I have found the discussions of the arbitration study, ‘Whimsy Little Contracts' with Unexpected Consequences: An Empirical Analysis of Consumer Understanding of Arbitration Agreements,interesting, see, e.g., here, here and here.I wonder, however, whether everyone is missing a major point about forced consumer arbitration. Whether consumers are better off, worse-off or the same, and regardless of […]
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, […]
Previously on the blog, we've covered a fracking ban in New York, litigation against a fracking protestor in Pennsylvania, and state oversight (or lack thereof) also in Pennsylvania. Now the issue is coming uncomfortably close to the city many coordinators and contributors to this blog call home. Under a new federal agency plan, fracking will […]
Amy Schmitz of Colorado has written Females on the Fringe: Considering Gender in Payday Lending Policy, 89 Chicago-Kent Law Review (2014). Here's the abstract: Payday lending may provide a much-needed safety net for some consumers in need of quick cash for emergencies. However, data suggest that most payday loan borrowers become repeat users caught in a […]
The AP reports that The federal government is demanding that the auto industry recall millions of additional cars equipped with faulty air bags that can injure — and even kill — a driver. The action Tuesday by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration [NHTSA] covers driver's side air bags equipped with inflators made by Takata […]
From Slate, here. A good plain-English piece to share with folks who don't understand how corporations are limiting access to the courts.
NPR's Morning Edition this morning covered this pending case, in which borrowers assert a variety of unlawful practices. The New York State Department of Financial Services is also investigating. For instance, one couple says that Ocwen charged fees for "property preservation" even though the couple lived in the home, force-placed insurance even though the couple […]
… is the goal of this Public Citizen report, worth a read. This excerpt from the introduction gives a flavor: As Google has continued to flourish, it has become ever bolder and more sophisticated in its methods to collect and combine information about individuals to generate revenue. Most Google users are likely aware that Google […]
by Paul Alan Levy Late last week I attended a conference on Social Media Liability at Suffolk University Law School. My own talk, about practical considerations in litigating online free speech issues, is not yet in publishable form, but a fascinating empirical study of the terms of use of several hundred "social networking sites" was […]
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 […]