Tips for Consumers May 20, 2011 The Federal Trade Commission advises people who have participated in the U.S. State Department’s Diversity Visa (DV) Lottery program that, according to the State Department, 2012 lottery results posted in May at www.dvlottery.state.gov are invalid due to a computer programming problem. Anyone who applied to the lottery between October […]
Monthly Archives: May 2011
International Competition Network Presents Vision for its Second Decade
At its 10th annual conference in The Hague, the Netherlands, the International Competition Network (ICN) adopted new materials on how to assess market dominance, resolve cartel cases, and manage competition projects effectively. The organization also presented a comprehensive evaluation of how competition agencies use the ICN’s merger-related materials, and unveiled the first four teaching modules […]
FTC Testifies on Consumer Privacy and Protection in the Mobile Marketplace
The Federal Trade Commission today told Congress that while mobile technology, such as smart phones, is giving consumers a vast array of new products and services, it also presents new consumer privacy challenges. Testifying on behalf of the Commission before the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, David Vladeck, Director of the FTC’s Bureau […]
FTC Staff: Proposed Texas Legislation Likely to Lead to Dramatically Increased Costs and Decreased Access to Health Care for Texas Consumers
Federal Trade Commission staff, in response to a request from Texas State Representative Elliott Naishtat, stated that Texas health care consumers are likely to be harmed by a proposal in the Texas State Legislature that would exempt state-certified health care collaboratives, which are organizations composed of hospitals, physicians and other health care providers, from state […]
FTC Stops Bogus Precious Metals Dealers
At the Federal Trade Commission’s request, a federal judge has halted a telemarketing operation that allegedly conned senior citizens into buying precious metals on credit without clearly disclosing significant costs and risks, including the likelihood that consumers would have to pay more money or lose their investment. According to papers filed with the court, the […]
FTC Charges Online Marketers with Scamming Consumers out of Hundreds of Millions of Dollars with ‘Free’ Trial Offers
The Federal Trade Commission has brought a law enforcement action against an online operation that allegedly raked in more than $450 million from consumers in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, and New Zealand by luring them into “free” or “risk-free” offers, and then charging them for products and services they did not […]
FTC Staff Says Proposed Massachusetts Law Would Limit Competition and Raise Costs in Distribution of Malt Beverages
Federal Trade Commission staff, in a comment to Massachusetts State Representative Alice Peisch, advised against passage of Massachusetts House Bill 1871, which would impose new administrative requirements on the acquirer of a malt beverage brewer if it subsequently wants to terminate a wholesale distribution agreement that existed between that brewer and its wholesale distributor. If […]
FTC Chairman Leibowitz, Commissioner Kovacic to Participate in 10th Annual International Competition Network Conference In The Hague, The Netherlands
Federal Trade Commission Chairman Jon Leibowitz and Commissioner William E. Kovacic will participate in the 10th annual International Competition Network (ICN) conference in The Hague, The Netherlands, from May 18-20, 2011. At the conference, senior government antitrust officials, private-sector antitrust experts and representatives of intergovernmental organizations will meet to discuss competition issues and recent accomplishments […]
In Comment to Federal Communications Commission, FTC Stresses that Sellers are Responsible for Calls Made by Outside Telemarketers
In a comment submitted to the Federal Communications Commission, the Federal Trade Commission has urged its sister agency to hold that sellers of goods and services should be held responsible for sales calls made by others on their behalf, even if the seller did not physically place the calls. The FTC stressed that the FCC should not allow such […]
FTC Finds Broad Compliance Among Auto Dealers with Rule That Protects Consumers with Car Loans
As part of its ongoing efforts to ensure that auto dealers’ financing practices comply with federal consumer protection laws, the Federal Trade Commission has completed investigations of nearly 50 automobile dealers across the country to assess their compliance with the FTC’s Rule Concerning Preservation of Consumers’ Claims and Defenses, more commonly known as the “Holder […]