January 2011
Forum on fighting phone bill ills
It may have happened to you. You open the monthly phone bill at your business or at home and find charges for goods or services you never ordered. It’s called cramming — and it’s illegal.
The FTC has brought numerous law enforcement actions against companies who “cram” unauthorized charges onto people’s phone bills. This $38 million judgment entered by a federal court in California is just one example, but what more can be done to prevent it?
Contact Paper?
To most people, Plano is a pleasant city north of Dallas. But if you have clients in the optical industry — or hang out in goth circles on the weekend — "plano" refers to a contact lens worn for cosmetic effect, not vision correction. Even if you just wear contacts yourself, you should know about the Fairness to Contact Lens Consumers Act, the FTC's
Three-week extension on Privacy Report comments
Just finishing your review of the preliminary FTC staff report, Protecting Consumer Privacy in an Era of Rapid Change: A Proposed Framework for Business and Policymakers? There’s good news. The FTC has extended the deadline for comments to Friday, February 18th.
(Penn) Corner the Market?
Humorist Harold Coffin is credited with saying that "A consumer is a shopper who is sore about something." Whether or not that’s true, savvy marketers appreciate the value of keeping their finger on the pulse of consumer protection. What questionable practices have attracted law enforcement attention? What consumer cases are people talking about? What sales tactics have your prospective customers been warned to avoid?
Let's Make a Seal
For many people, environmental considerations play an important role in what they put in their shopping carts. But it's tough to know when green claims are credible. Seals and certifications can be a useful tool to help shoppers decide where to place their trust and how to spend their money — but only if they're backed by solid proof.
Many happy returns
The packages have been opened and the ribbons have been collected by that one relative who claims to recycle them. The good news is that early reports suggest that 2010 was a robust holiday shopping season. But now retailers are starting to hear that the sweater didn’t fit, the electronic gadget is on the fritz, and Great Aunt Gladys didn’t really want hang gliding gear after all.
Bling in the New Year
If you advertise or sell platinum jewelry, you’ll want to stay “in the loupe” and read recent revisions to the FTC’s Jewelry Guides that address the marking — and marketing — of jewelry made of platinum and non-precious metal alloys and when disclosures are appropriate.