The Federal Trade Commission and U.S. Department of Agriculture today announced the agenda for their upcoming joint-agency roundtable on consumer perceptions of “organic” claims for non-agricultural products. The event, first announced in August, will be held in Washington, DC, on October 20, 2016. Jessica Rich, Director of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection will provide […]
Monthly Archives: September 2016
FTC Charges Los Angeles-Based Sage Auto Group With Using Deceptive and Unfair Sales and Financing Tactics
The Federal Trade Commission has charged nine Los Angeles-area auto dealerships and their owners with using a wide range of deceptive and unfair sales and financing practices. The FTC’s action filed in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California seeks to end these practices and return money to consumers. This is the […]
FTC to Return Almost $20 Million to Consumers Lured by Credit Monitoring Scheme
The Federal Trade Commission will return almost $20 million to more than 145,000 consumers across the country who were victimized by One Technologies LP and its two partner companies, in an online scheme that lured consumers with “free” access to their credit scores and then billed them a recurring $29.95 monthly fee for credit monitoring […]
FTC Testifies before Senate Commerce Committee about Agency’s Work to Protect Consumers and Promote Competition
In testimony presented to the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, the Federal Trade Commission described its work, and called for several changes to the FTC Act that would enhance its ability to protect consumers and promote competition. FTC Chairwoman Edith Ramirez and Commissioners Maureen K. Ohlhausen and Terrell McSweeny testified before the […]
FTC Approves Final Order Requiring Ductile Pipe Distributor to Stop Inviting Competitor to Collude on Pricing
Following a public comment period, the Federal Trade Commission has approved a final order settling charges that Fortiline, LLC, a company that distributes ductile iron pipe, fittings and accessories throughout much of the United States, illegally invited a competitor to collude on prices. Under the FTC order, Fortiline is barred from entering into, attempting to […]
FTC Requests Public Comment on Application from HeidelbergCement AG and Italcementi S.p.A. to Approve Divestiture of Cement Facility
The Federal Trade Commission is currently accepting public comments on an application from HeidelbergCement AG and Italcementi S.p.A. to sell the Martinsburg, W.Va.-based Martinsburg Cement Business. The divestiture is required by the FTC’s August 2016 order settling charges that the $4.2 billion merger of Heidelberg and Italcementi would likely harm competition in five regional markets […]
FTC Wins Summary Judgment against Marketers of Supplement That Claimed To Prevent or Reverse Gray Hair
A U.S. district court judge has ruled that COORGA Nutraceuticals Corporation and its principal Garfield Coore violated the law by claiming their “Grey Defence” dietary supplements reversed or prevented gray hair. The Federal Trade Commission filed a complaint challenging the claims as unfounded in May 2015. Based on this ruling, the court has issued a […]
Testimony on Examining the Agenda of Regulators, SROs, and Standards-Setters for Accounting, Auditing, and Municipal Securities
Before the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Financial Services, Subcommittee on Capital Markets and Government Sponsored EnterprisesWashington, D.C. Sept. 22, 2016 Chairman Garrett, Ranking Member Maloney, and Members of the Subcommittee: I am Wes Bricker, Interim Chief Accountant of the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (“Commission”). I serve as the principal advisor to […]
FTC Action: Debt Collector Banned from Collection Business
A debt collection company’s former vice president will be banned from the debt collection business under a settlement with the Federal Trade Commission. The FTC’s complaint against Commercial Recovery Systems Inc. (CRS), its president Timothy Ford, and its vice president David Devany, filed on its behalf by the Department of Justice in January 2015, alleged […]
FTC Action: NutraClick Must Change Billing Practices
A nutritional supplement marketer called NutraClick has agreed to settle FTC charges that it lured consumers with “free” samples of supplements and beauty products and then violated the law by charging them a recurring monthly fee without their consent. According to the FTC’s complaint, NutraClick did not clearly disclose that people who ordered sample products […]