In 2018, a consumer brought a putative FDCPA class action based on a letter naming the collection arm of her credit card company, rather than the credit card company itself, as the “current/original creditor.” A federal district court granted the defendant’s motion to compel arbitration, and the parties arbitrated the dispute. After 4 years of […]
In 2021, a group of consumers sued Amazon, alleging that Amazon violated Washington’s Consumer Protection Act “by charging consumers grossly inflated and thus ‘unfair’ prices during the COVID-19 pandemic.” A federal district court certified to the Washington Supreme Court whether the state law’s “prohibition on “unfair” acts or practices comprehend a price gouging claim of the […]
Today, the CFPB released a report about a form of home seller financing called “contract-for-deed” financing, under which the seller agrees to turn over a home’s deed only after the buyer completes a series of payments. The report found that such deals often involve inflated home prices, high interest rates, and balloon payments — and […]
Today, ProPublica published a story about the lending activity of the Lac du Flambeau Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians, a Wisconsin tribe whose various companies generated than 2,200 consumer complaints to the FTC since 2019 — more than any other tribe in recent years. The Tribe’s affiliated entities regularly issued online loans with annual […]
Here (behind paywall). it would be a ballot referendum. The argument in favor of the referendum is that it would protect clients from lawyers charging excessive fees. Here’s an excerpt from the article: Many legal experts said a ceiling of 20 percent would make it financially difficult for many lawyers to take on complex cases […]
Christopher Lewis Peterson of Utah and Jeffrey Paul Ehrlich of St. Thomas University and McGuireWoods LLP have written Corrupt Joint Ventures in the Market for Residential Real-Estate-Settlement Services. Here’s the abstract: Closing costs in residential-real-estate sales have long acted as a significant barrier to American home ownership. In the Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act of 1974 […]
As the country turns to clean and efficient energy alternatives, federal consumer agencies have come together to warn consumers about fraud and misconduct in the residential solar panel market. The U.S. Department of the Treasury, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, and the Federal Trade Commission released consumer advisories advising the public on how to spot […]
FTC Sends Nearly $1.9 Million in Refunds to Customers Harmed by Hey Dude’s Violations of the Mail Order Rule (8/6) FTC Action Leads to Permanent Bans for Scammers Behind Sprawling Credit Repair Pyramid Scheme (8/5) FTC Investigation Leads to Lawsuit Against TikTok and ByteDance for Flagrantly Violating Children’s Privacy Law (8/2) FTC Submits Comment to […]
In a unanimous decision issued yesterday, the CPSC held that Amazon is a “distributor” of certain unsafe products listed on its website, and sold by third-party sellers using the “Fulfilled by Amazon” program, and thus is responsible for recalls when those products are defective or fail to meet federal consumer product safety standards. The agency’s […]
American consumers hate hidden airline fees. Unfortunately, siding with airlines, the Fifth Circuit yesterday held that DOT likely lacked authority to issue a rule that would require airlines to more clearly disclose fees associated with checked and carry-on baggage, and cancelling or changing flights. The order arose in a challenge to an April rule, discussed […]