NCL applauds House Calling Card Consumer Protection Act – National Consumers League

September 26, 2008

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

Washington, DC – The National Consumers League today issued the following statement regarding the passage in the U.S. House of Representatives of H.R. 3402, the “Calling Card Consumer Protection Act.” The statement is attributable to Sally Greenberg, Executive Director at the National Consumers League:

“We applaud the House for taking action to protect consumers from the deceptive practices of prepaid calling card companies.  While we support federal action in this area, we have concerns related to the bill’s reliance on disclosure—in place of stronger action—to prevent some of the most egregious anti-consumer practices related to these cards.  We are also troubled by the addition of language preempting states from protecting consumers by requiring additional disclosures, particularly given the leading role that many states, including Florida, New York, and Texas, have taken in this area.  We look forward to working with the bipartisan supporters of the Senate version of this bill to craft stronger legislation that protects consumers of these cards.”

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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.