a dramatic impact on the number of non-drug-related suicides among men and women without college degrees. Read this article about the study.
The Second Circuit today decided a case involving payday lending and forced arbitration, ruling for the plaintiffs on two important issues. In Gingras v. Think Finance, Vermont residents who claim that the payday loans violate Vermont usury and consumer protection laws as well as federal laws including the RICO statute sued the operators of an […]
The New York Times today has a lengthy piece about treatment of female employees at Sterling, Kay, and Jared Jewelers — stores owned by the same company. The heart of the article is about pay inequity, and pervasive and extreme sexual harassment. But the article also describes the role of the forced arbitration and non-disclosure […]
How can you protect your privacy online? A New York Times article today suggests that you can't. People concerned about privacy often try to be “careful” online. They stay off social media, or if they’re on it, they post cautiously. They don’t share information about their religious beliefs, personal life, health status or political views. […]