Consumer group urges FTC to halt ‘dangerously misleading’ marketing claims by vitaminwater – National Consumers League

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February 2, 2011

Contact: (202) 835-3323, media@nclnet.org

Washington, DC–The nation’s oldest consumer group today, in a formal complaint filed with the Federal Trade Commission, called advertising and labeling claims made by vitaminwater “dangerously misleading” and urged the commission to halt deceptive statements being made by the manufacturer. The National Consumers League, a Washington, DC-based nonprofit watchdog, pointed to print and television advertisements that suggest vitaminwater can replace flu shots and prevent illness and prey on consumers’ health concerns to sell a high-calorie product.

“These advertising claims are not only untrue; they constitute a public health menace. Stopping these vitaminwater claims, which contradict information by the Centers for Disease Control and other public health authorities, should be a top FTC priority,” stated Sally Greenberg, Executive Director of NCL.

Vitaminwater is a beverage manufactured by Glaceau, a subsidiary of the Coca-Cola Company. The complaint by NCL urges the FTC to put an end to:

  • A TV ad for “vitaminwater power-c” (read text of spot here) that depicts a woman who has so many unused sick days at work that she can take them to stay home and watch movies with her boyfriend. The ad states “One of my secrets? vitaminwater power-c. It’s got vitamin C and zinc to help support a healthy immune system. So I can stay home with my boyfriend – who’s also playing hooky.”

The NCL complaint also urged the FTC to halt deceptive label statements for vitaminwater that describe the product as:

  • a “nutrient enhanced water beverage” and that claim

According to NCL, the statements are deceptive because the products on which they appear are not simply made from vitamins and water, but are made with crystalline fructose or other forms of sugar, and contain 125 calories per bottle.

“Two-thirds of Americans are overweight or obese; the last thing people need is sugar water with vitamins you could get from eating a healthy diet, or by taking a vitamin pill, Greenberg stated.

The FTC should act now, during cold and flu season, to stop vitaminwater’s outlandish claims,” she said.

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About the National Consumers League

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 www.nclnet.org.

Scammers going after senior victims, says NCL’s Fraud Center – National Consumers League

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January 19, 2011

Contact: (202) 835-3323, media@nclnet.org

Washington, DC—The National Consumers League (NCL) has released its annual report on the top scams reported to its national Fraud Center, and the nonprofit consumer group noted a growing trend in 2010 indicating that older consumers have been targeted hard by con artists and are disproportionately falling victim to sweepstakes scams.

The report, which is compiled from consumer complaints submitted to NCL’s Fraud Center, examined trends in Internet and telemarketing fraud in 2010.

“Fraudulent telemarketers and Web-based scammers aren’t just pushy salespeople trying to make a living – they are hardened criminals out to take their victims’ life savings,” said NCL Executive Director Sally Greenberg. “Con artists know that older consumers may be particularly vulnerable to falling for a bogus pitch, using scare tactics, posing as legitimate outfits, or making the offer sound so sweet that it’s difficult for consumers to resist.”

Indeed, just last month, NCL’s Fraud Center alerted consumers of scam artists using variations on the so-called “Grandparent Scam,” in response to a number of consumer complaints that the Fraud Center received regarding attempted and successful frauds by unscrupulous scammers.

In a typical Grandparent Scam, a con artist calls or emails the victim posing as a relative in distress or as someone claiming to represent the relative (such as a lawyer or law enforcement agent). The scammer may frantically tell the victim a variation of “Grandma, it’s me,” followed by a description of the problem in which they have found themselves (arrested, in an auto accident, in need of a lawyer, etc.). The victim is then instructed to wire money to the scam artist with the claim that the funds will be used for bail money, lawyer’s fees, hospital bills, or other expenses. The victim is urged not to tell anyone, such as the parent of the “grandchild” because they do not want them to find out about the trouble they’ve gotten themselves into. Although Grandparent Scams have not yet made an appearance in the Top Ten list of scams, the fact that fraudsters are targeting older consumers is consistent with other trends the Fraud Center has noticed recently. And many scams rely on money being wired. Consumers should be wary of any offer that requires wiring of money, instead of using a credit card, which protects consumers in the event of a scam.

“Scam artists will stop at nothing to defraud consumers, many of whom are elderly and living on fixed incomes,” said John Breyault, NCL Vice President of Public Policy, Telecommunications and Fraud.

Fake Check scams remain most-reported

Fake check scams—in which fraudsters lure their victims with phony mystery shopper jobs or sweepstake “winnings,” and ask their victims to cash realistic-looking checks and wire a portion of the proceeds back to the scammer before the check bounces—continued to be the most frequently-reported scam to NCL’s Fraud Center, making up 29 percent of all complaints (37 percent of all Internet fraud complaints and 26 percent of telemarketing complaints).

“Fake check scams have been going strong since we first started hearing about them years ago. There are so many variations of the fake check scam, it’s often hard to keep track. But whatever the pitch, they all have one thing in common: there is no legitimate reason for someone to give you money and then ask you  to wire money back,” said Breyault. “If a stranger wants to pay you for something, insist on a cashiers check for the exact amount, preferably from a local bank or a bank that has a branch in your area.”

For more information on NCL’s 2010 Top Ten Scams report, click here.

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About the National Consumers League

Founded in 1899, the National Consumers League is America’s pioneer consumer organization. Its mission is to protect and promote social and economic justice for consumers and workers in the United States and abroad. NCL is a private, nonprofit membership organization. For more information, visit www.nclnet.org.

NCL to host first ever LifeSmarts Summit in Torrance, CA January 24-26 – National Consumers League

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January 20, 2011

Contact: (202) 835-3323, media@nclnet.org

Washington, DC—The National Consumers League has announced it will host the first-ever LifeSmarts Summit in Torrance, California later this month, convening experts in the arena of education, family and consumer sciences, and corporate consumer communications to assess and evaluate the 17-year-old program’s curriculum and plan for expansion efforts. The nation’s oldest consumer group, which runs the national teen education competition, hopes the three-day summit, hosted by Toyota Financial Services, a long-time LifeSmarts supporter, will result in a strengthened curricular foundation and a plan for implementing expanded outreach efforts. The first ever LifeSmarts Summit has been made possible from a cy pres grant awarded to NCL.

“In light of how dramatically the marketplace has changed in recent years, having become more global, more confusing, and lined with more traps for consumers than ever before, now is the time to roll up our sleeves to assess and redefine the curriculum educators are using to prepare the next generation of consumers,” said Sally Greenberg, NCL Executive Director. “American youth often graduate from high school, enter the workforce, rent apartments, lease cars, and apply for credit cards as illiterate consumers. There’s never been a stronger need for current, quality consumer curriculum, and we are delighted to convene a stellar group of experts to ensure that modern consumer education meets these challenges.”

Media Advisory

What: LifeSmarts Summit

Saturday, January 22: LifeSmarts program staff and state coordinators will train 30 educators, mentors, and community leaders to introduce them to LifeSmarts, focusing on high schools in East Los Angeles.

Sunday, January 23: 65 teenagers from East LA high schools, including members of the East LA Boys & Girls Club, will be brought in to be trained as future LifeSmarts participant-leaders.

Monday, January 24-Wednesday, January 26: Consumer literacy experts convene to validate consumer content, concepts, and develop educational activities to infuse consumer topics into the classroom and group settings.

When: January 22-26, 2010

Where: Toyota Financial Services

Saturday and Sunday: TFS South Campus

19001 South Western Avenue, Torrance, CA  90501

Monday: Toyota Plaza, 1411 West 190th Street, Gardena, CA  90248

Who: Participants include:

Curriculum and consumer education experts including past and current leaders from the American Association of Family & Consumer Sciences (AAFCS) and FCCLA; university professors in consumer sciences; nonprofit consumer advocates; representatives from the Federal Reserve; business executives from Toyota Financial Services, Visa, American Express, and Western Union, and others

Those interested in attending should contact NCL’s LifeSmarts Program Director Lisa Hertzberg, (651) 699-3650, lisah@nclnet.org

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About LifeSmarts and the National Consumers League

LifeSmarts, the Ultimate Consumer Challenge, is a 17-year-old consumer education program of the National Consumers League. The competition covers five topic areas in consumer sciences: personal finance, health and safety, technology, the environment, and consumer rights and responsibilities. Teens form teams, coached by volunteer educators and other adults, and compete online for a chance to participate in state and national championships. The program is coordinated at the state level by volunteers in more than 30 states, including Better Business Bureaus, consumer protection offices, banks, and others. Each year, participants answer more than 3.5 million consumer related quiz questions online, and more than 125,000 students participate in LifeSmarts curriculum in classrooms across the United States.

For more information, visit: www.lifesmarts.org,  email lifesmarts@nclnet.org , or call the National Consumers League’s communications department at 202-835-3323.

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 www.nclnet.org.

Groups call for strong oversight to protect consumers from combined Comcast-NBC – National Consumers League

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January 19, 2011

Contact: (202) 835-3323, media@nclnet.org

Washington, DC – Despite tough talk about reining in out-of-control media consolidation, the Federal Communications Commission and the Department of Justice have allowed the merger of two of the largest media empires in the country – Comcast and NBC Universal – to proceed.

In response, the National Consumers League released the following statement, attributable to Sally Greenberg, NCL Executive Director:

“Increased concentration among industry titans rarely benefits consumers. We appreciate that the merger has real, enforceable and pro-consumer conditions attached to it. However, these conditions will not be worth the paper they are written on without rigorous oversight by the FCC and DOJ. NCL, along with our consumer and public interest group colleagues will be closely monitoring the effects of this merger to ensure that the combined Comcast-NBCU does not abuse its market power.”

Consumer Action released the following statement, attributable to Linda Sherry, Director of National Priorities:

“Even with the conditions, we are disappointed that the FCC and DOJ did not seem to accept the tenet that the larger the company, the more imbalanced its relationship with consumers becomes. Consolidation inevitably leads to consumers losing the choices that come from a competitive marketplace.”

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About the National Consumers League

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 www.nclnet.org.

About Consumer Action

Consumer Action has been a champion of underrepresented consumers nationwide since 1971. A nonprofit 501(c)3 organization, Consumer Action focuses on financial education that empowers low to moderate income and limited-English-speaking consumers to financially prosper. It also advocates for consumers in the media and before lawmakers to advance consumer rights and promote industry-wide change.

National Consumers League standing strong against those wishing to repeal Affordable Care Act – National Consumers League

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January 19, 2011

Contact: NCL Communications, (202) 835-3323, media@nclnet.org

Washington, DC—The National Consumers League, the nation’s oldest consumer group, announced today that it has joined with other consumer, health, and worker groups, to take a stand against efforts to repeal the Affordable Care Act. For decades, NCL has advocated for substantive reform to America’s health care system and was a staunch supporter of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), which passed last year. Advocates argue the Act finally “allows us to move forward toward a higher quality system that is more patient-centered and cost-effective.”

“We recognize that reforming our health care system was no easy task, and we’re certainly not finished making improvements to Americans’ health care in terms of both quality and access,” said Sally Greenberg, NCL Executive Director. “But the Affordable Care Act is a large step forward towards the goal of insurance for all, and to repeal it would be a terrible disservice to individual consumers and workers and to our nation as a whole. We support the lawmakers who continue to put ensuring quality health care for all Americans ahead of politics today.”

Throughout NCL’s history, providing a safety net for Americans also means providing basic health needs of our citizens. The ACA – a long overdue measure – finally accomplishes that goal. No family should have to face financial ruin because of a medical condition or accident. If every other industrialized country in the world can give their citizens access to basic health care needs, surely the United States – the wealthiest country on earth – can find a way to do so. NCL opposes any and all efforts to undue or undermine the provisions of the ACA. We are proud to join with groups that share our passion for this cause.

American consumers need the Affordable Care Act, which is estimated to reduce the federal deficit by $100 billion over the next decade.  Repealing the law would add $230 billion to the deficit, according to the Congressional Budget Office (CBO), and would leave 32 million people without insurance they would otherwise get under the Act. Without subsidies to the state insurance exchanges, consumers would likely see their health insurance premiums rise.

By repealing the law, consumers will once again face lifetime limits on health insurance coverage, may be denied coverage due to pre-existing conditions, and plans could provide fewer benefits and cover fewer costs.

“As consumers and workers, we need the protections afforded by the Affordable Care Act, as we continue to shift our health care system to one that emphasizes quality care and promotes health and wellness, said Greenberg.

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About the National Consumers League

Founded in 1899, the National Consumers League is America’s pioneer consumer organization. Its mission is to protect and promote social and economic justice for consumers and workers in the United States and abroad. NCL is a private, nonprofit membership organization. For more information, visit www.nclnet.org.

Groups urge FCC to protect consumers from wireless ‘bill shock’ – National Consumers League

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January 10, 2011

Contact: 202-835-3323, media@nclnet.org

Washington, DC – The National Consumers League today joined a number of leading consumer and public interest organizations to urge the Federal Communications Commission to help consumers avoid wireless “bill shock.” In response to the FCC’s Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, the groups called for greater consumer protections, including:

  • Requiring wireless carriers to inform consumers if they are going over their limit and will be hit by fees due to international or domestic roaming, exceeding allotments of voice, text or data, or other reasons;
  • Creating a “circuit-breaker” mechanism that would require consumer consent before higher-than-expected charges can be incurred; and
  • Requiring clear, conspicuous and ongoing disclosure of tools available to manage usage.

“Numerous studies have found that millions of consumers are affected by wireless ‘bill shock,’” said John Breyault, NCL Vice President of Public Policy, Telecommunications and Fraud. “Given the increasingly complex nature of the wireless marketplace and the high fees that are charged when consumers exceed their usage limits, it is imperative that common-sense protections be put in place. Coupling timely alerts with robust usage controls and a requirement for consumer consent before penalty fees can be charged will go a long way to protect consumers from bloated bills.”

Joining with NCL in filing comments were the Center for Media Justice, Consumer Action, Consumer Federation of America, Consumers Union, Free Press, Media Access Project, the National Hispanic Media Coalition and the New America Foundation’s Open Technology Initiative. To access the groups’ comments, click here.

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About the National Consumers League

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 www.nclnet.org.

CPSC’s consumer complaint database welcome by advocates – National Consumers League

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January 10, 2011

Contact: (202) 835-3323, media@nclnet.org

Washington, DC–The National Consumers League, the nation’s oldest consumer advocacy group, applauded the recent announcement of the Consumer Product Safety Commission’s plan to publish consumer complaints about dangerous or defective products.

“Consumer advocates have worked for more than a decade – I did so myself when I served as Product Safety Counsel at Consumers Union – to make vital facts the CPSC receives about dangerous products available to other consumers,” said Sally Greenberg, NCL Executive Director. “This is particularly compelling for products used by children: cribs, car seats, strollers, and swings. Parents wanting to check on the safety of a product before they buy it should absolutely have access to this database.”

While some members of the retail industry claim this database will be confusing to consumers, or unfair to manufacturers, NCL advocates argue that the CPSC’s database is simply moving the commission forward to the current era, in which consumers rate products and share information about a wide variety of industries, from travel services to product reviews. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has provided consumers with access to similar information and has done so for years.

“There is no justification for keeping this information from the public. It will enhance safety and empower consumers. We applaud Chairman Tenenbaum and Commissioners Adler and Moore for their support for this long-waited database,” said Greenberg.

The compilation of consumer complaints is set to be launched online in March by the CPSC. According to news reports, under the new system, when a consumer files a complaint, the CPSC has five days to notify the manufacturer, which in turn has 10 days to respond. A company can challenge the complaint as false, argue that posting it would result in revealing a trade secret, or submit a written response, which would be published alongside the complaint in the database.

If a company argues that a consumer complaint is false or discloses confidential business information, the CPSC will make a decision as to whether to withhold or publish the complaint. Anyone filing a complaint must identify themselves, but that information will not be published and would be disclosed to the manufacturer only with the consumer’s permission.

The database is restricted to the 15,000 types of consumer goods overseen by the CPSC, which do not include food, drugs, medical devices, cosmetics, tobacco, automobiles, or tires.

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About the National Consumers League

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 www.nclnet.org.

 

 

National Consumers League names Doe, Kim to Board of Directors – National Consumers League

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January 6, 2011

Contact: (202) 835-3323, media@nclnet.org

Washington, DC—The National Consumers League has named Hilary Doe, National Director of the Roosevelt Institute Campus Network, and Dr. Jinhee Kim, Associate Professor at the University of Maryland, College Park, to its Board of Directors for the 2011 term.

“Hilary and Jinhee are uniquely qualified to serve on NCL’s Board of Directors and will bring a wealth of experiences to the positions,” said NCL Executive Director Sally Greenberg. “Our esteemed Board represents the interests of consumers and workers, committed to the mission of consumer advocacy that our founders began more than 100 years ago. We welcome Hilary and Jinhee and look forward to working with them.”

NCL, the nation’s oldest consumer organization, is a private, nonprofit membership organization governed by a board of directors with diverse experience in consumer protection and advocacy, law, business, labor, and public affairs. Headquartered in Washington DC, NCL has affiliated members from every state and collaborates with an extensive nationwide consumer action network.

Hilary Doe serves at the Roosevelt Institute, a grassroots, youth-run think tank fostering the next generation of progressive, American leaders. Prior to joining the Roosevelt Institute, Doe worked at the Anderson Economic Group and held positions with the Brookings Institution and the Detroit Economic Growth Corporation. Doe’s background is in non-profit management and public finance. She holds a Master’s degree in Public Policy from the University of Michigan’s Ford School of Public Policy, as well as a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from the University of Michigan.

Dr. Jinhee Kim teaches Personal and Family Finance at UMD, College Park, where she has conducted significant research in financial stress, health, and employee work outcome behaviors, as well as credit counseling and the debt and food resource management of low income families. Before joining the UMD faculty, Kim served as Director of Research for the National Institute for Personal Finance Employee Education at Virginia Tech and Leader of the Maryland Saves Coalition. Dr. Kim holds a Ph.D in Family Resource Management from the Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University.

For a complete list of officers and board members, visit https://nclnet.org/about-ncl/board-of-directors

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About the National Consumers League

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 www.nclnet.org.

NCL statement on passage of the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act, H.R. 2751 – National Consumers League

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December 21, 2010

Contact: (202) 835-3323, media@nclnet.org

Washington, DC— Today, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act, H.R. 2751, clearing the final hurdle and sending the bill to the President’s desk, where Mr. Obama has pledged to sign it. The legislation will enable consumers to ring in the New Year knowing that the U.S. food supply of the future will be safer.

With today’s vote, the House finished a circuitous process that started nearly a year and a half ago, when the body passed the first version of the food safety bill. In the interim, there have been numerous twists and turns that called into question whether landmark food safety legislation would pass. But indeed, the Senate took up a bill Sunday evening with a new bill number,and it passed by unanimous consent.

“Consumers have waited far too long for an overhaul of outdated food safety laws that do not adequately protect Americans from the threat of foodborne illness. We applaud the members of the House and Senate for overcoming the partisan gridlock and adopting this important measure. This holiday season, there are families in America feeling the absence of those they have lost due to foodborne illness; the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act will protect countless Americans – and their loved ones – from the perils of unsafe food,” stated Sally Greenberg, NCL Executive Director.

The FDA Food Safety Modernization Act shifts the focus of the Food and Drug Administration from responding to foodborne illness outbreaks to preventing those outbreaks in the first place. Among other measures, the bill gives the agency the authority to recall contaminated products, develops new requirements for product traceability, and establishes a minimum inspection frequency for domestic food processing facilities. The legislation also increases oversight of imported foods, holding items produced abroad to the same safety standards as those that originate in the United States, and requires farmers and food processors to institute measures to prevent contamination.

The National Consumers League would like to thank Senators Durbin (D-IL), Harkin (D-IA), Dodd (D-CT), Gregg (R-NH), Burr (R-NC), and Enzi (R-WY), as well as Representatives Waxman (D-CA), Dingell (D-MI), DeLauro (D-CT), and Pallone (D-NJ) for their leadership in getting this legislation over the finish line. The League also extends its appreciation to Senators Reid (D-NV) and McConnell (R-KY) and Speaker Pelosi for enabling H.R. 2751 to come to the floor for votes in their respective chambers this week.

As a member of the Make Our Food Safe coalition, the National Consumers League joined other consumer organizations, public health organizations, and groups representing the families of victims of foodborne illness in supporting passage of the bill.

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About the National Consumers League

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 www.nclnet.org.

Consumer groups call on Microsoft to grant Americans the same browser choices as Europeans – National Consumers League

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December 21, 2010

Contact: (202) 835-3323, media@nclnet.org

Washington, DC –Consumer advocates are asking Microsoft to give American consumers browser choices beyond Internet Explorer when purchasing a Windows operating system.

In a letter to Microsoft CEO Steven Ballmer, the American Antitrust Institute (AAI), Consumers Union, the National Consumers League (NCL), and Consumer Action express “ongoing concerns that American consumers do not have access to the same choices among browsers that are today available to our European counterparts.”

When the United States settled its antitrust litigation with Microsoft nine years ago, it allowed Microsoft to continue bundling the Internet Explorer web browser with the Windows operating system. Last year’s European Union settlement with Microsoft unbundled Internet Explorer from Windows and gave consumers a software ballot asking them to choose which browser to install from a list of 12 options.

“European consumers are choosing browsers other than Explorer,” said NCL Executive Director Sally Greenberg. “We would expect similar behavior in the U.S. market should consumers be given a choice.”

The letter cites earlier discussions the consumer advocates had with Microsoft on this issue, “In fact, we did ask this question to a Microsoft representative some months ago, but the reply was that the settlement in Europe was forced on the company and is a bad idea because consumers really don’t want choices and those who care enough can learn how to change their settings in order to use a different browser. This seems like the wrong response for a company that views itself as innovative and consumer-friendly.”

“Our aim is not to choose winners or losers in the marketplace, but to ensure a competitive process,” said AAI President Bert Foer. “It in fact may be procompetitive for a consumer to choose Internet Explorer in an environment where other choices are available; but it is anticompetitive for a consumer to use Internet Explorer because he or she was not given a choice. This holiday season, we are asking Microsoft to give American consumers a much deserved and appreciated holiday gift; the gift of choice.”

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About the American Antitrust Institute

The American Antitrust Institute is an independent non-profit education, research and advocacy organization. Since its formation in 1998, the AAI’s mission has been to increase the role of competition, assure that competition works in the interests of consumers, and challenge abuses of concentrated economic power in the American and world economy. To learn more about the AAI, please visit www.antitrustinstitute.org.

About the National Consumers League

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 www.nclnet.org.

About Consumers Union

Consumers Union (CU) is an expert, independent, nonprofit organization whose mission is to work for a fair, just, and safe marketplace for all consumers and to empower consumers to protect themselves. The organization was founded in 1936 when advertising first flooded the mass media. Consumers lacked a reliable source of information they could depend on to help them distinguish hype from fact and good products from bad ones. Since then CU has filled that vacuum with a broad range of consumer information. To maintain its independence and impartiality, CU accepts no outside advertising and no free samples and employs several hundred mystery shoppers and technical experts to buy and test the products it evaluates. Visit www.consumersunion.org

About Consumer Action

Consumer Action has been a champion of underrepresented consumers nationwide since 1971. A nonprofit 501(c)3 organization, Consumer Action focuses on financial education that empowers low to moderate income and limited-English-speaking consumers to financially prosper. Our diverse staff provides expert commentary on key consumer issues supported by solid data. We offer access to victim testimony, as well as expertise on current financial issues affecting low to moderate income and limited-English-speaking consumers. Visit www.consumer-action.org