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Consumer Protection+context
Consumer protection laws are designed to ensure fair competition and the free flow of truthful information in the marketplace. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Consumer_protection
+resources and best practices
Consumer Protection+background
In the United States a variety of laws at both the federal or state levels regulate consumer affairs. Among them are the federal Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, the Fair Credit Reporting Act, Truth in Lending Act, Fair Credit Billing Act, and the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act. Federal consumer protection laws are mainly enforced by the Federal Trade Commission and the U.S. Department of Justice.
At the state level, many states have a Department of Consumer Affairs devoted to regulating certain industries and protecting consumers who use goods and services from those industries.
For example, in the U.S. state of California, the California Department of Consumer Affairs regulates about 2.3 million professionals in over 230 different professions, through its forty regulatory entities.
In addition, California encourages its consumers to act as private attorneys general through the liberal provisions of its Consumers Legal Remedies Act, Cal. Civil Code § 1750 et seq.
California has the strongest consumer protection laws of any US state, partly because of rigorous advocacy and lobbying by groups such as Utility Consumers' Action Network[4], Consumer Federation of California and Privacy Rights Clearinghouse.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Consumer_protection
Consumer Protection+definitions
"Consumer protection law" or "consumer law" is considered an area of public law that regulates private law relationships between individual consumers and the businesses that sell those goods and services. Consumer protection covers a wide range of topics, including but not necessarily limited to product liability, privacy rights, unfair business practices, fraud, misrepresentation, and other consumer/business interactions.
Such laws deal with credit repair, debt repair, product safety, service contracts, bill collector regulation, pricing, utility turnoffs, consolidation, personal loans that may lead to bankruptcy and much more.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Consumer_protection
Consumer organizations are advocacy groups that seek to protect people from corporate abuse. Unsafe products, predatory lending, false advertising, astroturfing and pollution are all examples of corporate abuse.
Consumer Protection+best practices
United States Consumer Protection Groups
- American Consumer Institute
- Better Business Bureau
- Consumer Action
- Consumers Union, publishers of Consumer Reports
- Consumer Watchdog (USA), formerly the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights
- Public Citizen
- Consumer Federation of America
- Center for Science in the Public Interest (food/nutrition)
- National Consumers League
- U.S. Public Interest Research Group
- Consumer Complaint Form, Federal Trade Commission
- Consumer protection information (U.S.)
- Consumers International, the global voice for consumers
Consumer Protection+issues
By ANNE FLAHERTY (AP) 10/22/09
WASHINGTON — The House Financial Services Committee voted Thursday to create a federal agency devoted to protecting consumers from predatory lending, abusive overdraft fees and unfair rate hikes.
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5g7ffRdswXTlfgaQS0FCOZmrvbwcAD9BG9AGG1
"Merkley in thick of new congressional battle over financial regulation"
By Jeff Mapes, The Oregonian October 13, 2009
Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., was shepherding Senate Banking Chairman Chris Dodd, D-Conn., around Portland Monday to talk up legislation that seeks to prevent "abusive financial practices" by forming a Consumer Financial Protection Agency.
http://blog.oregonlive.com/mapesonpolitics/2009/10/merkley_in_thick_of_new_congre.html
Consumer Protection+lessons learned
Consumer Protection+standards in field
Fed finalizes bank overdraft fee regulations
Thursday, November 12, 2009, Portland Business Journal - by Crystal Jarvis Contributing writer
General consumer protection laws
- Consumer Product Safety Act - gives the Consumer Product Safety Commission the power to develop safety standards and pursue recalls for products
- Federal Trade Commission Act - created the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to prevent unfair competition, deceptive acts, regulate trade, etc.
- United States National Do Not Call Registry - allows US consumers to limit telemarketing calls they receive.
Food & Drug
- Pure Food and Drug Act - led to the creation of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to regulate foods, drugs, and more.
Communications
- Communications Act of 1934 - created the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to regulate all radio and interstate cable, phone, and satellite communications.
- Fair Credit Reporting Act (FRCA) - regulates the collection, dissemination, and use of consumer credit information
- Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA) - eliminate abusive consumer practices, ensure fairness, etc.
- Truth in Lending Act (TILA) - requires clear disclosure of key terms of the lending arrangement and all costs.
Real Estate
- Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act (RESPA) - prohibits kickbacks and requires lenders to provide a good faith estimate of costs
- Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) - provides consumer protection for Health Information
Digital Media
- Digital Millennium Copyright Act - prohibits production or sale of devices or services intended to circumvent copyright measures.
- Digital Media Consumers' Rights Act (proposed) - would repeal the Digital Millennium Copyright Act
Consumer Protection+other
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