The U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) today announced its plans to require automakers and motorcycle manufacturers to provide consumers with a free online tool that will enable them to search recall information by Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) starting next year. Many manufacturers already do this, but some don’t — like…
At car dealers across the United States, loans to subprime borrowers are surging – up 18 percent in 2012 from a year earlier, to 6.6 million borrowers, according to credit-reporting agency Equifax Inc. And as a Reuters review of court records shows, subprime auto lenders are showing up in a lot of personal bankruptcy filings,…
Auto lending is up, which has brought concerns about whether risky loans are driving the trend. A new analysis from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York finds new auto loans to borrowers with low credit scores have indeed risen, but are still well below the levels seen during the credit bubble years leading up…
A Florida consumer hit “Straight Talk” prepaid phone co-founders Wal-Mart Stores Inc. and TracFone Wireless Inc. with a putative class action Monday claiming the service promises unlimited data service that is actually subject to several undisclosed restrictions
A federal jury recently handed down the largest award ever given to an individual consumer under the Fair Credit Reporting Act in a suit against Equifax, an awakening verdict for companies that trade on consumer data, which are now more likely to face similar suits. The award consisted of $180,000 in actual damages and $18.4…
The Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood has approached the Federal Trade Commission to go after the mobile app industry’s false advertising of learning apps for babies. In particular, they are going after industry claims that dupe parents into thinking the apps are “educational” or “teach” rather than just entertaining. The Campaign is focusing on Fisher-Price’s…
There are 4 new apps on the market to help with car buying: Cars.com, Edmunds.com, Kelley Blue Book, and TrueCar.com. We still think Consumer Reports magazine (online, too) is THE information source for deciding on the type of vehicle to buy AND, using their pricing service, provides the best info to get the best prices. …
Honda Motors will expand a recall of its Honda Fit hatchback to include another 48,000 vehicles due to an issue with the stability control software. The original recall took place in April after it was discovered the car’s software may allow its body to “roll too much before intervening, possibly causing the driver to lose…
Getting annoying calls, texts from car dealers or others? The Hanson Law Firm can help. The Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) restricts marketing calls and text messages to cellphones and residential landlines by generally prohibiting communication using automated systems, artificial callers, or prerecorded voices unless the consumer gives “prior express consent.” The TCPA also specifies…
Huge win for consumers today. After being blocked for two years, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), has the Captain aboard ship! The CFPB, by the way, was established by the 2010 law that overhauled federal financial regulatory powers following the Great Recession and was meant to be a flagship protection against further consumer abuse. …
