The Federal Trade Commission is seeking public comment on a variety of proposed changes to its Energy Labeling Rule affecting labels for light bulbs, appliances, room air conditioners, ceiling fans, refrigerators, and furnaces. Under the Rule, manufacturers must attach yellow EnergyGuide labels to certain products, stating an annual operating cost and an energy consumption rating, […]
Monthly Archives: June 2014
Pennsylvania Home Builder Settles FTC Charges of Deceptive Mortgage Advertising
A Pennsylvania-based home builder that offers home financing has settled Federal Trade Commission charges that it deceived consumers by advertising low-cost mortgages while hiding fees and not disclosing vital information about the true cost of the mortgages. “These defendants tricked consumers into believing they’d found an affordable mortgage with very favorable terms,” said Jessica Rich, […]
Supplement Marketers Settle FTC Charges that “BrainStrong Adult” Memory Improvement Claims Are Deceptive
Supplement marketers i-Health, Inc. and Martek Biosciences Corporation have agreed to settle FTC charges of deceptive advertising for claiming that their BrainStrong Adult dietary supplement will improve adult memory and prevent cognitive decline. The complaint also alleges the marketers falsely claimed they had clinical proof that BrainStrong Adult improves adult memory. “Supplement marketers must ensure […]
FTC Requests Public Comments on SCI’s Application to Approve Sale of Funeral Home Assets in Alabama to Legacy Funeral Holdings of Alabama LLC
The Federal Trade Commission is currently accepting public comments on an application by Service Corporation International (SCI) to sell certain funeral and cemetery assets, as required under the FTC’s December 2013 proposed order settling charges that SCI’s acquisition of Stewart Enterprises, Inc. would be anticompetitive. In total, the proposed order requires the combined SCI/Stewart to […]
U.S. Appeals Court Affirms Ruling in Favor of FTC, Upholds Lower Court Order Against BurnLounge Pyramid Scheme
In a victory for the Federal Trade Commission, a federal appeals court has upheld a district court ruling that BurnLounge, a multi-level marketing business, and several associated individuals, operated a pyramid scheme causing millions of dollars of consumer harm. The court order permanently halted the defendants’ marketing methods, which lured more than 56,000 consumers by […]
FTC and DOJ Announce Agenda for June 23 Joint Agency Workshop on Conditional Pricing Practices
The Federal Trade Commission and Department of Justice (DOJ) have issued the agenda for their joint public workshop, which will be held on June 23, 2014, to explore the economic and legal analysis of conditional pricing practices among firms in a supply chain. Announced in early May, the workshop will focus on conditional pricing arrangements […]
U.S. District Judge Finds that Payday Lender AMG Services Deceived Consumers by Imposing Undisclosed Charges and Inflated Fees
The Federal Trade Commission has scored another legal victory in its crackdown against deceptive payday lenders with the latest finding from U.S. District Judge Gloria M. Navarro in the case against AMG Services. Judge Navarro ruled last week that the defendants deceived consumers about the cost of their loans by imposing undisclosed charges and inflated […]
FTC Testifies on Geolocation Privacy
The Federal Trade Commission testified before Congress on the Commission’s efforts to address the privacy concerns raised by the tracking of information about consumers’ location, as well as proposed legislation to protect the privacy of geolocation data. Delivering testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee’s Subcommittee for Privacy, Technology and the Law, Jessica Rich, Director of […]
FTC Issues Summary of Its 2013 Financial Acts Enforcement and Related Research and Consumer Education
The Federal Trade Commission has issued its summaries of FTC enforcement and related activities during annual year 2013 regarding the Truth in Lending Act (TILA), Consumer Leasing Act (CLA), and Electronic Fund Transfer Act (EFTA); and the Equal Credit Opportunity Act (ECOA). The Commission has submitted the summaries to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), […]
FTC Charges Operation with Selling Bogus Debt Relief Services
The Federal Trade Commission charged an Irvine, California-based scheme with billing consumers as much as $10,000 after making deceptive claims that it would provide legal advice, settle consumers’ debts, and repair their credit in three years or less. Instead, the scheme often left consumers in financial ruin, the agency charged. The FTC alleged that the […]