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Consumer Watchdog (Free subscription) | 12 hours ago
Pre-emption of State Health Benefit Laws Is a Major Retreat; Insurance Rate Justification Shows Promise WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Consumer Watchdog released a list today of the 10 key positive and negative consumer protection provisions of the U.S. Senate health reform bill, HR 3590, which passed an important procedural vote this weekend. The group lauded the bill’s dramatic expansion of coverage...
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Adventures In Internet Marketing (Free subscription) | yesterday
Here is it folks, short and sweet, the part that you need to know if you sell or endorse any products in your blog.What do the Endorsement Guides mean for bloggers? Mary Engle, Associate Director - Bureau of Consumer ProtectionHow do bloggers follow the Endorsement Guides? Mary Engle, Associate Director - Bureau of Consumer [...]Related posts: Eric Louviere’s Top 10 Keys To Success This is from...
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Safehaven (Free subscription) | 11/22/2009
When I first came out with the PPD research (which I released for free as a public service, may I add), many were doubtful as the market was literally manipulated upward. I feel my blog's patrons were confusing the alleged "scam's" ...
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43(B)log (Free subscription) | 11/21/2009
Sushi fraud: Apparently, if you don't walk around fingerprinting the DNA of your fish--the database is, hilariously, FISH-BOL--you run the risk of ordering tuna and instead receiving escolar, "a nasty fish with buttery flesh that can cause bizarre episodes of diarrhea, accompanied by a waxy intestinal discharge," or an endangered species of tuna. "[R]esearchers from Columbia University...
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NewsWatch: Energy (Free subscription) | 11/20/2009
The CAPP blog (Cities Aggregation Power Project) reports today on the Public Utility Commission approving new electricity consumer protection rules today. Among the issues addressed: printing contract expiration dates on bills so customers know when they might lose a particular...
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The Earth Times Online Newspaper (Free subscription) | 11/20/2009
ADA, Okla., Nov. 20 -- Pre-Paid Legal Services, Inc. (NYSE: PPD) wishes to clarify information provided in our press release issued yesterday, November 19, 2009. We believe the proposed draft complaint from the Federal Trade Commission ("FTC") referr...
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Misleading Advertising Law (Free subscription) | 11/20/2009
Image via WikipediaFrom the FTC Press Release on Commerce Planet's deceptive negative option plan.An online marketer of purportedly "free" Internet auction kits, which automatically charged...
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Sequence Inc. FRAUDfiles Blog (Free subscription) | 11/20/2009
Much to my surprise, the Federal Trade Commission appears to be taking action against Pre-Paid Legal Services (NYSE:PPD) for making misleading representations in connection with its Identity Theft Shield and Affirmative Defense Response System products. The company is named, along with CEO Harland Stonecipher anbd Chief Marketing Officer Mark Brown. The FTC seeks not only [...]
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The IN VIVO Blog (Free subscription) | 11/19/2009
The Obama administration may have sent a subtle message to drug manufacturers Monday, when it nominated Julie Brill to be one of two new commissioners at the Federal Trade Commission. The message? Make sure your marketing practices don’t collide with consumers’ best interests. Brill has overseen consumer protection for states since 1988, with a major emphasis on watching over the pharmaceutical...
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Pharmalot (Free subscription) | 11/19/2009
Who? Julie Brill, who was Vermont’s assistant attorney general for consumer protection and antitrust, where she spearheaded efforts to publicize pharma payments to docs and reign in some marketing practices, The Pink Sheet writes*. She championed, for instance, a controversial data mining law (see here). Brill worked in Vermont from 1988 to 2009 before moving earlier [...]
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Environmental Leader (Free subscription) | 11/19/2009
As the U.S. House of Representatives considers how far the EPA should go in regulating chemicals used in everyday products, trade groups are cautioning against over-regulation. The Subcommittee on Commerce, Trade and Consumer Protection took comments on the EPA’s proposed overhaul the 1976 Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), which governs the country’s chemicals policies. EPA Administrator...
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AFL-CIO Weblog (Free subscription) | 11/18/2009
AFL-CIO Director of Policy Damon Silvers has a prescription for moving our economy forward: Make the financial sector the servant of the real economy—not its master. Silvers debated American Bankers Association President Edward Yingling on the need for financial reform in a hard-fought discussion at the Aspen Institute yesterday, and the differences between the two were most apparent when it...
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Consumer Watchdog (Free subscription) | 11/18/2009
Mercury General, a large auto insurer, wants to legalize premium discounts tolongtime customers and got a bill to that effect passed by the Legislature six years ago, but the law was overturned by the courts as violative of Proposition 103. Since then, Mercury has played a cat-and-mouse game with its foes in the lawyer-backed consumer protection field. Mercury has another ballot measure in the works,...
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Computer World (Free subscription) | 11/18/2009
The U.S. Federal Trade Commission has filed a civil contempt complaint against an online check-writing service, saying the company continues to allow customers to create and e-mail checks without verification of their identities.
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HomeATM (Free subscription) | 11/18/2009
As reported by various new agencies a couple days back, the Fed ban on automatic ATM, debit overdraft fees is on the way From ATM Marketplace: Bloomberg reports that the Federal Reserve will prohibit banks from charging overdraft fees on ATMs and debit cards, unless the bank customer or credit union member agrees to pay charges for exceeding account balances. And financial companies that do impose...
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obi jo | 10/28/2009
http://benkazie.wordpress.com/2009/10/27/fda-to-curb-untested-h1n1-remedies/ As is always the case when a medical crisis or new illness appears on the scene, there are those companies and individuals who seek to take advantage of public fear and ignorance by offering a variety of “treatments” for sale. Naturally, these treatments have not been fully tested or subjected to rigorous medical review. Accordingly,...
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bharatbook | 10/24/2009
U.S. Debt Collection Agencies: An Industry Analysis Report This report examines the $12 billion business of debt collection agencies. Complaints by consumers about harassment by collectors still exists and tops the list of complaints to the FTC. With the recession, it has gotten worse, since it has become more difficult to collect on (liquidate) accounts. Many consumers are out of work or struggling
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aprpeh | 07/22/2009
The Credit Card Accountability, Responsibility, and Disclosure (CARD) Act of 2009 became law in May. The provisions of the law address consumer protections, improved disclosures of credit contracts, gift cards, and of particular interest - regulations concerning the younger consumers and credit issuance. The new law prevents consumers under the age of 21 from opening a new credit account unless the...