Tag

Consumer Protection

All articles tagged with #consumer protection

local21 hours ago•3 min saved

NYC Moves to End Deceptive Subscriptions and Hidden Fees

New York City is adopting rules to ban deceptive subscription traps and require upfront total pricing, with penalties up to $525 per user and enforcement starting Oct. 1. The junk-fee rule would apply to housing and other services, aiming to curb hidden costs and misinformation, in a broader push led by Commissioner Samuel Levine and Council member Zohran Mamdani. A public comment period and hearing will follow before final adoption, signaling a major shift in how prices are presented to consumers in NYC.

via The Guardian|

#consumer-protection #junk-fees #local

business1 day ago•2 min saved

Class-Action Alleges Costco Sold Orgain Protein Powder with Hidden Heavy Metals

A federal class-action accuses Costco of selling Orgain Organic Protein Powder tainted with toxic heavy metals (lead, cadmium, arsenic) without warning, alleging deceptive labeling and violations of consumer-protection laws. Plaintiffs cite testing by Consumer Reports and Clean Label Project showing heavy metals in protein powders and demand disclosure of heavy-metal levels and a halt to selling such products without proper warning; Orgain says its products meet safety standards.

via The Guardian|

#business #class-action #consumer-protection

business3 days ago•1 min saved

Window seats with no views: judge lets United and Delta lawsuits move forward

A San Francisco federal judge rejected United Airlines’ bid to dismiss lawsuits by passengers who paid for window seats that turned out to have no windows, ruling that the term ‘window’ can be interpreted beyond seat location and that the airline may have breached its promises. The suits against United and Delta seek damages for more than 1 million passengers per carrier; Delta’s case is ongoing, and United says it has added more detail to seat-disclosure during booking.

via The Guardian|

#business #class-action #consumer-protection

policy7 days ago•2 min saved

NJ Moves to Bar AI-Driven Grocery Price Discrimination

New Jersey’s Senate passed the Fair Price Protection Act to ban surveillance pricing, preventing retailers from using personal data to charge different prices for essential groceries. The law, which takes effect in one year, also imposes a one-year moratorium on new electronic shelf labels and follows Maryland’s earlier effort. The measure arrives amid scrutiny of AI pricing, including an FTC investigation and refunds tied to Instacart’s practices.

via Supermarket News|

#consumer-protection #legislation #new-jersey

business9 days ago•6 min saved

World Cup resale chaos leaves fans stranded at the gates

Fans who bought World Cup tickets on StubHub were left stranded when orders were canceled last minute, forcing families to cancel or alter travel plans and incur thousands in travel costs; a proposed class-action alleges StubHub failed to deliver paid tickets as speculative ticketing and platform issues draw scrutiny. FIFA and StubHub argue over who’s at fault, with experts criticizing the resale market; StubHub has a FanProtect Guarantee but the fine print often leaves buyers out-of-pocket.

via BBC|

#business #consumer-protection #lawsuit

politics20 days ago•21 min saved

World Cup ticket scams spark federal call for resale protections

Advocacy groups NIVA and Fan Alliance sent a joint letter urging Congress to ban speculative and ghost tickets, push universal resale protections, price caps, and stricter penalties, plus a data-reporting requirement for secondary ticketing platforms, after numerous fans report being scammed out of thousands for World Cup tickets. StubHub blames FIFA tech and transfer limits for issues; FIFA defends official channels. Missouri’s attorney general and the FBI have warned fans about fraud. The push is part of broader coverage of World Cup ticketing integrity and consumer protection.

via Politico|

#congress #consumer-protection #politics

politics20 days ago•9 min saved

Court Blocks Trump Admin From Abrupt CFPB Workforce Slashes

A federal appeals court in Washington, D.C., blocked the Trump administration’s plan to immediately slash the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s staff by about two-thirds, sending the case back to the district court without approving resumed cuts or a deadline to act. The DOJ had argued it should be allowed to carry out the changes immediately, but the court kept injunctions in place as it reviews the administration’s revised plan amid long-running efforts to weaken the agency created to police consumer finance after the 2008 crash.

via HuffPost|

#cfpb #consumer-protection #dc-circuit-court-of-appeals

business1 month ago•6 min saved

France Imposes €35M Penalty on Nintendo Over Delayed Joy-Con Fault Disclosure

France’s consumer regulator DGCCRF fined Nintendo of Europe €35 million for delaying and misleadingly informing consumers about defects in Switch Joy-Con controllers, despite knowing about the issue as early as 2018. The company only began communicating in 2020 and offered free repairs in 2023 after coordinated EU action, with authorities saying the silence discouraged customers from using after-sales service and pushed some to buy new controllers.

via Le Monde.fr|

#business #consumer-protection #dgccrf

business1 month ago•16 min saved

France Fines Nintendo €35 Million Over Joy-Con Drift

France's DGCCRF fined Nintendo €35 million for allegedly misleading consumers about Joy-Con drift on the original Switch; the investigation says Nintendo may have known about the defects as early as 2018 but notified customers only in 2020, drawing accusations of planned obsolescence from UFC-Que Choisir. Nintendo says the settlement is an amicable resolution and not an admission of guilt, noting a roughly ¥6.4B hit on litigation in its balance sheet; the company had previously offered free repairs for drift issues.

via Nintendo Life|

#business #consumer-protection #dgccrf

business1 month ago•7 min saved

Resale Greed Price-Gouges Fans Out of the World Cup, NBA Finals, and Stanley Cup

The piece argues that online resellers and dynamic pricing are driving up tickets for major events (World Cup, NBA Finals, Stanley Cup), effectively pricing out ordinary fans. It cites FIFA’s high prices and rapid sellouts, exorbitant Knicks playoff tickets, and nosebleed seats exceeding $1,000 for the Stanley Cup as evidence. The author blames bots, platform incentives, and weak U.S. anti-scalping laws (BOTS Act limitations) for a system that favors the wealthy, noting other countries have passed caps or bans on resale above face value. With little U.S. action forthcoming, the piece calls for urgent policy changes to curb price gouging and restore access to live sports.

via SB Nation|

#anti-scalping-laws #business #consumer-protection

politics1 month ago•3 min saved

Polis Vetoes Colorado Surveillance-Pricing Bill Amid Backlash

Colorado Gov. Jared Polis vetoed House Bill 26-1210, which would have cracked down on surveillance pricing, saying its broad scope could punish legitimate pricing and innocuous tech uses. Supporters argue the bill would curb discriminatory pricing based on personal data, while critics warn it could hinder price accuracy and innovation. The veto highlights ongoing tensions between consumer protection and algorithm-driven pricing, a debate mirrored by similar actions in other states and national polling that shows growing concern over such practices.

via Gizmodo|

#colorado #consumer-protection #jared-polis

business1 month ago•3 min saved

FTC Reveals Near-100 Dealer List Tied to Deceptive Car Pricing

The FTC published a list of nearly 100 car dealerships it says engaged in deceptive pricing, naming major groups (including AutoNation, Hendrick, Lithia) and about 85 distinct entities. The warnings cover practices such as hidden fees, rebates not available to all buyers, mandatory down payments, pricing tied to financing, and upselling unwanted add-ons. The Drive notes the public list serves as a warning to improve pricing transparency and invites readers to share their own bait-and-switch stories.

via The Drive|

#business #car-dealerships #consumer-protection

technology1 month ago•3 min saved

Public Backlash Against Data-Driven Pricing Gains Momentum

A new GBAO Strategies poll shows broad U.S. support for banning surveillance-based pricing and real-time price updates, with 67% in favor and 68% believing such pricing would raise grocery costs; support spans Democrats, independents, and Republicans. Privacy advocates warn that using personal data for pricing threatens privacy as a human right, citing a Consumer Reports/Instacart 2025 experiment that showed price differences up to 23%. The debate also covers general dynamic pricing and has spurred a push by U.S. senators to curb these practices.

via bgr.com|

#consumer-protection #dynamic-pricing #poll

world1 month ago•4 min saved

AGs subpoena FIFA over World Cup ticketing practices at MetLife Stadium

New York and New Jersey attorneys general have issued subpoenas to FIFA over World Cup 2026 ticketing, focusing on MetLife Stadium where eight matches including the final will be played. They allege fans were misled about seat locations and accuse FIFA of “fake scarcity” and anti-consumer practices amid dynamic pricing that has driven up prices. The investigation is supported by the NYC Department of Consumer and Worker Protection, with FIFA not commenting. The inquiry highlights ongoing controversy over high ticket costs and seat allocations for the tournament in the U.S., Canada and Mexico.

via The Guardian|

#consumer-protection #fifa #metlife-stadium

world1 month ago•1 min saved

State AGs Question FIFA on World Cup 2026 Ticket Pricing

State attorneys general have summoned FIFA to explain World Cup 2026 ticket pricing, citing concerns about potentially misleading practices and a lack of price transparency, as officials clash with FIFA over costs (including eight matches at MetLife Stadium). The probe follows prior concerns from California’s AG, and local transport issues persist even as NJ Transit cuts a fan fare from $150 to $98 to ease access.

via BBC|

#attorney-general #consumer-protection #fifa