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FTC Fines Debt Collector $2.5 Million For Deceiving Consumers
By Chris Morran on January 30, 2012 3:23 PM
42 Comments
After years of writing about shady practices by debt collectors, it's nice to finally write that there's a small bit of justice in this world. Today, the Federal Trade Commission announced a $2.5 million civil penalty against Asset Acceptance, one of the country's largest debt collectors, for making misrepresentations and deceiving consumers in the name of collecting debts. More »
FTC Finally Permanently Shuts Down Fake News Sites Shilling For Acai Berries
By Maggie Shader on January 26, 2012 3:30 PM
23 Comments
It was nine months ago that the Federal Trade Commission announced its crackdown on companies that created sites aimed to look like news reports that were really just advertisements for supplements and other weight loss products made from acai berries. Now, as part of a settlement agreement, six online marketers will permanently stop the deceptive practice. More »
Skechers Prepping For Possible FTC Settlement Over Shape-Up Ads
By Chris Morran on November 15, 2011 12:11 PM
44 Comments
In September, when we figured out that the Federal Trade Commission was about to announce a mammoth settlement with a major shoe company over deceptive "toning shoe" ads, we guessed it was either Reebok or Skechers. Well, we were right about Reebok and it looks like Skechers is preparing for the possibility that it could end up paying out millions to the FTC. More »
Four Loko Changing Cans To Show How Many Beers You Would Actually Need To Drink To Get The Same Buzz
By Chris Morran on October 3, 2011 1:51 PM
86 Comments
For some reason, the makers of Four Loko have been downplaying the amount of alcohol in their big, candy-colored cans. And so today, as part of a settlement with the Federal Trade Commission, the makers of Four Loko agreed to new labeling that will more accurately let buyers know just how drunk they can get on a single can. More »
Reebok Spent At Least $64 Million On Deceptive EasyTone Ads
By Chris Morran on September 28, 2011 1:30 PM
54 Comments
Earlier today, we wrote about the $25 million settlement between the Federal Trade Commission and Reebok over the shoemaker's misleading ads for its EasyTone line of shoes. And while that $25 million in refunds is a nice slab of cash, it's chump change compared to what Reebok has spent marketing the shoes — and what it's earned off their sales. More »
Reebok To Fork Over $25 Million In Refunds For Deceptive EasyTone Ads
By Chris Morran on September 28, 2011 11:22 AM
44 Comments
As we reported yesterday, the Federal Trade Commission was going to announce a huge settlement, involving millions in refunds to consumers, with some big name shoe company over deceptive advertising claims. And today it was revealed that it's sneaker biggie Reebok that has agreed to fork over $25 million in refunds to buyers of its EasyTone shoes. More »
(Joe)
Did FTC Spoil Its Own Surprise Announcement?
By Chris Morran on September 27, 2011 5:43 PM
77 Comments
Earlier today, the Federal Trade Commission posted a media alert for a Wednesday morning press conference to announce an action against a "major marketer of consumer goods" that will result in millions of dollars in refunds being given to consumers. But while the Commission wanted to keep secret the name of this mystery major marketer, they may have given it away in the URL of the media alert. More »
FTC Proposes Changes To Law Protecting Kids' Privacy Online
By Chris Morran on September 16, 2011 3:00 PM
29 Comments
The Federal Trade Commission announced yesterday that it is seeking public comment on proposed changes to the Children's Online Privacy Act, which would strengthen the law's ability to protect children under the age of 13. More »
FTC Gets Some PayDay Lenders To Halt Garnishing Wages Without Court Order
By Chris Morran on September 14, 2011 11:32 AM
62 Comments
A group of nine South Dakota-based payday lenders — doing business under at least 17 different names, but all sharing a common senior executive — has agreed to stop garnishing wages from customers with delinquent accounts, at least until there is some sort of conclusion to the Federal Trade Commission lawsuit against them. More »
FTC Sends Out $108 Million In Refund Checks To Overcharged Countrywide Customers
By Chris Morran on July 20, 2011 1:02 PM
18 Comments
Earlier today, the Federal Trade Commission announced it is mailing out refund checks to the nearly half million American homeowners who were charged excessive fees on their mortgages by former Worst Company In America champ Countrywide Home Loans. More »
1950's Kool-Aid Commercial Drinks Itself
By Ben Popken on July 11, 2011 4:00 PM
57 Comments
Here's a retro Kool-Aid commercial from a simpler time. Back when the Kool-Aid man was just a jug with a condensation face that talked. No busting through walls. he just chilled there like a good friendly value sitting on a table. Children and adults just whistled at one another to signify that it was Kool-Aid time. And mothers spoke very precisely and articulately. Ahhh. More »
FTC Crackdown Does Little To Curb Ads For Fake News Sites
By Chris Morran on June 29, 2011 2:30 PM
19 Comments
Even though the Federal Trade Commission recently appeared to be coming down hard on "news" sites shilling for things like acai juice, it looks like those sites are not only still around, but links to them are popping up on major, legitimate news sites. More »
Report: FTC Ready To Serve Subpoenas In Google Antitrust Probe
By Chris Morran on June 23, 2011 12:45 PM
40 Comments
More than two months after it was first reported that the Federal Trade Commission was thinking about launching an investigation into antitrust concerns surrounding Google, it looks like the FTC might be ready to start probing in earnest by issuing formal demands for information from the search engine behemoth. More »
FTC Sues People Behind "Winning In The Cash Flow Business" Infomercial
By Chris Morran on June 3, 2011 12:15 PM
50 Comments
For the last decade, the late-night TV airwaves have been home to a series of infomercials hawking a get rich quick system called "Winning in the Cash Flow Business," in which some guy named Russell Dalbey explains over and over again how easy it is to make money by finding, brokering, and earning commissions on seller-financed promissory notes. Now, the FTC and the attorney general of Colorado are calling Dalbey's bluff, suing him and his partners for allegedly defrauding an awful lot of insomniacs. More »
(Federal Trade Commission)
Help The FTC Update Its Guidance For Internet Advertisers
By Marc Perton on May 27, 2011 4:30 PM
17 Comments
The Federal Trade Commission has announced plans to update its "Dot Com Disclosures," the guidelines it uses to tell businesses how federal advertising laws apply to the internet. The document was originally published in 2000, and the FTC admits that the "online world has changed dramatically" since then. More »
Senators Ask FTC To Investigate Possible Price Fixing By Oil Refiners
By Chris Morran on May 17, 2011 12:37 PM
94 Comments
Even though the U.S. Attorney General has already begun an inter-agency investigation into the manipulation of oil prices, three senators have asked the Jon Leibowitz, Chairman of the Federal Trade Commission and Consumerist pal, to investigate possible price fixing by this country's oil refiners. More »
Advertisers Fire Back At Government Over Proposed Food Marketing Guidelines
By Chris Morran on April 29, 2011 1:30 PM
93 Comments
Yesterday we wrote about the proposed guidelines put forth by a federal interagency working group regarding the marketing of food to children. The "principles" asked for food companies to market products with healthier ingredients and gave suggested limits on things like fat and sodium. The ad industry is less-than-pleased by the news. More »
Government Proposes New Guidelines For Marketing Food To Kids
By Chris Morran on April 28, 2011 3:30 PM
107 Comments
Earlier today, an interagency working group consisting of folks from the Federal Trade Commission, Centers for Disease Control, Food and Drug Administration, and the Dept. of Agriculture, issued a set of "proposed voluntary principles" it hopes the food industry will ultimately adopt in its marketing to the youth of America. More »
FTC Cracks Down On Fake News Sites Shilling For Acai Berries
By Paul Eng on April 20, 2011 8:00 AM
49 Comments
The U.S. Federal Trade Commission is taking a harsh legal stand against 10 companies and individuals marketing acai berry weight-loss products online by using fake news websites which imply endorsement from major media outlets — including our sibling publication Consumer Reports. More »
VIDEO: FTC Chairman Jon Leibowitz Chats With Consumerist
By consumerist.com on April 13, 2011 6:03 PM
21 Comments
Earlier today, Federal Trade Commission chairman Jon Leibowitz visited the Consumer Reports compound in Yonkers, NY. While there, Consumerist's Executive Editor Meghann Marco managed to score a sit-down interview with him. More »
