A telemarketing operation that allegedly deceived consumers who were trying to sell their timeshare properties is permanently banned from the timeshare resale and rental business, and from all telemarketing, under settlements with the Federal Trade Commission. The case is part of the FTC’s ongoing effort to crack down on con artists who use fraud and deception […]
Monthly Archives: April 2012
FTC Places Conditions on CoStar’s $860 Million Acquisition of LoopNet
The Federal Trade Commission will require CoStar Group, the largest provider of commercial real estate information services in the United States, to sell LoopNet’s ownership interest in Xceligent, under a proposed order settling charges that CoStar’s $860 million acquisition of LoopNet would be anticompetitive. The proposed FTC order requires the combined firm to sell LoopNet’s […]
FTC Settlement Bans Swindlers from Prize Promotion Business
The Federal Trade Commission put a stop to an operation that allegedly conned hundreds of thousands of consumers into paying $20 apiece by posing as government agencies and luring them with fake sweepstakes prizes. Under settlements reached as part of the FTC’s ongoing crackdown on schemes that prey on financially strapped consumers, the defendants are […]
FTC Staff: Proposed Louisiana Law Would Expand Patient Care by Advance Practice Registered Nurses
Federal Trade Commission staff, in response to a request from Louisiana State Representatives Thomas P. Willmott and Patrick C. Williams, stated that a bill proposed in the Louisiana legislature could benefit consumers by making it simpler for Advanced Practice Registered Nurses (APRNs) to serve Louisiana health care consumers. Louisiana House Bill 951 would remove a […]
International Competition Network Launches New Initiatives on the Investigative Process, Enforcement Cooperation, and Working with the Courts
The International Competition Network (ICN) launched initiatives on the investigative process in competition cases, international enforcement cooperation, and working with the courts, the Federal Trade Commission announced today. The ICN also adopted new materials on unilateral conduct investigations, raising anti-cartel awareness, and explaining the benefits of competition, and presented four new teaching modules of a […]
FTC Approves Cardinal Health, Inc.’s Application to Sell Nuclear Pharmacy Assets to Patient Care Infusion, LLC
Following a public comment period, the Federal Trade Commission has approved an application by Cardinal Health, Inc. to sell former Cardinal nuclear pharmacy assets to Patient Care Infusion, LLC (PCI). Cardinal’s sale of the assets is required under a 2011 settlement with the FTC , which resolved charges that Cardinal’s acquisition of three nuclear pharmacies […]
FTC Conducts Undercover Inspections of Funeral Homes in Nine States to Press Funeral Homes to Comply with Consumer Protection Law
Investigators working undercover in nine states detected significant violations of Federal Trade Commission consumer protection requirements in 23 of 102 funeral homes they visited during 2011. The FTC conducts undercover inspections every year to make sure that funeral homes are complying with the agency’s Funeral Rule. The Rule, issued in 1984, gives consumers important rights […]
FTC Seeks Public Comment on Energy Transfer Partners’ Application to Sell Heritage Propane Express to JP Energy Partners, LP
The Federal Trade Commission is seeking public comment on an application by Energy Transfer Partners, L.P. and Energy Transfer Partners, GP, L.P., requesting approval to sell their Heritage Propane Express business to JP Energy Partners, LP. FTC approval of the sale is required by a settlement with the agency, under which the Commission approved the […]
With Earth Day Approaching, FTC Offers Energy-Saving Tips
Earth Day is almost here, so if you still need an idea for a good way to take part, why not start by learning more about saving energy? It can benefit the environment and save you some money on your energy bills. Whether you’re looking to buy new windows, a new appliance, or light bulbs, […]
FTC Action Halts Alleged Scam That Dangled the False Promise of ‘Free Gas for Life’ Then Charged Consumers for Unwanted E-Magazine Subscriptions
The Federal Trade Commission put a stop to an online operation that allegedly lured consumers with a supposedly “free” book falsely promising that it would show them how to power their cars and homes at no cost, and then billed them for an online magazine they never ordered. The defendants behind the alleged scam have […]