oday Consumer Federation of America (CFA) released a series of fact sheets about surveillance advertising. Also known as targeted advertising or behavioral advertising, surveillance advertising is the practice of showing individual consumers different advertisements based on inferences about their interests, demographics, and other characteristics drawn from tracking their activities over time and space. “Surveillance advertising […]
Consumer Federation of America
Posted inLife
Nation’s Top 10 Consumer Complaints
Pandemic-related problems were among the top ten complaints made to state and local consumer agencies in 2020, according to an annual survey by Consumer Federation of America (CFA). They also topped the lists of worst, fastest-growing, and new complaints. “COVID-19 generated complaints about everything from appliance repairs to childcare, trash pick-up to towing,” said Susan Grant, CFA’s […]
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House Passes Critically Important Children’s Product Safety Bill
Consumer Federation of America, Kids In Danger, and Public Citizen applaud the U.S. House of Representatives today for passing a number of important children’s product safety bills that would protect children from hazardous products by a vote of 325 to 103. The Stop Tip-overs of Unstable, Risky Dressers on Youth (STURDY) Act (H.R.1314), sponsored by Rep. Jan […]
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Recovered COVID-19 Patients Facing New Life Insurance Hurdles in Europe, Protections Needed for American Consumers
Washington, D.C. February 1, 2021 — Consumer Federation of America (CFA) sent a letter to the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) urging them to adopt a model rule for life insurance underwriters that might want to delay or deny coverage to people who had COVID-19 and recovered or had symptoms but no diagnosis. The letter is in response […]
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CFA Predicts Impact on Consumers and Real Estate Brokers If Courts Require Uncoupled Commissions
Washington, D.C. January 28, 2021 – Three major lawsuits have been filed against real estate industry leaders for “coupled” commissions that are paid by home sellers to both listing and buyer brokers involved in the sale. Industry attempts to dismiss the first two lawsuits have been rejected by judges who at some length refuted industry […]
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Genetic Testing Kits for Holiday Giving?? Beware of Privacy Risks, Test Variations and Incorrect Assumptions
Washington, D.C. December 15, 2020 — Today, the Consumer Federation of America is releasing a national consumer survey demonstrating that the assumptions most consumers make about direct-to-consumer (DTC) genetic tests and what may happen with their personal information are simply wrong. “The survey confirms our concerns that consumers may not be getting what they think […]
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Are Consumers Getting What They Think They Are with Genetic Testing?
Washington, D.C. November 30, 2020 — Today Consumer Federation of America released a new report, Marketing Direct-to-Consumer Genetic Testing: Are Consumers Getting What They Think They Are? It examines the claims direct-to-consumer (DTC) genetic testing companies make for these services, the information they provide to consumers about them, the variance of results from one company to another, […]
Posted inEnviro
Groups Sue Energy Dept. for Failure to Update 25 Overdue Efficiency Standards
Washington, D.C. November 10, 2020 – Six environmental and consumer groups are suing the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) for failing to review and update energy efficiency standards for more than two dozen categories of consumer and commercial appliances and equipment, including large energy users like refrigerators and water heaters. The 25 overdue standards—the most […]
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Real Estate Referral Fees, Unknown to Most Consumers, Contribute to High, Uniform Commission Rates
Washington, D.C. September 21, 2020 – Today, the Consumer Federation of America (CFA) released a report – Real Estate Referral Fees: Do They Harm Consumers? – on referral fees paid by real estate agents to other agents and referral agencies. The report showed that these fees do not ensure the best customer service, often the opposite, and […]
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Nation’s Top Consumer Complaints
Washington, D.C. July 27, 2020 — Problems with car sales and repairs and home improvement and construction once again topped the list of complaints reported to state and local consumer agencies across the country, according to an annual survey by Consumer Federation of America (CFA). “When the used car you just bought breaks down or […]
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OCC Proposal will Eviscerate State Lending Caps and Embolden Predatory Lenders during Financial Crisis
Washington, D.C. July 21, 2020– The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) issued a notice of proposed rulemaking to overturn the “true lender” doctrine utilized by courts to stop high-cost lenders from evading state interest rates for more than a century. Comments on the OCC’s proposed rule are due September 3, 2020. “Coupled with recent […]
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CFPB Rolls Back Payday Loan Rule Just When Consumers Need More, Not Less, Protection
Washington, D.C. July 7, 2020 – This afternoon, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) issued a new final rule on payday loans and similar forms of credit, effectively gutting the 2017 CFPB Payday Rule. Specifically, this new final rule rolls back previous important but modest underwriting provisions, which required lenders to establish the borrower’s ability to repay the […]
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U.S. DOT Enables Carmakers To Bypass Safety Rules, Weakens the Public’s Ability to Hold Them Accountable
Washington, D.C. April 8, 2020 – Despite compelling public interest reasons not to do so, the U.S. Department of Transportation’s (DOT) National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has issued a misguided decision that will short-circuit the public’s ability to scrutinize automakers’ requests to be exempt from federal safety standards, including when companies are trying to […]
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A decade of Off-Highway Vehicle (OHV) recall analysis: Over 100 recalls in 10 years
Washington, D.C. February 12, 2020 – The Consumer Federation of America (CFA) released its most up-to- date Off-Highway Vehicle (OHV) recall analysis which looks at a decade of data. OHVs include all-terrain vehicles (ATVs), recreational off-highway vehicles (ROVs), and utility task vehicles (UTVs). From January 1, 2010 through February 3, 2020, there were 110 OHV recalls […]
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CFA: Nation’s Top Consumer Complaints
Washington, D.C. July 30, 2019 – Auto-related problems continued to top the list of most common complaints in the latest report from the annual survey of state and local consumer agencies conducted by Consumer Federation of America (CFA). Thirty-five agencies from twenty-one states across America participated in the survey, which asked about the most common […]
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CFA Warns – July 4th Is the Most Dangerous Day for Adults and Children on OHVs
Washington, D.C. July 1, 2019 – As summer begins, and as the July 4th holiday approaches, Consumer Federation of America (CFA) is issuing an alert to off-highway vehicle (OHV) riders to operate their vehicles with caution. OHVs are comprised of all-terrain vehicles (ATVs), recreational off-highway vehicles (ROVs), and utility task vehicles (UTVs). According to data […]
Posted inOp-Ed
Jack Gillis: Repeal the Pink Tax on Women
Washington, D.C. April 3, 2019 — My name is Jack Gillis, and I am the Executive Director of Consumer Federation of America. CFA is an association of over 250 national, state and local non-profit consumer organizations established in 1968 to protect consumers and advance the consumer interest. Today we are pleased to endorse the Pink […]
Posted inEnviro
DOE Inaction Costs Consumers Billions in Wasted Energy
Washington, D.C. March 7, 2019 – Today, the Consumer Federation of America (CFA) provided testimony to the House Subcommittee on Energy for its hearing: Wasted Energy: DOE’s Inaction on Efficiency Standards and Its Impact on Consumers and the Climate. CFA highlighted the benefits of energy efficiency standards and the cost to consumers due to the […]
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Home Buyers and Sellers Are Confused and Harmed by Complex, Poorly Enforced State Laws on Real Estate Agent Disclosures
Washington, D.C. Jan. 14, 2019 — Today the Consumer Federation of America released an extensively researched report titled, The Agency Mess: Home Buyer and Seller Confusion and Costs Related to Diverse and Poorly Enforced State Laws About the Role and Responsibility of Real Estate Agents. The report incorporates CFA’s research of the literature on real […]
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Civil Rights, Consumer, and Privacy Organizations Unite to Release Principles for Privacy Legislation
Washington D.C. Nov. 13, 2018 —Today, 34 civil rights, consumer, and privacy organizations join in releasing public interest principles for privacy legislation, because the public needs and deserves strong and comprehensive federal legislation to protect their privacy and afford meaningful redress. Irresponsible data practices lead to a broad range of harms, including discrimination in employment, […]