The Commission has reopened the public comment period for the review of its Rule Concerning the Use of Prenotification Negative Option Plans at the request of an organization and state and local governments seeking additional time. The public comment period has been extended for 60 days, until October 13, 2009. Information on how and where […]
Monthly Archives: August 2009
Tips for Consumers About Layaway Plans
For a long time, layaway plans have provided an alternative to paying cash or using credit. The retailer holds merchandise in reserve until the consumer pays for it in full. In recent years, Internet layaway sites have provided online shoppers with a similar option. According to a new consumer alert from the Federal Trade Commission, […]
New FTC Rule Prohibits Petroleum Market Manipulation
The Federal Trade Commission today issued a Final Rule that will prohibit market manipulation in the petroleum industry. The Rule will prohibit fraud or deceit in wholesale petroleum markets, and omissions of material information that are likely to distort petroleum markets. The FTC’s approval of the Rule concludes a proceeding that incorporated several rounds of […]
Live Webcast: FTC Roundtable on Protecting Consumers in Debt Collection Litigation and Arbitration
Today is the final day of a public event the Federal Trade Commission and the Searle Center on Law, Regulation, and Economic Growth at Northwestern University School of Law are hosting on consumer protection issues in debt collection proceedings. This is the first in a series of FTC roundtable discussions on these topics. WHAT: “Protecting […]
Court Halts U.S. Internet Seller Deceptively Posing as U.K. Home Electronics Site
In the wake of a Federal Trade Commission complaint against a company that deceptively sold electronics to hundreds of British consumers, the company has agreed to stop its allegedly illegal tactics until the case is decided in federal court. Using the Web site names www.bestpricedbrands.co.uk and www.bitesizedeals.co.uk, the California company tricked consumers into believing that […]
FTC Sues Prepaid Calling Card Distributor for Deceiving Consumers
The Federal Trade Commission extended its crackdown in the billion-dollar prepaid calling card industry, asking a U.S. district court to permanently halt the illegal practices of a major calling card distributor and its principals. The FTC has charged Diamond Phone Card, Inc., a distributor of prepaid calling cards based in Elmhurst, New York, and its […]
FTC Seeks Comment on ConocoPhillips’s Petition to Amend Its Propane Supply Agreement with NGL
The Federal Trade Commission is seeking public comment on a petition from ConocoPhillips requesting approval to amend its propane supply agreement with NGL Supply, Inc., pursuant to a 2002 Commission consent order. The FTC order was issued to resolve competitive concerns raised by the merger of Conoco Inc. and Phillips Petroleum Company required ConocoPhillips to […]
Statement of Bureau of Competition Director Richard Feinstein Regarding the Announcement that Google CEO Eric Schmidt Has Resigned from Apple’s Board
On August 3, 2009, Apple announced that Eric E. Schmidt, Chief Executive Officer of Google, was stepping down from its board. “We have been investigating the Google/Apple interlocking directorates issue for some time and commend them for recognizing that sharing directors raises competitive issues, as Google and Apple increasingly compete with each other,” said Bureau […]