The FTC and Connecticut Join Forces for Action Against Nissan Dealer
The FTC Takes Initiative to Stop Junk Fees
Consumer Finance Monitor Podcast Episode: The Biden Admin “Junk Fees” Initiative Continues: What the Latest Actions Mean for the Consumer Financial Services and Rental Housing Industries, Pt 1
CFPB Issues Filing Instructions Guide for Small Business Lending Data - The CFPB has published instructions for banks and other covered financial institutions to submit small business lending data that is required to be...more
On August 7, 2024, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) issued a report spotlighting four marketing and financing practices relating to solar financing that it claims pose significant consumer risks (the...more
A proposed class action lawsuit has been filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California against EarnIn, a FinTech provider of Earned Wage Access services, alleging that its optional fees and tips...more
On August 7, 2024, the CFPB published an Issue Spotlight on the solar lending industry. In conjunction with the CFPB’s Issue Spotlight, the CFPB, U.S. Department of Treasury, and the Federal Trade Commission also issued a...more
Junk fees have made, and continue to make, state attorney general headlines with recent actions by Maryland and Rhode Island relating to consumer transportation. The rubber met the road when Maryland Attorney General Anthony...more
The CFPB and Credit Repair Cloud, have reached agreement over allegations that the firm helped other credit repair businesses charge illegal fees to consumers....more
On July 29, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit granted a stay against a recent U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) rule that regulated how airlines disclose fees to consumers during the booking process. The...more
On July 29, the attorney general (AG) for Washington, D.C. sued StubHub, Inc. (StubHub) for violations of the district’s Consumer Protection Procedures Act. The complaint accuses StubHub of employing “dark patterns,”...more
Kilpatrick partners Michele Floyd and Evan Nadel recently presented a webinar to the Association of Corporate Counsel’s Georgia Chapter on the topic of “Marketing and Advertising in California: Compliance with the 'Honest...more
On June 30, 2024, the Office of the Attorney General for the District of Columbia filed an action against an online ticket exchange and resale website alleging violations of the District of Columbia’s Consumer...more
In this episode of his "Clearly Conspicuous" podcast series, "The FTC and Connecticut Join Forces for Action Against Nissan Dealer," consumer protection attorney Anthony DiResta discusses a recent action taken by the Federal...more
In June, we summarized a number of new and pending laws specifically designed to regulate how companies display prices and fees. Although it’s important for companies to focus on those, we also noted that even in states...more
Drip pricing, the practice of revealing hidden fees after a consumer has begun the purchasing process, has come under scrutiny. The Federal Trade Commission has labeled it a dark pattern, and California has taken steps to...more
On July 25, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB or Bureau) released an Issue Spotlight focusing on the fees associated with electronic payment platforms used by school districts to process school lunch payments. In...more
The CFPB recently released a report on payment processing companies that manage school lunch payments for school districts. The companies, the report argues, cater to a captive market and often impose transaction fees that...more
On July 1, 2024, California’s law banning hidden fees took effect. Under the Consumer Legal Remedies Act (CLRA), SB 478 provides that businesses transacting with California consumers may not apply additional fees or charges...more
The FTC announced that it has taken multiple actions to address growing concern about unfair and deceptive practices by franchisors. The FTC released a Policy Statement on Franchisors’ Use of Contract Provisions, Including...more
As we previously reported, the California AG’s office recently provided clarification through FAQs on the California “hidden fee” law that amended the Consumer Legal Remedies Act, SB 478. Those FAQs articulated the position...more
Over the weekend, Governor Newsom signed Senate Bill 1524 into law, an emergency provision clarifying that Senate Bill 478, the “hidden fees” law that went into effect this week, will not apply to restaurants, bar, food...more
The National Football League must pay more than $4.7 billion in class-action damages for overcharging subscribers of its “Sunday Ticket” telecasts, a California federal jury said on Thursday....more
A last-minute, emergency bill, SB-1524, was signed into law over the weekend by Governor Newsom. SB-1524 effectively modifies SB-478, the so-called junk-fee ban, which became effective today. As discussed, the exemption...more
California SB 478 (also known as the “Honest Pricing Law” or the “Hidden Fees Statute”) is set to go into effect on July 1, 2024. SB 478 amends the California Civil Code as follows: (a) The unfair methods of competition and...more
For the past several years, state AGs have been “checked-in” when it comes to hidden hotel and resort fees. (Revisit our round-up of AG actions against those fees here). To date, these enforcers have largely relied on their...more
After months of stress due to ambiguities in California’s “Hidden Fees Statute,” colloquially known as the “Junk Fee Ban,” it seems the collective outcry from the hospitality industry has finally been heard. Yesterday,...more
It seems it’s not only the Biden administration that believes regulating “junk fees” is popular with voters. Minnesota joins California as states that have passed their own junk fee legislation. And given the number of other...more