The Federal Trade Commission will hold a press conference on Thursday, November 8 at 11 am in Washington, DC, to announce a law enforcement action against the largest-ever international real estate investment scheme the agency has encountered. The Commission estimates that to date hundreds of consumers have lost more than $100 million to the illegal […]
Tag Archives: Consumer Protection
FTC Offers Top 10 Holiday Shopping Tips For Consumers, And Advice For Online Retailers
Whether you’re shopping by phone, mail or online this holiday season, the Federal Trade Commission offers 10 tips to help you shop wisely and save a few bucks, too. Need tips on making a shopping budget, comparing prices, taking advantage of rebates and layaway, and protecting your identity when shopping online? Check out consumer.ftc.gov for […]
Is Solar Power Right for You? FTC Tips Highlight Homeowners’ Options
If you’re thinking about using solar power at home, the Federal Trade Commission has new information to help you sort through the options. Solar Power for Your Home explains costs and benefits of buying or leasing a system, or signing a power purchase agreement. It also has tips to help you evaluate companies and products, […]
FTC Warns Consumers About Pension Advance Plans
If you’re trying to make ends meet, here’s a pitch that might catch your interest: “Convert tomorrow’s pension checks into hard cash today.” Sound tempting? Think again. The Federal Trade Commission, the nation’s consumer protection agency, advises consumers that pension advances, also known as pension sales, loans, or buyouts, come at a very steep price. […]
FTC Testifies on Fraud Against Older Americans
The Federal Trade Commission testified before a U.S. House of Representatives Energy and Commerce subcommittee about consumer protection issues facing older Americans, including the agency’s efforts to combat fraud and its education and outreach efforts to help seniors protect themselves. Testifying on behalf of the Commission, Acting Director Charles Harwood of the FTC’s Bureau of […]
FTC to Consumers: You May be Due a Refund for Dietary Supplements
If you purchased any Accelis, nanoSLIM, Cold MD, Germ MD, or Allergy MD product, the Federal Trade Commission wants you to know that you may be eligible for a refund. As part of its ongoing efforts to stop bogus health claims, in 2010, the FTC charged Iovate Health Sciences U.S.A. and two affiliated Canadian companies […]
FTC Amends Appliance Labeling Rule to Ease Burdens on Businesses
As part of an ongoing, thorough review of its Appliance Labeling Rule, the Federal Trade Commission is streamlining the reporting and testing provisions of the Rule, which requires energy efficiency labels for major household appliances and other consumer products. The amendments also improve the availability of online energy information for consumers. The agency also is […]
FTC Concludes Regulatory Review of Cooling Off Rule; Proposes Increase in Threshold Amount for Coverage by the Rule from $25 to $130 Worth of Consumer Goods or Services
As part of its systematic regulatory review process, and following public comment, the Federal Trade Commission announced that it is retaining the Cooling Off Rule and proposed increasing its $25 exclusionary limit to $130 to account for inflation. Currently, the Cooling Off Rule provides that it is unfair and deceptive for sellers engaged in “door-to-door” […]
Senator Rockefeller, FTC Chairman Leibowitz to Announce Updated COPPA Rule That Strengthens Kids Privacy Protections
WHO: Senate Commerce Committee Chairman John D. (Jay) Rockefeller, D-West Virginia FTC Chairman Jon Leibowitz Sen. Mark Pryor, D-Arkansas Rep. Joe Barton, R-Texas Rep. Edward J. Markey, D-Massachusetts April McClain-Delaney, Washington, D.C. Director Common Sense Media Related posts: FTC Obtains Court Order Halting Internet Payday Lenders Who Failed to Disclose Key Loan Terms and Used […]
FTC Announces Departure of Consumer Protection Bureau Director David C. Vladeck and Executive Director Eileen Harrington, Appointment of Charles A. Harwood as Acting Director of the Bureau of Consumer Protection and Pat Bak as Acting Executive Director
Federal Trade Commission Chairman Jon Leibowitz today announced that David C. Vladeck, Director of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection, is leaving the agency on December 31 to return to a faculty position at Georgetown University Law Center, and that Charles A. Harwood, who has been a Deputy Director in the Bureau for the past […]