NCL endorses Cantwell-Cruz TICKET Act

/in , , , , , , /by

June 21, 2023

Media contact: National Consumers League – Katie Brown, katie@nclnet.org, 202-823-8442

Washington, D.C. – The National Consumers League (NCL), America’s pioneering consumer advocacy organization, today endorsed the Transparency in Charges for Key Events Ticketing Act (TICKET Act) introduced by Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA) and Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX).

The TICKET Act would require primary and secondary ticket sellers to clearly and conspicuously disclose the all-in price for tickets, including fees, in all advertising, marketing, and price lists at the beginning of a transaction and prior to a buyer selecting the ticket for purchase. The bill would also require ticket resellers to disclose if they are listing a ticket for sale that they do not currently possess, an often-controversial practice known as speculative selling.

The following statement is attributable to NCL Vice President of Public Policy John Breyault:

“Hidden fees and speculative selling too often make buying tickets to see concerts, sporting events, and Broadway shows a frustrating experience for fans. The bipartisan TICKET Act is a long overdue solution to help fix some of the worst aspects of a ticket-buying process that is rigged against fans. We applaud the leadership of Senator Cruz and Senator Cantwell for championing this important consumer protection legislation.”

For more than a decade, the National Consumers League has worked in Washington and in the states to pass pro-fan ticketing legislation that bring much-needed reform to the ticketing industry. In the wake of last fall’s disastrous Taylor Swift ticket sale, leaders in Congress are taking notice and pushing for reforms. In addition to the TICKET Act, NCL has endorsed the BOSS And SWIFT Act in the House of Representatives and the Junk Fee Prevention Act in the Senate.

###

About the National Consumers League (NCL)
The National Consumers League, founded in 1899, is America’s pioneer consumer organization.  Our mission is to protect and promote social and economic justice for consumers and workers in the United States and abroad.  For more information, visit nclnet.org.

National Consumers League statement on White House all-in pricing announcement

/in , , , , , , , /by

June 15, 2023

Media contact: National Consumers League – Katie Brown, katie@nclnet.org, 202-823-8442

Washington, D.C. – The National Consumers League (NCL) today applauded the Biden Administration for securing commitments from several live event industry stakeholders to adopt more transparent ticket pricing. The consumer organization urged the White House and pro-fan leaders in Congress to pass legislations ensuring that consumers receive the benefits of all-in prices regardless of what event they wish to attend.

“We are grateful to President Joe Biden for his leadership in bringing to the table the main players in the ticketing industry,” said NCL CEO Sally Greenberg. “Consumers are fed up with deceptive junk fees are glad to have an ally in the White House.”

Since 2009, NCL has worked with independent venues, ticketing companies, ticket brokers, promoters, venue owners, artists, advocates, and state and federal legislators and regulators to reform a live event industry that is rigged against consumers. NCL’s advocacy has led to pro-fan legislation being adopted in several states and well as the federal BOTS Act, which outlawed the use of ticket-buying “bot” software.

“Anyone who wants to attend concerts, sporting events, and Broadway shows knows the frustration that comes with seeing tickets advertised for one price, only to see that cost skyrocket once hidden fees are added at the end of the buying process,” said John Breyault, Vice President of Public Policy, Telecommunications, and Fraud for the National Consumers League.

“The commitments made today by some of the biggest names in the live event industry are a positive step forward. However, enforceable laws to rein in junk fees in the live event marketplace are still needed. There are bills in Congress today that would create a consistent all-in pricing experience for fans regardless of who they buy tickets from. We urge the Administration to work with legislators to move these pro-consumer bills forward.”

###

About the National Consumers League (NCL)
The National Consumers League, founded in 1899, is America’s pioneer consumer organization.  Our mission is to protect and promote social and economic justice for consumers and workers in the United States and abroad.  For more information, visit nclnet.org.

NCL CEO urges Congress to end companies’ addiction to junk fees

/in , , /by

June 8, 2023

Media contact: National Consumers League – Melody Merin, melodym@nclnet.org, 202-207-2831

WASHINGTON, DC – National Consumers League (NCL) CEO Sally Greenberg today urged Congress to do more to rein in predatory junk fees that plague millions of consumers and honest businesses. In testimony before the Senate Commerce Committee’s Consumer Protection Subcommittee on the need for federal action to rein in predatory junk fees, Greenberg urged Senators to support multiple pieces of consumer protection legislation, including President Biden’s Junk Fee Prevention Act.  

“American companies are addicted to junk fees,” said NCL CEO Greenberg. “These fees cause significant economic harm, especially to historically marginalized and economically vulnerable communities. Junk fees harm honest businesses, too, as consumers’ patronage is unfairly directed away from companies with the best price, quality, convenience, and honest practices to those with pricing that is higher, less transparent, and more deceptive.” 

Greenberg urged Congress to support bills like the Junk Fee Prevention Act, which would rein in some of the worst offenders when it comes to junk fees; the Consumer Protection Remedies Act, which would fully restore the Federal Trade Commission’s ability to obtain monetary and other relief for consumers; and Forced Arbitration Injustice Repeal Act (FAIR Act), which would prohibit a pre-dispute arbitration agreement from being valid or enforceable if it requires arbitration of an employment, consumer, antitrust, or civil rights dispute.

“The Biden Administration and agencies like the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, Department of Transportation, and Federal Trade Commission have taken steps to address the scourge of junk fees,” said Greenberg. “Congress can and should do more to support these initiatives.”

NCL: Increasing truck size and weight limits is bad for consumers

/in , , , /by

May 23, 2023

Media contact: National Consumers League – Katie Brown, katie@nclnet.org, 202-823-8442

Washington, D.C. – The National Consumers League, America’s pioneering worker and consumer advocacy organization, today called on lawmakers to protect consumers by blocking efforts, at both the federal and state levels, to raise the weight and size limits on commercial trucks.

Each year, the number of commercial trucks is increasing, while the number of experienced truck drivers is decreasing. In its new white paper, the consumer group examined the safety, economic, and environmental impact that putting bigger and heavier trucks onto our nation’s already congested roads would have on consumers.

“Large, heavy commercial trucks are being driven by increasingly inexperienced drivers, which is putting other drivers in danger, putting stress on roads and bridges and polluting the air we breathe,” said NCL CEO Sally Greenberg. “Lawmakers should be looking to address these concerns, rather than pushing to get even bigger and heavier trucks on the road.”

The NCL white paper examines how accidents involving long trucks continue to increase, despite a decline in the overall rate of traffic accidents. The paper looks at how the high turnover in commercial truck drivers is leading to more inexperienced drivers, who are more likely to be involved in accidents. It also shines a light on the attempts to expand driverless trucks, including massive convoys of trucks being controlled by the lead truck.

The white paper shows how large trucks are the single biggest contributor to black carbon emissions. Putting larger and heavier trucks on the road will contribute to increased rates of asthma and other lung problems, especially among children.

NCL’s paper also looked at the impact large and heavy trucks are having on our nation’s infrastructure. A Department of Transportation report showed that increasing weight limits for trucks would have an impact on 5,000 bridges across the country. The report finds that allowing double trailer trucks would require the immediate reinforcement of 2,500 interstate highway bridges.

The white paper proposes numerous steps lawmakers can take to address these problems. Aside from rejecting efforts to increase truck size and weight limits, lawmakers should take the following actions to protect consumers from large commercial trucks:

  • Enact a Vehicle Miles Traveled and Weight Tax
  • Stricter licensing requirements for larger trucks
  • Keep autonomous trucks off the road
  • Shift weight limit penalties onto carriers

“Consumers are already bearing the burden of sharing roads and bridges with massive trucks carrying heavy loads,” said Greenberg. “Lawmakers have a choice. They can either take steps to make our roads and bridges safer and our air cleaner or they can make things worse. Consumers are looking for them to step up and do the right thing.”

###

About the National Consumers League (NCL)
The National Consumers League, founded in 1899, is America’s pioneer consumer organization.  Our mission is to protect and promote social and economic justice for consumers and workers in the United States and abroad.  For more information, visit nclnet.org.

NCL applauds DOT for proposed passenger compensation requirements

/in , , , /by

May 8, 2023

Media contact: National Consumers League – Katie Brown, katie@nclnet.org, 202-823-8442

Washington, D.C. – The National Consumers League (NCL) today applauded the Department of Transportation’s (DOT) announcement that it will begin a rulemaking to require airlines to provide compensation to passengers affected by controllable flight cancellations and delays of more than three hours. Additionally, air carriers would have to provide meals, hotel accommodation, and rebooking when necessary. 

The following statement is attributable to John Breyault, National Consumers League Vice President of Public Policy, Telecommunications, and Fraud: 

“An airline ticket should not be a lottery ticket. Unfortunately, current industry practices too often make it a game of chance where consumers risk getting stranded by airline meltdowns. DOT’s proposed rule recognizes a very simple truth: passengers’ time is valuable, and they should be compensated when airlines waste it. NCL has long fought for such a requirement and we are pleased that DOT has responded to our advocacy.” 

NCL has been a leading voice for expanding consumers’ rights in air travel. The League’s latest aviation consumer protection priorities can be found here.

###

About the National Consumers League (NCL)
The National Consumers League, founded in 1899, is America’s pioneer consumer organization.  Our mission is to protect and promote social and economic justice for consumers and workers in the United States and abroad.  For more information, visit nclnet.org.

National Consumers League calls for accountability in banking collapses 

/in , /by

March 22, 2023

Media contact: National Consumers League – Katie Brown, katie@nclnet.org, 202-823-8442

Washington, D.C. – The National Consumers League is calling on Congress and the Biden Administration to pass long-overdue reforms and roll back the 2018 deregulations that contributed to the collapse of regional banks like Silicon Valley Bank. Absent such action, it is likely that consumers’ faith in the banking system will continue to be put at risk with negative consequences for the entire American economy.

The following statement is attributable to Sally Greenberg, NCL Chief Executive Officer: 

“The public should not be on the hook for bankers’ poor risk management. Consumers deserve a full explanation of what went wrong, from improper financial administration to poor governmental oversight. To reduce the risk of such meltdowns happening in the future, those responsible – including executives and regulators – must be held accountable.”

In 2018, the National Consumers League (NCL) joined with dozens of other public interest organizations in opposing the banking deregulation law known as the Economic Growth, Regulatory Relief, and Consumer Protection Act. This month, the collapse of multiple banks highlighted the risk of allowing these institutions to operate without scrutiny. Silicon Valley Bank in particular escaped stress testing and enhanced liquidity requirements as a result of the 2018 deregulation. Last week, NCL endorsed legislation introduced by Senator Elizabeth Warren and Representative Katie Porter that would reverse the 2018 banking deregulation provisions. 

###

About the National Consumers League (NCL)
The National Consumers League, founded in 1899, is America’s pioneer consumer organization.  Our mission is to protect and promote social and economic justice for consumers and workers in the United States and abroad.  For more information, visit nclnet.org.

What will happen to President Biden’s student debt forgiveness plan?

/in , , , , , , /by

Sally Greenberg

By Sally Greenberg, Chief Executive Officer

Last week, I attended the oral argument in the Supreme Court challenging student debt forgiveness initiative launched by the Biden Administration. The states of Missouri, Nebraska and four others, along with two students, are challenging Biden’s proposal to forgive student loan debt for 40 million Americans.

During his campaign, President Biden promised to reduce the albatross of student debt burdening millions of young Americans through his Department of Education. His proposal only applies to federal loans and is narrowly tailored and means tested. The plaintiff states and students challenging the loan forgiveness plan are arguing that it exceeds federal law, and that “canceling hundreds of billions of dollars in student loans is a breathtaking assertion of power.” The administration countered that Education Secretary Miguel Cardona has the authority to forgive the debt under a 2003 law, the Higher Education Relief Opportunities for Students Act.

The debt forgiveness program would cancel up to $10,000 of debt for those who have federal student loans as long as they make under $125,000 or $250,000 for couples. Those getting Pell grants are eligible for an additional $10,000. Thus, 20 million students could see their debt totally wiped out; all told, it will cost taxpayers $430 billion.

Sitting in the courtroom, I was seeing the new members of the Supreme Court in action for the first time and that was fun. Each of the justices has their own distinct style. Some are far more engaged than others, like the newest member, Justice Katanji Brown Jackson, who fired away a series of questions to the AG from Missouri about whether the state had standing to challenge the law. Even conservative Justice Amy Coney Barrett questioned standing,  asking why those alleging injury weren’t plaintiffs in the case. Justices Sotomayer and Kagan also pressed the plaintiffs on both the broad language in the law and the standing problem.

Solicitor General Elizabeth B. Prelogar, whose argued the case for the Biden Department of Education, argued that the Department’s plan was exactly what Congress had in mind when it passed the 2003 law, giving the executive branch the power to … “waive or modify any statutory or regulatory provision.”  I Wiki’d Prelogar and learned some cool facts: she’s a Harvard Law grad who won Miss Idaho Teen USA of 1998!  She is fluent in Russian, and her father went to my alma mater, Antioch College in Yellow Springs, OH and oh yes, I was delighted to see that her dad served at one time as head of consumer protection for the North Carolina Attorney General.

I realize I’m not an unbiased observer, but I thought Prelogar had the better arguments, First, the law is broadly worded and gives a lot of latitude to the Executive Branch on student loan waivers. Second, the standing issue is a serious hurdle for the opponents. To challenge the loan forgiveness program, they need to show that they have suffered a specific, rather than generalized, injury that can be remedied by relief from the Court. Neither of the challengers can show direct harm.

The bottom line for the National Consumers League and the hundreds of groups that support this narrowly tailored loan forgiveness is that the $10,000- $20,000 debt for 40 million Americans can be crippling to families –the reality is that student debt prevents many young people from buying homes, starting families and getting on with their lives. We are therefore hoping against hope that the Supreme Court throws out this challenge and the student debt forgiveness proposal at last be implemented.

New research reiterates the need for consumer caution, federal protection related to marijuana companies misleading claims

/in , , , , , /by

March 13, 2023

Media contact: National Consumers League – Katie Brown, katie@nclnet.org, 202-823-8442

Washington, D.C. – Data Science Solutions, LLC, in partnership with NCL, today released new research that dives into false or misleading medical claims made by several leading marijuana companies on their social media platforms. The analysis qualitatively observes how these claims are framed to appeal to consumers, determines the reach of their messaging, and identifies policy solutions to help increase state and federal regulatory and enforcement action to end false – potentially harmful – marketing.

“Consumers should understand what they’re up against when perusing social media,” said Sally Greenberg, Executive Director of the National Consumers League. “Twitter in particular may be viewed as a more trustworthy platform and licensed marijuana companies will often site reliable academic institutions or studies in a misleading way. These companies use Twitter to target consumers and declare that their products can help address, even treat, health issues from ‘pain’ to neurological diseases, even cancer. However, these claims are not backed by sound, clinical research – though the data is lacking at best, companies don’t let that stop them from trying to profit.”

The FDA, FTC, and Congress can do more to protect consumers and hold these companies accountable. The paper urges Congress to “encourage FDA and FTC to expand their enforcement against therapeutic claims made by cannabis companies and provide the necessary resources for the FDA to conduct effective oversight of marijuana-related health claims on social media platforms,” And recommends FDA begin using automated tools to monitor cannabis companies’ social media posts efficiently and effectively.

“Consumers deserve better,” said Greenberg. “These companies can and should market their products in an honest way and put consumer health over profits. Investing in thorough research so that we may better understand the true therapeutic potential of marijuana would be a win-win for all.”

To learn more about the risks of unregulated cannabis products, visit cannabiswatch.org.

###

About the National Consumers League (NCL)
The National Consumers League, founded in 1899, is America’s pioneer consumer organization.  Our mission is to protect and promote social and economic justice for consumers and workers in the United States and abroad.  For more information, visit nclnet.org.

National Consumers League statement on Gigi Sohn’s FCC nomination withdrawal

/in , , , , /by

March 7, 2023

Media contact: National Consumers League – Katie Brown, katie@nclnet.org, 202-823-8442

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, Gigi Sohn announced that she has asked President Biden to withdraw her nomination to the Federal Communications Commission.

The following statement is attributable to Sally Greenberg, NCL Chief Executive Officer:  

“We are disappointed that Gigi Sohn’s nomination to the Federal Communications Commission was derailed by entrenched industry players and their allies in Congress. Gigi is a true friend to consumers and a well respected colleague and communications lawyer with strong credentials to serve on the FCC.  She has spent her career speaking up for the most disenfranchised consumers and her confirmation would have broken the current 2-2 deadlock, which makes it hard for FCC to do its important work. There is so much work to be done on tackling the problem of the digital divide, working on behalf of rural communities who still lack access to broadband, and ensuring that every child has affordable and accessible broadband in their homes, libraries and schools. Gigi’s voice and expertise would have been so valuable on the Commission. It’s truly a loss to the country that she felt she had no choice but to withdraw her nomination. ”

###

About the National Consumers League (NCL)
The National Consumers League, founded in 1899, is America’s pioneer consumer organization.  Our mission is to protect and promote social and economic justice for consumers and workers in the United States and abroad.  For more information, visit nclnet.org.

Stop senior scams!

/in , , , , , , /by

Happy Consumer Protection Week! While fraud can affect anyone, regardless of age and other demographic information, Fraud.org and NCL are putting the spotlight on scams targeting older Americans.

Read more