Industry Rules Seek to Quell Growing Legislation Restricting PayDay Lending
Posted by: Andy Lustigman
February 22, 2007

In the wake of growing legislation restriction payday lending, the Community Financial Services Association of America (CFSA), a national trade association representing the majority of payday loan, check cashing and related community financial services locations in the United States, recently announced voluntary changes to its industry best practices. CFSA member companies are required to integrate these new practices into their business operations over the next three to five months.  Stay tuned to see if these pro-active industry actions impact what appears to be a growing legislative trend on this increasingly-popular borrowing strategy.

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FTC Issues Annual List of Top Consumer Complaints
Posted by: Adam Solomon
February 12, 2007

On February 7, 2007 the Federal Trade Commission issued its annual report, ?Consumer Fraud and Identity Theft Complaint Data? on fraud complaints consumers have filed with the agency during 2006. For the seventh year in a row, identity theft tops the list, accounting for 36 percent of the 674,354 complaints received. Other categories near the top of the fraud complaint list include shop-at-home/catalog sales; prizes, sweepstakes and lotteries; Internet services and computer complaints; and Internet auction fraud.  The top ten list is as follows: 1) Identity Theft; 2) Shop-at-Home/Catalog Sales; 3) Prizes/Sweepstakes and Lotteries; 4) Internet Services and Computer Complaints; 5) Internet Auctions; 6) Foreign Money Offers; 7) Advance-Fee Loans and Credit Protection/Repair; 8) Magazine and Buyers Clubs; 9) Telephone Services; and 10) Heath Care.

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FTC Negative Option Workshop Materials Now Online
Posted by: Andy Lustigman
February 02, 2007

As previously discussed in this blog, the FTC held a workshop on negative option marketing.  Now, the panelists' presentation materials from the FTC's workshop analyzing marketing of goods ands services utlizing negative options are online and can be found here. 

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FTC To Hold Rebate Debate in San Francisco on April 27, 2007
Posted by: Andy Lustigman
February 01, 2007

As previously reported in this blog, advertisers' growing reliance on rebates to offer sales prices is leading state lawmakers to consider legislation governing how rebates can be advertised and handled.  Now the Federal Trade Commission is stepping into the foray.  The FTC announced that it will be hosting a public workshop on April 27, 2007, in San Francisco, California, to discuss the issues surrounding the use of mail-in rebates by manufacturers and retailers. As FTC enforcement actions usually ensue some time after workshop-type events, advertisers that offer rebates should carefully review their programs to ensure that they comply with "best practice" standards.  The FTC's Rebate Debate is open to the public. For further information about the workshop click here.

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