Consumer Finance Monitor Podcast Episode: How to Use the Restatement of Consumer Contracts - A Guide for Judges
Consumer Finance Monitor Podcast Episode: “Accidental Arbitration” -- A New Theory that Would Rein in Consumer Arbitration Clauses and the Scope of the FAA
OK at Work: Navigating Customer Terms and Usage
Consumer Finance Monitor Podcast Episode: A Look at the FTC’s Click-to-Cancel Rule, with James Kohm, Associate Director of Enforcement Division of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection
Consumer Finance Monitor Podcast Episode: A Look at a New Approach to Consumer Contracts
Consumer Finance Monitor Podcast Episode: Reasons Why the CFPB Should Deny the Petition for Rulemaking on Post-Dispute Consumer Arbitration Agreements
On March 11, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit affirmed the district court’s denial of a motion to compel arbitration in two class-action lawsuits. The decision potentially has far-reaching implications for the...more
Proponents of arbitration received a victory in federal court this past Tuesday when the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit issued its published decision in Dhruva v. CuriosityStream, Inc. ...more
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit recently affirmed a district court’s decision denying a defendant’s motion to compel arbitration, underscoring the importance of clear and conspicuous notice in online...more
In September 2024, the Seventh Circuit affirmed the grant of a motion to compel arbitration in a proposed class action claiming that Wisconsin-based retailer Menards used a “deceptive bait-and-switch scheme” to charge...more
The Supreme Court of Mississippi has reversed and remanded a trial court’s refusal to enforce an arbitration agreement after rejecting the plaintiff’s arguments against arbitration. The Court also instructed the trial court...more
Seven plaintiffs filed a putative class action against a car rental company and its subsidiary for allegedly unauthorized charges incurred when the plaintiffs rented cars from the company....more
On November 4, 2019, in Wainblat v. Comcast Cable Communications, LLC, et. al., No. 19-cv-10976, the District of Massachusetts ordered that a consumer privacy class action against Comcast must be arbitrated on an individual...more
For an arbitration agreement to be enforceable, the parties must have a reasonable opportunity to understand its terms. See Fagerstrom v. Amazon.com, Inc., 141 F. Supp. 3d 1070 (S.D. Cal. 2015). With this principle in mind,...more
SquareTrade, Inc. (“SquareTrade”) sells protection plans for consumer products. Adam Starke (“Starke”) purchased a SquareTrade plan from Amazon to cover a CD player ordered from Staples....more
Plaintiff entered into an agreement with Kaplan University (Kaplan) as part of registration for online courses through the university’s website portal. ...more
The Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals held recently that it could not compel arbitration demanded by a non-signatory to an arbitration agreement when the New York Convention applied. See Outokumpu Stainless USA, LLC v....more
Plaintiff Outokumpu Stainless USA, LLC (“Outokumpu”) contracted with F.L. Industries, Inc. “”FLI”), a German company, to provide cold rolling mills (“CRMs”), which are used in the production of certain steel products. FLI...more
The Federal Arbitration Act (“FAA”) reflects a strong federal policy in favor of arbitration. In extraordinary cases, however, a dispute that otherwise would be arbitrable under the FAA could be rendered non-arbitrable by...more
The United States District Court in Zean v. Comcast Broadband Security, LLC, et al., 2018 WL 3642614 (D. Minn. August 1, 2018), granted defendants Comcast Broadband Security, LLC’s (“Comcast”) and Southwest Credit Systems,...more
Ruling in a class action brought against Uber Technologies, Inc., the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit recently held that the company's arbitration clause could not be enforced because it was not "reasonably...more
The Fifth Circuit has affirmed an order compelling arbitration, despite the fact that the parties seeking to compel arbitration were not signatories to the relevant arbitration agreement....more
Last month the Seventh Circuit reversed a lower court order enforcing an arbitration agreement contained in cardholder agreement as applied against the minor daughter (“A.D.”) of the cardholder, rejecting the bank’s attempt...more
The Eleventh Circuit recently upheld a district court’s denial of RBC Bank’s latest attempt to compel arbitration of a dispute with banking customers over allegedly fraudulent overdraft practices. ...more
In A.D. vs. Credit One Bank, N.A., the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit reversed a district court order compelling individual arbitration of a putative class action for Credit One's alleged violations of the...more
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit recently held that state law governs whether a contract’s arbitration clause is binding on non-signatories. The dispute arises from a consumer protection action filed by the...more
The Third Circuit recently affirmed a lower court’s decision refusing car dealership defendants’ motion to compel arbitration pursuant to an arbitration agreement the plaintiffs were allegedly induced to sign. First, the...more
In 2011, Top’s Personnel entered into a reinsurance agreement with Applied Underwriters Captive Risk Assurance Company (“AUCRA”), and several years later executed a promissory note (“the Note”) in favor of a related entity,...more
This past summer, we wrote about two instances in which courts refused to enforce website terms presented in browsewrap agreements. As we noted, clickthrough agreements are generally more likely to be found to be enforced. ...more
In Nghiem v Dick’s Sporting Goods, Inc., No. 16-00097 (C.D. Cal. July 5, 2016), the Central District of California held browsewrap terms to be unenforceable because the hyperlink to the terms was “sandwiched” between two...more