On August 15, 2024, the Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”) and Arizona Attorney General announced a proposed settlement with an Arizona-based vehicle dealership to resolve allegations that the dealership misrepresented prices...more
8/21/2024
/ Anti-Discrimination Policies ,
Arizona ,
Borrowers ,
Car Dealerships ,
CARS Rule ,
Consent ,
Consumer Fraud ,
ECOA ,
Fair Lending ,
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ,
Financial Services Industry ,
FTC Act ,
Motor Vehicles ,
Section 5 ,
UDAAP ,
Unfair or Deceptive Trade Practices
The Federal Trade Commission on August 14 announced a final trade regulation rule intended to fight fake reviews and testimonials by prohibiting their purchase or sale and by allowing the agency to seek civil penalties...more
8/21/2024
/ Celebrity Endorsements ,
Consumer Financial Products ,
Fake Reviews ,
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ,
Final Rules ,
Financial Services Industry ,
Marketing ,
Online Reviews ,
Proposed Rules ,
Regulatory Reform ,
Social Media ,
Testimonial Statements ,
Unfair or Deceptive Trade Practices
CarShield, a company that sells vehicle service contracts (VSCs), will pay $10 million to settle FTC allegations that its advertisements and telemarketing pitches deceived consumers, the agency announced on July 31....more
8/13/2024
/ Administrative Procedure Act ,
Advertising ,
Automotive Industry ,
CARS Rule ,
False Advertising ,
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ,
FTC Act ,
Marketing ,
Motor Vehicles ,
Section 5 ,
Service Contracts ,
Telemarketing ,
Unfair or Deceptive Trade Practices
The Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals has set oral arguments for Oct. 7 in the challenge of the Federal Trade Commission’s Combating Auto Retail Scams Rule (“CARS Rule”). The petition, filed on January 5, 2024 by the National...more
7/23/2024
/ Advanced Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ANPRM) ,
Car Dealerships ,
CARS Rule ,
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) ,
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ,
Financial Institutions ,
Financial Regulatory Reform ,
Financial Services Industry ,
Motor Vehicles ,
Oral Argument ,
Unfair or Deceptive Trade Practices
Vroom, the former used car sales website which halted vehicle sales in January 2024, has agreed to a proposed settlement with the FTC over allegations the company misrepresented that it had examined all vehicles before...more
7/17/2024
/ Automotive Industry ,
Car Dealerships ,
CARS Rule ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ,
Financial Services Industry ,
FTC Act ,
Motor Vehicles ,
Settlement ,
Statutory Violations ,
Unfair or Deceptive Trade Practices
On May 20, 2004, the Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”) sent its annual report to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (“CFPB”) highlighting its enforcement actions and initiatives in 2023 under the Truth in Lending Act...more
5/30/2024
/ Annual Reports ,
CARS Rule ,
Consumer Financial Products ,
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) ,
Consumer Leasing Act (CLA) ,
Consumer Lenders ,
Dodd-Frank ,
Electronic Fund Transfer Act ,
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ,
Financial Institutions ,
Financial Regulatory Reform ,
Financial Services Industry ,
FTC Act ,
Late Fees ,
Proposed Amendments ,
Proposed Rules ,
Regulation Z ,
Truth in Lending Act (TILA) ,
Unfair or Deceptive Trade Practices
On May 17, 2024, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (“CFPB”) filed suit against an online lending platform, alleging, among other things, the use of dark patterns to induce consumers to pay tips and donations,...more
5/30/2024
/ Borrowers ,
Consumer Financial Products ,
Consumer Financial Protection Act (CFPA) ,
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) ,
Credit Reporting Agencies ,
Credit Reports ,
Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) ,
Financial Services Industry ,
FinTech ,
Internet Lenders ,
Lenders ,
Peer-to-Peer ,
Unfair or Deceptive Trade Practices ,
Usury
On May 14, 2024, the Federal Trade Commission’s (“FTC”) filed its brief in opposition to Petitioners’ Brief in the legal challenge to the Combating Auto Retail Scams Rule (“CARS Rule”). The petitioners are the National...more
5/22/2024
/ Advanced Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ANPRM) ,
Amicus Briefs ,
Automotive Industry ,
Automotive Loans ,
Car Dealerships ,
CARS Rule ,
Chevron v NRDC ,
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ,
Financial Services Industry ,
FTC Act ,
Motor Vehicles ,
Scams ,
Unfair or Deceptive Trade Practices
On April 17th, the CFPB issued a consent order to a for-profit training school alleging numerous violations of law related to its use if income share agreements (“ISAs”). According to the Bureau, BloomTech, Inc. (“BloomTech”)...more
4/29/2024
/ Consent Order ,
Consumer Financial Products ,
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) ,
Department of Financial Protection and Innovation (DFPI) ,
Educational Institutions ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ,
Financial Services Industry ,
Holder Rule ,
Income Share Agreements ,
Regulation Z ,
Regulatory Violations ,
Truth in Lending Act (TILA) ,
UDAAP ,
Unfair or Deceptive Trade Practices
On February 20, 2024, the California Court of Appeal largely affirmed an eight-figure judgment against Ashford University (“Ashford”), an on-line, for-profit college, and its parent company, Zovio, Inc. (formerly Bridgepoint...more
3/1/2024
/ Appellate Courts ,
Borrower Defense Rule ,
Department of Education ,
Enforcement Actions ,
False Advertising ,
Financial Aid ,
Loan Forgiveness ,
Student Loans ,
Students ,
Unfair Competition ,
Unfair Competition Law (UCL) ,
Unfair or Deceptive Trade Practices
On January 18, 2024, the Federal Trade Commission’s (“FTC”) announced that it is postponing the effective date of the Combating Auto Retail Scams Rule (“CARS Rule”) in light of the legal challenge from industry trade...more
1/22/2024
/ Car Dealerships ,
Cars ,
CARS Rule ,
False Advertising ,
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ,
Fees ,
Final Rules ,
Financial Services Industry ,
Lease Financing ,
Motor Vehicles ,
Postponement ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
Regulatory Reform ,
Unfair or Deceptive Trade Practices
On January 5, 2024, two trade groups representing auto dealers filed a petition for review challenging the Federal Trade Commission’s (“FTC”) new Combating Auto Retail Scams Rule (“CARS Rule”). In the petition, the National...more
On December 12, 2024, the Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”) announced its Combating Auto Retail Scams Rule, otherwise known as the “CARS Rule,” setting new requirements on the sale, financing, and leasing of vehicles by motor...more
12/21/2023
/ Add-ons ,
Automotive Industry ,
Automotive Loans ,
Car Dealerships ,
CARS Rule ,
Consent ,
Consumer Financial Contracts ,
Consumer Protection Act ,
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ,
Financial Services Industry ,
Financing ,
FTC Act ,
Holder Rule ,
Motor Vehicles ,
New Rules ,
Offering Price ,
Regulatory Reform ,
Regulatory Requirements ,
Unfair or Deceptive Trade Practices
The CFPB recently issued a policy statement in which it provided a framework for determining what constitutes abusive conduct under the CFPA. After reviewing the definition of abusive in the CFPA and the historical background...more
The Federal Trade Commission and Wisconsin Attorney General have entered into settlements with a group of auto dealerships, their current and former corporate owners, and their general manager for allegedly engaging in...more
11/1/2023
/ Add-ons ,
Attorney General ,
Automotive Industry ,
Car Dealerships ,
Consumer Financial Products ,
Discriminatory Lending Practices ,
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ,
Financial Institutions ,
Financial Services Industry ,
FTC Act ,
Motor Vehicles ,
Settlement ,
Unfair or Deceptive Trade Practices
The CFPB has filed a lawsuit in a Georgia federal district court against USASF Servicing (USASF) in which the CFPB alleges that USASF engaged in various unfair acts or practices in violation of the Consumer Financial...more
On May 31, 2023, the Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”) requested public comment on a petition for rulemaking it received from six national consumer advocate groups regarding “yo-yo sales,” a term the groups use to refer to...more
6/15/2023
/ Automotive Loans ,
Comment Period ,
Consumer Financial Products ,
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) ,
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ,
Financial Contracts ,
Financial Services Industry ,
FTC Act ,
Public Comment ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
Regulatory Reform ,
Retail Installment Sales Contracts ,
Rulemaking Process ,
Section 5 ,
UDAP ,
Unfair or Deceptive Trade Practices
On January 31, 2023, the Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office (“Mass AG”) announced a settlement with Hometown Auto Framingham, Inc. (“Hometown Auto”), resolving allegations that the auto dealership had engaged in unfair,...more
On October 20, 2022, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) announced that it is issuing an Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ANPR or Notice) to address “junk fees,” a term used in the Notice to refer to “unfair or deceptive...more
On October 20, 2022, the Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”) announced that it is issuing an Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (“ANPR” or “Notice”) to address “junk fees,” a term used in the Notice to refer to “unfair or...more
On October 18, 2022, the Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”) announced a settlement with a Washington, D.C.-area auto dealer, Passport Automotive Group (“Passport”), resolving allegations that it had deceived consumers by adding...more
On July 29, the Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”) announced a settlement with First American Payment Systems LP, a Texas-based nationwide payment processor, and two of its sales agent affiliates, Think Point Financial LLC and...more