FTC Seeks Public Comment on a Planned Consumer Fraud Survey

The Federal Trade Commission is seeking public comment on a planned survey on the prevalence of consumer fraud in the United States. The survey is a follow-up to two previous surveys conducted in 2003 and 2005, that are reported in “Consumer Fraud in the United States: An FTC Survey,” and “Consumer Fraud in the United […]

Fees Telemarketers Pay to Access the National Do Not Call Registry Will Not Increase in FY 2011; FTC Approves Final Order Settling Charges that Houghton International’s Acquisition of D.A. Stuart GmbH was Anticompetitive

Fees Telemarketers Pay to Access the National Do Not Call Registry Will Not Increase in FY 2011 The fees that telemarketers pay to access phone numbers on the National Do Not Call Registry will remain unchanged in fiscal year 2011, the Federal Trade Commission has announced. All telemarketers making calls to consumers in the United […]

FTC Warns Consumers to Exercise Caution When Selling a Timeshare Through a Reseller

For Your Information August 27, 2010 The Federal Trade Commission, the nation’s consumer protection agency, offered these tips for people who seek to sell their timeshare through real estate brokers and agents that specialize in reselling timeshares: Even if the salesperson claims the local market is “hot,” or his office is overwhelmed with buyer requests, […]

Public Relations Firm to Settle FTC Charges that It Advertised Clients’ Gaming Apps Through Misleading Online Endorsements

A public relations agency hired by video game developers will settle Federal Trade Commission charges that it engaged in deceptive advertising by having employees pose as ordinary consumers posting game reviews at the online iTunes store, and not disclosing that the reviews came from paid employees working on behalf of the developers. “Companies, including public […]

Floods in Pakistan: FTC Warns Consumers to Give Wisely

For Your Information August 24, 2010 In the wake of the devastation caused by flooding in Pakistan and along the border between China and North Korea, the Federal Trade Commission warns consumers to choose carefully when considering urgent appeals for aid in the news, online, and at social networking sites. The best way to provide […]

Auto Warranty Robocaller To Pay $2.3 Million, Sell Mercedes For Consumer Redress

One of the telemarketers who blasted U.S. consumers with millions of illegal auto “warranty” robocalls last year will pay approximately $2.3 million, give up his Mercedes, and be barred from telemarketing, under a settlement with the Federal Trade Commission that wraps up the agency’s case against the deceptive operation. In sum, the FTC is collecting […]

FTC Sends Second Round of Redress Checks to Stewart Finance Victims

Beginning today, a claims administrator working for the Federal Trade Commission will mail more than 16,000 checks to consumers who were victims of Stewart Finance Company. In September 2003, the FTC charged Stewart, seven related companies, and their principals with deceiving consumers, many of them elderly, by packing optional products such as accidental death and […]

Federal Trade Commission and U.S. Department of Justice Issue Revised Horizontal Merger Guidelines

The Federal Trade Commission and Department of Justice issued today revised Horizontal Merger Guidelines that outline how the federal antitrust agencies evaluate the likely competitive impact of mergers and whether those mergers comply with U.S. antitrust law. These changes mark the first major revision of the merger guidelines in 18 years, and will give businesses […]

FTC Staff Opinion: Yakima Valley Memorial Hospital’s Proposed Rx Program Exempt From the Robinson-Patman Act

In a letter issued today, the staff of the Federal Trade Commission advised Yakima Valley Memorial Hospital that its proposal to provide pharmaceuticals purchased at a discount to employees of two affiliate entities is exempt from the Robinson-Patman Act, a U.S. antitrust law that prohibits anti-competitive price discrimination. The Non-Profit Institutions Act, or NPIA, creates […]

Court Orders Internet Marketers of Acai Berry Weight-Loss Pills and “Colon Cleansers” to Stop Deceptive Advertising and Unfair Billing Practices

At the request of the Federal Trade Commission, a U.S. district court has ordered the marketers of acai berry supplements, “colon cleansers,” and other products to temporarily halt an Internet sales scheme that allegedly scammed consumers out of $30 million or more in 2009 alone through deceptive advertising and unfair billing practices. The FTC will […]