The Federal Trade Commission has filed civil contempt charges against an attorney who represented the marketers of an “Internet kiosk” business opportunity that turned out to be nothing more than a Ponzi scheme. In its contempt action, the Commission charged that the attorney representing defendants in the case flouted a March 2009 federal court order […]
Monthly Archives: November 2009
Marketers of Free Trial Stop-Smoking Patch Settle FTC Charges
An operation that offered “free trials” of its bogus smoking cessation patches and debited consumers’ bank accounts without their consent has settled Federal Trade Commission charges that it violated federal law. The settlement order bars the defendants from future violations and requires them to pay $315,000. According to a complaint filed by the FTC in […]
Holiday Shopping on a Budget: Tips About Layaway Plans
With the holiday season fast approaching, some smart planning now can keep your household budget intact when you ring in the new year. One option to consider is layaway plans. For a long time, these plans have provided an alternative to paying cash or using credit. The retailer holds merchandise in reserve until the consumer […]
FTC Charges ‘Credit Card’ Companies with Deceptive Marketing
The Federal Trade Commission has filed a complaint in federal court alleging that a catalog credit card operation deceptively marketed its card, failed to honor its refund policy, and charged up-front fees for a guaranteed line of credit. The defendants, who charged consumers hundreds of dollars in fees for the card, voluntarily agreed to an […]
FTC Rules Michigan Realtors’ Group Reduced Competition, Harmed Consumers by Restricting Access to Discount Realtors’ Listings on its Multiple Listing Service and Public Web Sites
The Federal Trade Commission today issued an Opinion finding that Realcomp II – a Michigan-based realtors’ group – violated federal law by restricting the ability of member real estate agents to offer consumers lower-priced alternatives to traditional real estate services. Realcomp refused to transmit discount real estate listings to its own and other publicly available […]
FTC Charges Marketers with Making Baseless Weight-Loss Claims Despite Order to Stop
The U.S. Justice Department, at the Federal Trade Commission’s request, has filed suit in federal court in a case affecting consumers nationwide. The government has charged three companies and two individuals with making advertising claims for their fat and weight-loss pills, Relacore and Akävar 20/50, that violate a 2006 FTC order barring them from making […]