NCL supports CFPB’s proposal to remove medical debt from credit reports

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September 28, 2023

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

Washington, DC – The National Consumers League (NCL) supports the bold proposal from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) to remove medical bills from Americans’ credit reports.

According to a CFPB report released in March 2022, $88 billion of outstanding medical bills are currently in collections—affecting one in five Americans. Medical debt constitutes a majority (57 percent) of all collections on credit reports.

“This proposal will help families financially recover from medical crises and prevent debt collectors from coercing people into paying bills they may not even owe,” said Sally Greenberg, CEO of the NCL. “It will ensure that creditors are not relying on data that is often plagued with inaccuracies and mistakes.”

Approximately 20 percent of Americans report having medical debt, according to the March 2022 report, but previous research by the CFPB shows that consumers with medical debt generally paid back their loans or bills at the same rate as consumers with higher credit scores.

If finalized, the CFPB proposal will do the following:

  • Remove medical bills from consumers’ credit reports: Consumer reporting companies would be prohibited from including medical debts and collection information on consumer reports that creditors use in making underwriting decisions.
  • Stop creditors from relying on medical bills for underwriting decisions: The proposal would narrow the 2005 exception and prohibit creditors from using medical collections information when evaluating borrowers’ credit applications.
  • Stop coercive collection practices: As unpaid medical bills would no longer appear on consumers’ credit reports used by creditors in making underwriting decisions, debt collectors would no longer be able to use the credit reporting system as leverage to pressure consumers into paying questionable debts.

Greenberg added, “Medical debt is not caused by profligate spending. Americans incur this debt because of emergencies or because they are uninsured or underinsured. We believe that this proposed rule will allow consumers weighed down by medical debt through no fault of their own and help them to restore their access to sustainable credit.”

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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 Live Event Ticketing Principles

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By John Breyault, Vice President, Public Policy, Telecommunications, and Fraud

The ticketing industry is the gatekeeper to much of our nation’s arts, sports and culture. What should be an exciting moment—securing a seat for your favorite event —has become exceedingly frustrating for many consumers as they navigate a confusing ticket-buying process laden with hidden fees.

NCL works on behalf of fans for all live events to ensure that consumers get the best possible experience, the best bargain for their hard earned dollars and don’t feel they’ve been ripped off with gotcha added costs, like mandatory “convenience fees” “processing fees” “venue fees” or the like when purchasing live event tickets.

Consumers are at the mercy of a rigged ticket marketplace. One company – Live Nation Entertainment (LNE) — dominates the marketplace. The company was created after Ticketmaster and Live Nation were given the green light to merge by the Department of Justice in 2009, despite strong consumer and business opposition.  LNE today controls around 80% of primary ticketing services, owns or has exclusive rights to operate many venues, and has major positions in artist management and event promotion. In 2022, LNE reported $4.5 billion in revenue from ticket resale, more than double what it earned in 2019, making it one of the largest players in the secondary ticket market.

Not surprisingly, LNE engages in practices typical of monopolies, working to drive out competitors. NCL and other consumer groups are leading the charge to unwind the ill-advised 2009 merger of Live Nation and Ticketmaster and restore healthy competition to the marketplace.

NCL believes that ticket resale has a legitimate place in the live event marketplace. The availability of ticket resale services provides a hedge for consumers who buy season tickets or non-refundable tickets, and is also a source for ticket buyers to get bargains when supply outpaces demand, allowing them to save money on below-face value tickets.

Below are some general principles on ticketing that NCL supports.

  1. We want the DOJ and Congress to unwind the Ticketmaster-Live Nation merger.
  2. Hidden ticket fees, deceptive dark patterns, and other anticompetitive ticketing practices should be prohibited. “All in” ticket pricing should be required so that consumers can compare prices from one site to another.
  3. Ticket holdbacks (also known as allocations) should be disclosed to ticket buyers prior to purchase.
  4. Secondary ticket exchanges should be required to disclose the face value of tickets offered for sale on their platforms.
  5. Ticket resellers should be prohibited from engaging in deceptive practices that are deliberately intended to confuse consumers into believing they are buying tickets from the primary seller. Deceptive design practices such as using URLs or other indicia of affiliation with a venue, team, or artist and by paying for search engine optimization that results in resale websites appearing higher in search results than the official box offices should be prohibited.
  6. Secondary ticket exchanges should be required to closely monitor their ticket inventory to ensure that they are not listing tickets obtained in violation of federal or state laws.
  7. All stakeholders in the live event industry should be required to assist enforcement agency’s efforts to stop illegal automated ticket buying and resale.
  8. Federal or state law enforcement agencies should investigate how tickets appear on the secondary ticket market at prices far above face value before offered for sale by primary ticket sellers and whether such sales violate applicable laws.

To these ends, NCL has endorsed legislative reforms to protect ticket buyers and promote competition in the live event industry, such as the BOSS and SWIFT Act and the TICKET Act.

Consumer groups’ statement on elimination of speculative ticketing disclosure requirements from S. 1303, the “TICKET Act”

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July 27, 2023

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

Washington, D.C. – The United States Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, & Transportation today approved an amended version of the Transparency in Charges for Key Events Ticketing Act (“TICKET Act”). Unfortunately, an amendment to the bill that was approved during the markup eliminated a key provision that consumer groups supported which would have required ticket sellers to disclose clearly and conspicuously, prior to a consumer selecting a ticket for purchase, when a seller does not have possession of a ticket being listed for sale. The eliminated provision would have addressed a controversial practice known as “speculative ticketing,” that has harmed too many consumers who thought they had purchased a ticket only to later find out that the seller was unable to fulfill their order. [1] In a July 25 letter to the Commerce Committee, eleven consumer advocacy organizations had urged support for the original version of the TICKET Act, which was introduced with bipartisan support in April.

In response to today’s vote, the undersigned consumer groups released the following statement:

“The live event ticketing market is a rigged game, riddled with deception and a lack of transparency at every turn. We are extremely disappointed that the Commerce Committee today bowed to pressure from industry opponents and missed an opportunity to reduce the risk that fans end up high and dry without tickets to events they had otherwise planned to attend. The TICKET Act, as amended, is a step in the right direction but a reminder of why vested interests continue to resist comprehensive reform. The live event ticketing system needs to be cured of deep flaws that result in consumers being abused before tickets go on sale, while they are for sale, and through the moment they are scanned for entry. The TICKET Act as introduced would have assured transparency to two of the most opaque parts of ticket buying: the pricing of tickets, and the sale of  tickets that sellers do not possess, but are offered to unknowing customers. We continue to support all-in pricing of live event tickets because today’s deceptive drip pricing is unfortunately the norm whether the tickets come from a venue, a team, Ticketmaster, or a resale marketplace. Our groups will continue to work for a fairer ticket marketplace to ensure that fans are able to access affordable tickets to their favorite events in an open, transparent, and competitive marketplace.”

Organizations supporting this statement include National Consumers League, Consumer Action, Consumer Federation of America, Consumer Federation of California, Fan Freedom Project, National Association of Consumer Advocates, Protect Ticket Rights, Public Knowledge, Sports Fans Coalition, and U.S. Public Interest Research Project, and Virginia Citizens Consumer Council.

[1] Burchill, Caitlin. “Burlington man learns his expensive Taylor Swift tickets don’t exist days before concert,” NBC Connecticut. (June 13, 2023) Online: https://www.nbcconnecticut.com/investigations/nbc-ct-responds/burlington-man-learns-his-expensive-taylor-swift-tickets-dont-exist-days-before-concert/3048419/; Oberle, Marisa. “PROBLEM SOLVERS: Potential ‘controversial’ practice leaves Kent Co. family without Taylor Swift tickets,” FOX 17-West Michigan. (June 21, 2023) Online: https://www.fox17online.com/news/problem-solvers/problem-solvers-controversial-practice-leaves-kent-co-family-without-taylor-swift-tickets-day-before-concert

 

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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.

Consumer groups urge support for S. 1303, the “TICKET Act”

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July 26, 2023

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

Washington, D.C. – NCL and other consumer groups submitted the below letter to Chair Cantwell and Ranking Member Cruz to urge support for S. 1303, the “TICKET Act”.

 

July 25, 2023

 

The Honorable Maria Cantwell Chair

Committee on Commerce, Science, & Transportation

United States Senate

254 Russell Senate Office Building Washington, D.C. 20510

 

The Honorable Ted Cruz Ranking Member

Committee on Commerce, Science, & Transportation

United States Senate

512 Dirksen Senate Office Building Washington, D.C. 20510

 

RE: Consumer groups urge support for S. 1303, the “TICKET Act”

Dear Chair Cantwell and Ranking Member Cruz:

The eleven undersigned consumer organizations represent the tens of millions of fans who attend concerts, sports, theater, and other live events every every year 1,  generating more than $130 billion in economic impact.2 Despite the profits fans’ entertainment spending creates for this important industry, the process of obtaining tickets to a live event is often fraught with deception and unfair business practices. From a fan’s point of view, trying to get an affordable ticket to see their favorite band, cheer on their hometown team, or enjoy a night at the theater is a rigged game.

It is for this reason that the undersigned organizations have endorsed S. 1303, the Transparency in Charges for Key Events Ticketing Act (“TICKET Act”).3 We thank you for introducing this bipartisan consumer protection measure and we urge your colleagues on the Commerce Committee to support the bill when the committee considers it this week.

Reforms like those in the TICKET Act are urgently needed to ensure fans can access affordable live event tickets from both primary and secondary ticket sellers. The bill mandates all-in pricing of tickets, which addresses a significant source of frustration for consumers when purchasing tickets. Add-on fees, commonly labeled as “service fees,” “processing fees,” and “facility fees,” are typically added to the cost of the ticket as buyers progress through the ticket-buying process. On average, these fees raise the cost of a tickets by 27 percent and 31 percent on the primary and secondary market, respectively.4 The TICKET Act’s all-in pricing requirement will ensure that consumers see the full cost of a ticket the first time a ticket is advertised. This will allow fans to make a more informed buying decisions before they begin the buying process. Competition will also be enhanced, since competing ticketers on the secondary market will not be able to hide the true cost of a ticket behind a deceptively low advertised price.

The TICKET Act also includes reforms that would address a second significant frustration for ticket buyers: undisclosed speculative ticketing. This practice, also known as “spec ticketing,” involves resellers listing tickets they do not possess for sale on resale websites and secondary ticket exchanges. Speculative selling is a controversial ticketing practice since consumers are often deceived into thinking they are buying tickets the reseller possesses. There are numerous examples where consumers who thought they had a ticket to an event were later told that the speculative ticket reseller was unable to obtain the ticket.5 The TICKET Act addresses this problem by requiring ticket sellers to disclose clearly and conspicuously, prior to a consumer selecting it for purchase, when the seller does not have possession of a ticket being listed for sale. This would benefit consumers by allowing them to make a more informed choice about whether to take the risk that a speculatively resold ticket order may not be fulfilled.

On behalf of America’s live event fans, we thank you for your leadership on this issue and we urge your colleagues to join our organizations in support of this important pro- consumer and pro-competition bill.

 

Sincerely,

National Consumers League

Consumer Action

Consumer Federation of America

Consumer Federation of California

Fan Freedom Project

National Association of Consumer Advocates

Protect Ticket Rights

Public Knowledge

Sports Fans Coalition

U.S. Public Interest Research Group

Virginia Citizens Consumer Council

cc:       Members of the Senate Commerce Committee

 

1 Live Nation Entertainment. “Live Nation Entertainment Reports Fourth Quarter & Full Year 2022 Results.” Press release. (February 23, 2023) Online: https://www.livenationentertainment.com/2023/02/live-nation- entertainment-reports-fourth-quarter-full-year-2022-results/; Fischer, Ben and Broughton, David. “NFL per- game attendance makes big jump.” Sports Business Journal (January 16, 2023) Online: https://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/Journal/Issues/2023/01/16/Upfront/nYl-attendance.aspx;  National Basketball Association. “NBA sets all-time records for attendance and sellouts during 2022-23 regular season.” Press release. (April 10, 2023) Online: https://www.nba.com/news/nba-sets-all-time- records-for-attendance-and-sellouts-during-2022-23-regular-season; The Broadway League. “2022–2023 Broadway End-Of-Season Statistics Show That Broadway Had Attendance Of 12.3 Million And Grosses Of $1.58 Billion.” Press release. (May 23, 2023) Online: https://www.broadwayleague.com/press/press- releases/20222023-broadway-end-of-season-statistics-show-that-broadway-had-attendance-of-123-million-     and-grosses-of-158-billion/

2 Oxford Economics. The Concerts and Live Event Industry: A Signi9icant Economic Engine (July 26, 2021) Online:   https://www.oxfordeconomics.com/resource/livemusic/

3 “S.1303 – 118th Congress (2023-2024): TICKET Act.” Congress.gov, Library of Congress, 26 April 2023, https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/senate-bill/1303.

4 United States Government Accountability OfYice. Event Ticket Sales: Market Characteristics and Consumer Protection Issues (GAO-18-347). Pg. 15 (April 12, 2018) Online: https://www.gao.gov/assets/gao-18-347.pdf

5 Burchill, Caitlin. “Burlington man learns his expensive Taylor Swift tickets don’t exist days before concert,” NBC Connecticut. (June 13, 2023) Online: https://www.nbcconnecticut.com/investigations/nbc-ct- responds/burlington-man-learns-his-expensive-taylor-swift-tickets-dont-exist-days-before-   concert/3048419/; Oberle, Marisa. “PROBLEM SOLVERS: Potential ‘controversial’ practice leaves Kent Co. family without Taylor Swift tickets,” FOX 17-West Michigan. (June 21, 2023) Online: https://www.fox17online.com/news/problem-solvers/problem-solvers-controversial-practice-leaves-kent-   co-family-without-taylor-swift-tickets-day-before-concert

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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 urges ED to erase student debt, improve permanent pathways to cancellation

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July 24, 2023

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

Washington, D.C. – Last week, the National Consumers League (NCL) filed comments in a U.S. Department of Education (ED) regulatory process that will enable the Department to broadly cancel student debt. This newest debt cancellation initiative came after NCL urged the administration to utilize alternate authorities following the Supreme Court’s misguided judgement against the first debt cancellation program. 

“President Biden and Secretary Cardona correctly recognized that we need to address the debt burden associated with getting an education,” said NCL Public Policy Manager Eden Iscil. “They have an opportunity to substantially improve the lives of millions of borrowers through a number of options available with this process the Department initiated.” 

In its comments to ED, NCL advocated for universal student debt cancellation without unnecessary administrative burdens on borrowers. Such burdens likely prevented millions of eligible borrowers from applying to the first cancellation program and significantly delayed its implementation. In addition to one-time debt cancellation, this process will empower ED to improve its permanent cancellation pathways under its income-driven repayment (IDR) plans to allow debt relief to be accessible in the future as well. 

Currently, IDR plans use all-or-nothing debt cancellation, with student debts erased only after several years in repayment (usually 20-25 years). Such a system relies on student loan servicers, ED, or borrowers not making a single mistake in filing paperwork for decades—something almost 6 out of 10 borrowers do. Under NCL’s proposal, borrowers would receive incremental forgiveness. For example, a borrower who is currently eligible for 100% debt cancellation after 10 years of repayment would instead see 10% of their principal balance erased each year for a decade.  

NCL’s full comments to the Department can be found here.  

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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.

Consumer groups urge support for pro-passenger amendments to House FAA reauthorization bill 

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July 17, 2023

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

Washington, D.C. – NCL submitted the below letter to House Speaker McCarthy and Leader Jeffries to urge support for pro-passenger amendments to House FAA reauthorization bill.

 

July 16, 2023

 

The Honorable Kevin McCarthy Speaker of the House

United States House of Representatives H-232 , The Capitol

Washington, DC 20515

 

The Honorable Hakeem Jeffries Democratic Leader

United States House of Representatives 2433 Rayburn House Office Building Washington, DC 20515

 

RE: Consumer groups urge support for pro-passenger amendments to House FAA reauthorization bill 

 

Dear Speaker McCarthy and Leader Jeffries:

The nine undersigned organizations represent the interests of the passengers whose $54 billion in taxpayer funds allowed the American airline industry to survive the pandemic. 1 More than 75 million times every month, these Americans rely on airlines for safe, affordable, and reliable air transportation. 2 The return to profitability of the industry is being powered by the spending of the passengers on whose behalf we advocate. 3

On Monday, the House Rules Committee will take up the FAA reauthorization bill; H.R. 3935, the Securing Growth and Robust Leadership in American Aviation Act. We urge you to use this twice-a-decade opportunity to stand up to the airlines and make sure that consumers see a return on their investment in the industry’s survival.

The bill that was reported out of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee on June 14 was a missed opportunity for the committee to address the need for important consumer protection reforms.4 Unfortunately, it also contains provisions that will result in less competition and fewer passenger protections than currently exist, such as the Section 701 language eliminating the Full Fare Advertising Rule. We urge you and your colleagues to use the consideration of the bill on the House Floor to remedy our concerns.

Toward this goal, we urge you and your colleagues in the House to SUPPORT the following amendments:

  • #25 – GARCIL_056 – Establishing an Assistant Secretary-led Office of Aviation Consumer Protection at the Department of Transportation.
  • #31 – PORTCA_097 – Requiring the FAA Administrator to prohibit air carriers from reducing the size of passenger seats on air carriers until the Administrator issues a final rule establishing minimum dimensions for passenger seats.
  • #35 – PORTCA_100 – Requiring air carriers to provide passengers experiencing a controllable significant delay or cancellation with an alternative flight, including on another air carrier if necessary, and codifying the existing requirement for airlines to provide a full cash refund if the passenger chooses not to travel after experiencing such a delay or cancellation.
  • #51 – DELUZI_018 – Directing the GAO to conduct a report on the effect of airline mergers for consumers.
  • #58 – GARCIL_058 – Establishing a minimum wage and benefit standard for such airport service workers at large, medium, and small hub airports.
  • #83 – ROSETN_040 – Adding a member of the general public who has experienced three or more flight cancellations or delays in the previous twelve months to the Passenger Experience Advisory Committee.
  • #105 – GOTTHE_083 – Requiring a display of the total cost of the air transportation, including all fees, as part of a payment summary of any airline ticket transaction.
  • #145 – STANAZ_034 – Directing airlines to provide information on their website on the rights and responsibilities of both airlines and passengers regarding the availability of on-board wheelchairs, and requiring annual staff training on assisting qualified individuals with a disability on the use of on-board wheelchairs.
  • #169 – SCHAKO_046 – Striking the Section 701 language that would eliminate the Full Fare Advertising Rule.
  • #228 – JAYAPA_066 – Requiring that, in the event of a flight being delayed by 3 hours or more due to a controllable flight disruption, a carrier offer: a rebooking for the next available flight using that carrier or its partner carrier; a meal or meal voucher; a hotel room and transportation to and from the hotel; and cash compensation.
  • #241 – WILLGA_046 – Requiring a study and report on child safety in
  • #275 – DAVIKS_013 – Requiring DOT to add to their Airline Customer Service Dashboard a section on Fee Transparency.

American deserve an airline industry that works for them. We urge you to support these important pro-consumer and pro-competition reforms.

 

Sincerely,

National Consumers League

American Economic Liberties Project

Business Travel Coalition

Consumer Action

Consumer Federation of America

EdOnTravel.com

FlyersRights.org

Travelers United

U.S. Public Interest Research Group

 

1 Shepardson, David. “U.S. airlines to defend $54 billion COVID-19 government lifeline,” Reuters. (December 15, 2021) Online: https://www.reuters.com/business/aerospace-defense/us-airlines-defend-54-billion- covid-19-government-lifeline-2021-12-15/

2 Bureau of Transportation Statistics. “March 2023 US Airline Enplanements Reach Within One Percent of All- Time Monthly High in 2019.” (June 8, 2023) Online: https://www.bts.dot.gov/newsroom/march-2023-us- airline-enplanements-reach-within-one-percent-all-time-monthly-high-2019

3 Farge, Emma. “Airlines see return to profit in 2023, clash with airports,” Reuters. (December 6, 2022) Online: https://www.reuters.com/business/aerospace-defense/airlines-return-profitability-2023-iata-2022- 12-06/

4 House Committee on Transporation and Infrastructure. “T&I Committee Advances Bipartisan FAA Reauthorization Bill,” Press release. (June 14, 2023) Online: https://transportation.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=406734

 

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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 urges Ed Secretary to deliver relief to student borrowers using all options available 

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June 30, 2023

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

Washington, D.C. – Today, the Supreme Court of the United States decided to deny relief to more than 40 million student borrowers. Despite the Supreme Court’s misguided ruling, the administration has a number of options still available to deliver relief to borrowers. The National Consumers League (NCL) urges President Biden and Education Secretary Cardona to implement debt cancellation without delay. 

“A majority of justices have chosen to ignore the facts of the case, from the plaintiffs’ lack of standing to the administration’s plain legal authority to act, in favor of worsening the student debt crisis,” said NCL Public Policy Manager Eden Iscil. “Fortunately, today’s decision only applies to one statute, the HEROES Act. The administration has a responsibility to protect borrowers by utilizing its remaining options under the Higher Education Act.” 

Data on student loan payments estimate that the average borrower will owe between $400 and $500 per month. With repayment set to begin in September, millions of student loan borrowers will default on their debts and face significant financial hardship without debt relief. Indeed, President Biden cited this as a primary reason for his cancellation program. These facts have not changed—9 million borrowers will likely be unable to make payments on their student debts should the Department of Education fail to act. 

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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, health and consumer organizations call for increased oversight of hard soda

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June 29, 2023

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

Washington, D.C. – The National Consumers League (NCL) and nine other health and consumer organizations recently called on the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) to increase its oversight over large global soft drink brands entering the alcohol marketplace.

The joint letter, which was submitted as part of the TTB’s public comment period regarding updates to Trade Practice Regulations, expressed concern that without sufficient oversight, the lines between soft drinks and alcohol beverages will continue to blur and lead to more underage drinking.

“Especially since alcoholic soft drinks, which may contain 5 percent alcohol by volume or more, tend to be inexpensive, are packaged in single-serving containers and tap into young people’s connection to brands they have grown up with,” the groups wrote in the letter.

In addition to the risks posed by the packaging and marketing of alcoholic soft-drinks, there are numerous documented instances where traditional soft drink brands and their alcohol-containing versions are being placed side-by-side in store aisles, as well as instances of alcoholic products being marketed next to children’s products.

In response to these instances and the corresponding risk for heightened underage drinking, the groups are calling on the TTB to expressly prohibit soft drink companies from paying slotting fees to procure more prominent shelf space for their alcohol sodas, hard seltzers, and ready to drink cocktails, as well as look into vertical integration by soft drink makers entering the alcohol space.

“The health and safety of the nation’s teens and adolescents require regulatory firewalls that continue to ensure alcohol products are not marketed to underage consumers,” the groups added.

In addition to NCL, signatories to the public comment letter include:

  • Alcohol Justice
  • Alliance for Better Children’s Diets
  • Consumer Reports
  • Families USA
  • Global Liver Institute
  • HealthyWomen
  • National Alliance for Hispanic Health
  • National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners
  • National League for Nursing

You can read the full letter HERE.

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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.

The National Consumers League supports Agency’s proposal to reduce CO hazards of portable generators

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June 28, 2023

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

Washington, D.C. – The National Consumers League (NCL) appeared at a June 28 hearing at the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) hearing to submit comments on a proposed rule to reduce injury and death associated with acute Carbon Monoxide (CO) poisoning[1].

“NCL strongly supports the CPSC rulemaking to address these preventable deaths and poisonings. Consumers rely on portable generators when the power goes out – they often don’t know that carbon monoxide (CO) emissions can reach dangerous levels, far higher than even from a car,” said Sally Greenberg, CEO of the NCL. “We applaud the CPSC for vastly improving the safety requirements for portable generators.”

Reducing CO emissions means employing CO detectors linked to alarms and shut-off mechanisms.  Reliance on existing voluntary standards has proved insufficient and have not reduced the risk of injury.

1332 CO poisoning deaths were reported between 2004 and 2021.  The CPSC proposal is particularly urgent because extreme weather conditions are becoming more common with climate change.  Portable generator usage will only grow, and time is of the essence to make them far safer and reduce their CO emissions. Generators with safe designs are already available and on the market; the stronger safety standards should be required for all generators.

NCL supports the critical message that portable generators must never be operated inside.  However, warning messages on generators need proper placement. They are used during complex emergency settings, in the aftermath of hurricanes, tornados or snowstorms. As NCL’s comments note, related factors, such as electrical cord length, rain and wind, lot size, or theft concerns lead consumers to place the generators too close to the home or even inside the home, which is poses serious risk of CO poisoning.

NCL’s made the following recommendations:

  • Add audible alarms to visual alarms when CO levels are high and have triggered a shutoff of the portable generator.
  • Replace wording on the generators to tell consumers to locate them “far away” from homes with existing CDC, FEMA, and CPSC guidance to say that they must be located at least 20 feet from homes.
  • Provide consumers with steps for safe operation in wet conditions.
  • NCL also noted in its comments that portable generators featuring lower CO emissions are currently on the market. The rule is not prescriptive, and there are no intellectual property obstacles to wider adoption of the safety technologies.

Matt Gillen, NCL consultant and expert, submitted oral comments to the CPSC on behalf of NCL; [2] NCL also submitted additional written comments.

Mr. Gillen noted that: “Portable generators help consumers when the power goes out.  But they cause an average of 74 carbon monoxide fatalities each year.  The CPSC’s proposed regulation will eliminate these preventable deaths.  And with extreme weather events surging, there is a real urgency in adopting this proposed regulation.”  

[1] https://d.docs.live.net/7b748bbe5182e693/Desktop/Portable%20Generator/NCL%20Portable%20generator%20comments%20WRITTEN%20Final%206%2012%2023.pdf

[2] https://d.docs.live.net/7b748bbe5182e693/Desktop/Portable%20Generator/NCL%20Portable%20generator%20comments%20ORAL%20FINAL%206%2018%2023.pdf

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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 urges FTC to strengthen consumer protections for subscriptions

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June 26, 2023

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

Washington, D.C. – Last week, the National Consumers League (NCL) filed comments urging the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to strengthen its proposed rule that would provide consumers with greater transparency and control over their subscriptions. NCL weighed in alongside the National Consumer Law Center (NCLC) and other consumer advocacy organizations. While strongly in support of the Commission’s proposed updates, NCL urged the FTC to strengthen its rule even further with the following changes:

  1. Stamp out free trial and subscription traps by requiring sellers to ask for consumers’ consent to automatic charges right before a subscription begins. Too many businesses depend on their customers forgetting to cancel a free trial before they get charged. Consumers should be able to utilize a free trial without committing to paying for the full service.
  2. Keep consumers informed with notification prior to each recurring charge. Just like free trial traps, many individuals forget about an enrolled subscription until the money is taken from their bank account. Businesses should be required to give consumers a heads up before they charge them.

In updating its Negative Option Rule, the FTC is proposing numerous safeguards that would benefit consumers, such as requiring sellers to make subscription cancellation as easy as signing up. Additionally, the Commission’s proposal would require better disclosure of the terms of an automatically renewing subscription and compel businesses to send consumers annual reminders informing them of their ongoing subscription.

“No honest business should depend on their customers forgetting that they’re paying money to turn a profit. Unfortunately, Americans lose billions of dollars each year to unwanted and unnoticed subscriptions,” said NCL Public Policy Manager Eden Iscil. “The problem is even worse for younger individuals, with members of Gen Z and Millennials reporting higher subscription sign-ups compared to older consumers. The FTC’s proposed updates to its Negative Option Rule go a long way toward bringing transparency and control back to the consumer. If the Commission implements our suggested changes, this rule could vastly improve the consumer’s experience with subscription plans.”

The following organizations signed on to the comments:

  • Consumer Action
  • Consumer Federation of America
  • Demand Progress Education Fund
  • National Association of Consumer Advocates
  • National Consumer Law Center (on behalf of its low income clients)
  • National Consumers League

To read NCL’s full comments to the Commission, click here.

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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.