NCL applauds Virginia Senate’s passage of the Ticket Resale Rights Act; Urges Gov. McAuliffe’s signature – National Consumers League

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February 8, 2017

Contact: Cindy Hoang, National Consumers League, (202) 207-2832, cindyh@nclnet.org

Washington, DC—The National Consumers League (NCL), the nation’s pioneering consumer advocacy group, applauds the Virginia Senate’s passage of S.B. 1425, the Ticket Resale Rights Act. The legislation, introduced by Senator Bill Stanley, prohibits excessive ticket licensing terms designed to reduce consumer choice and competition in the secondary ticket market. S.B. 1425 protects consumers’ fundamental rights to sell, give away, or donate a purchased ticket as they see fit. These are the same protections that consumers in Colorado and New York already enjoy. NCL urges Virginia Gov. McAuliffe to sign this legislation into law as soon as possible.  

The following statement is attributable to John Breyault, NCL vice president, public policy, telecommunications, and fraud:

“For too long, Virginians trying to buy tickets to in-demand live events have been competing in a rigged game against unscrupulous ticket brokers and primary ticketers who routinely hold back almost half of the tickets to popular events for connected insiders. Thanks to this pro-consumer legislation, consumers in Virginia will continue to have the option of buying, selling, or donating tickets in an open, competitive secondary market. When combined with the recently-enacted federal BOTS Act, the Virginia Ticket Resale Rights Act will ensure that ticket-buyers in the Commonwealth have access to a fairer, more consumer-friendly ticket market.”

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 statement on Trump Administration assault of consumer financial protections – National Consumers League

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February 3, 2017

Contact: NCL Communications, Cindy Hoang, cindyh@nclnet.org, (202) 207-2832

Washington, DC—The National Consumers League (NCL) today issued the following statement in response to a directive from the Trump Administration to eliminate essential consumer protections and roll back Wall Street reforms. The following statement can be attributed to NCL’s Executive Director Sally Greenberg:

“Efforts by the Trump Administration to roll back regulations established by the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act ignores the hard lessons learned in the wake of the 2008 financial crisis. Without these important rules, millions of hard-working consumers and Main Street businesses will again be put at risk of paying the price of out-of-control Wall Street recklessness and greed. If the Trump Administration moves forward with these deregulatory policies, taxpayers will again be on the hook for billions of dollars in bailouts when the next financial crisis occurs.”

“The Department of Labor’s fiduciary rule is a common-sense consumer protection that requires the professionals who are in charge of consumers’ savings to act in the ‘best interests of their clients,’” said Greenberg. “Without this rule, retirement advisors will be free to ignore conflicts of interest and make decisions that benefit their firms’ bottom lines, not the financial security of millions of Americans.” 

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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.

Fraud trends: Bogus Internet sales remain most-reported fraud for fourth year in a row; Median reported loss to fraud doubled in 2016 – National Consumers League

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February 1, 2017

Contact: NCL Communications, Cindy Hoang, cindyh@nclnet.org, (202) 207-2832

Washington, DC—The National Consumers League (NCL), the nation’s pioneering consumer advocacy organization, has released its annual compilation of the top ten scams reported to Fraud.org, NCL’s flagship project for fraud prevention and education. Based on an analysis of more than 7,000 fraud complaints submitted by consumers to Fraud.org in 2016, NCL is warning consumers to beware Internet merchandise sales scams.

For the fourth year in a row, Internet merchandise scams topped the list of complaints reported to Fraud.org. The way many consumers first come into contact with these scams is via a “too good to be true” ad on a website, social media platform or Internet forum. Popular ways scammers catch consumers’ eyes is with deep discounts on goods like iPhones, sneakers, luxury apparel, video game systems and even pets.

While the top scam didn’t change in 2016, a key measurement of how scams affect consumers did: the cost of falling victim to fraud increased significantly in 2016. In complaints where a loss was reported, the median loss was $600, double what was reported in 2015. The most expensive type of scam for victims continued to be friendship and sweetheart swindles (also known as “romance scams”), with a median loss of $2,000.

“The key to avoiding these merchandise scams is to shop around. If the price you’re being quoted is far below what reputable merchants are asking, that’s a red flag of fraud,” said John Breyault, vice president, public policy, telecommunications and fraud at the National Consumers League. “Once you hand over your credit card number or send a wire transfer to the seller of these goods, chances are that all you’ll get in return is a headache, not a sweet deal.”

Another trend observed in 2016: scammers have been turning away from wire transfer and embracing gift cards as payment method. In 2016, wire transfers and credit and debit cards remained the payment method of choice for scammers, but gift cards increased significantly as a new form of payment. In 2016, Fraud.org saw a 30 percent increase in complaints where the payment method included gift cards, including numerous complaints where scammers asked for payment via iTunes gift cards. In such instances, the victim is instructed to load funds onto a gift card and then give the code and PIN number off the back of the card to the scammer, who then quickly deducts funds from the card, leaving the consumer with worthless plastic and little recourse to obtain a refund. 

“The fight against fraud is constantly evolving, as criminals refine their tactics for separating consumers from their hard-earned cash,” said NCL Executive Director Sally Greenberg. “We hope our annual list of top scams helps consumers know what to watch out for and avoid falling victim, especially since falling victim for one of these scams is apparently getting more costly.”

Read the full 2016 top ten scams report.

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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 https://nclnet.org.

NCL joins public-private partnership to help America slash food waste – National Consumers League

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January 26, 2017

Contact: NCL Communications, Cindy Hoang, cindyh@nclnet.org, (202) 207-2832

Coalition of 12 organizations launch FurtherWithFood.org, an online hub for information and solutions to cut food loss and waste

Washington, DC – Today, the nation’s pioneering consumer advocacy organization, the National Consumers League (NCL) announced the official launch of “Further With Food: Center for Food Loss and Waste Solutions,” an online hub for the exchange of information and solutions that can help realize the national goal of cutting food waste in half by 2030.

Further With Food (furtherwithfood.org) will be the definitive online destination for stakeholders – such as businesses, government entities, investors, NGOs, academics, and individuals – seeking to learn more about their role in meeting a national goal to reduce food waste by 50 percent.  In addition to stimulating widespread adoption of proven solutions, Further With Food will enable coordination among stakeholders and will reduce duplication of efforts.

“Because food waste is one of the most pressing – and solvable – challenges of our time, we are proud to be one of the founders of this effort,” said Sally Greenberg, NCL executive director. “Further With Food will be a place to compare notes on what’s working, to build on new ideas, and to scale the most effective solutions so that, together, we can build a more resilient and productive food system.”

The U.S. spends more than $162 billion growing, processing, and transporting food that is never eaten, costing the average family of four $1,500 every year. In the process, fresh water, energy, land, labor, and money are invested into food that’s never sold and meals that are never served, and leading to greenhouse gas emissions as food rots in landfills. With the announcement of Further With Food, the members of this public-private partnership are seeking to uncover and share proven solutions, as well as to ensure efforts are streamlined and effective.

“Curbing the enormous amount of food loss and waste in this county would help put food on the table to nourish people in need, conserve the resources of our planet, and help both individuals and companies save money,” said Erin Fitzgerald Sexson, senior vice president for Global Sustainability, Innovation Center for US Dairy. “The good news is that partners across the country are joining the effort to reduce food loss and waste. As these efforts expand, there is a need for a common place for these diverse groups to share and learn from one another, as well as educate the public.”

Further With Food will feature content on best practices for preventing, recovering and recycling food loss and waste; educational materials; research results; and information on existing government, business and community initiatives.

In addition to NCL, the participants in the Further With Food collaboration include the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, Feeding America, Food Marketing Institute, Grocery Manufacturers Association, Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy, Natural Resources Defense Council, National Restaurant Association, U.S. Department of Agriculture, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, World Resources Institute, and World Wildlife Fund. Major funding was provided by the Rockefeller Foundation.  Keystone Policy Center provided technical assistance to the coalition.

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 urges consumers to enroll in Marketplace health insurance by January 31 deadline – National Consumers League

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January 25, 2017

Contact: NCL Communications, Cindy Hoang, cindyh@nclnet.org, (202) 207-2832

Washington, DC—Amidst uncertainty about the future of health insurance for millions of Americans, the National Consumers League (NCL), the nation’s pioneering consumer advocacy organization, is joining with other health advocacy groups urging consumers to enroll in health coverage by the January 31, 2017 deadline.

“While the debate over repealing and replacing the Affordable Care Act swirls in Congress, the most important thing that consumers can do right now to protect their health is to enroll in or change their Marketplace health insurance plan by the January 31, 2017 deadline. Consumers can go to HealthCare.gov to find a plan that works for them,” said Sally Greenberg, NCL executive director. 

Along with its colleagues in the health advocacy community, NCL is encouraging consumers to enroll in coverage in order to take advantage of a range of free benefits and preventive services covered under the Affordable Care Act, including birth control, HIV screenings, cancer screenings, diabetes screenings, and other important health services.

At HealthCare.gov, consumers can compare plans and choose the combination of price and coverage that best fits their needs and budget. Consumers will also be able to find out if they qualify for financial help with their premium costs.

If consumers have questions about health insurance, they can visit MyHealthPlan.Guide, a joint project of NCL and America’s Health Insurance Plans, to educate consumers about choosing and using their health insurance and living a healthy lifestyle. Consumers may also contact HealthCare.gov’s Marketplace Call Center toll-free at 1-800-318-2596 for assistance with enrolling.  

The Health Insurance Exchanges will remain in place through 2017. “Don’t place yourself or your family at financial risk from unexpected health expenses. Enroll in coverage now before it’s too late!” said Greenberg.         

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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 testifies in support of Virginia Ticket Resale Rights Act – National Consumers League

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January 24, 2017

Contact: Cindy Hoang, National Consumers League, (202) 207-2832, cindyh@nclnet.org 

Washington, DC—The National Consumers League (NCL), the nation’s pioneering advocacy group, today announced its support for Virginia H.B. 1825, the Ticket Resale Rights Act. The bill, introduced by Delegate Dave Albo, would protect competition and consumer choice by prohibiting the use of ticket licensing terms that eliminate consumers’ freedom to sell, give away, or donate tickets as they wish. The bill would extend the same protections to Virginians that consumers in Colorado and New York currently enjoy.

In testimony before the Virginia House Committee on Commerce and Labor, John Breyault, NCL’s vice president of public policy, telecommunications, and fraud highlighted the impact that abusive ticket licensing terms have on consumers’ ability to buy and sell live event tickets.

“The increasing use of so-called ‘non-transferrable’ tickets as a way to control ticket scalping is a cure worse than the disease,” said Breyault. “Because events with non-transferrable tickets require attendees to show an I.D. and the credit or debit card used for purchase in order to enter the venue, these events may not be accessible for the 24.3 percent of Virginians who are unbanked or underbanked.”

Breyault also called attention to the anti-competitive effect of “restricted-transfer” tickets. “Make no mistake, primary ticketers like Ticketmaster do not want to prevent ticket resale; they want to control and profit from it,” said Breyault. “Through the use of restricted transfer tickets, companies like Ticketmaster seek to limit resale to ticket markets they control and where they, not competition, set the prices consumers must pay.”

NCL has long advocated for greater transparency, more choice, and stronger consumer protections in the live event ticketing market. Last year, NCL played a pivotal role in the passage of the federal Better Online Ticket Sales (BOTS) Act of 2016, bipartisan legislation that for the first time prohibited the use of ticket-buying “bot” software that allows unscrupulous ticket brokers to jump in line ahead of average fans and snap up hundreds or thousands of tickets to later be resold at exorbitant markups.

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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 to HHS nominee: ‘Maintain women’s access to free contraception’ – National Consumers League

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January 23, 2017

Contact: NCL Communications, Cindy Hoang, cindyh@nclnet.org, (202) 207-2832

Washington, DC—The nation’s pioneering consumer advocacy group is today calling on Congressman Tom Price, a doctor and President Trump’s nominee for Health and Human Services Secretary (HHS), who appeared before the Senate in confirmation hearings last week and will again tomorrow, to drop his insistence that women should have to pay for contraception.

“The facts are in: because of increased and free access to contraception, the U.S. abortion rate has declined 14 percent between 2011 and 2014 and well over 60 percent of the decline in the number of abortions occurred in states without new restrictions,” said Sally Greenberg, executive director of the National Consumers League (NCL), which has advocated on women’s health issues since its founding in 1899. “The Congressman is out of touch with the economic realities facing women.”

Reports cite a 2012 interview with Price by Think Progress reporter Scott Keyes, in which the reporter asked Price: “One of the main sticking points is whether or not contraceptive coverage is going to be covered under health insurance plans and at hospitals and whether they’re going to be able to pay for it, especially low-income women … where do we leave these women if this rule is rescinded?” Price’s response: “Bring me one woman who has been left behind. Bring me one. There’s not one. The fact of the matter is this is a trampling on religious freedom and religious liberty in this country.”

“Congressman Price has his head in the sand. Providing girls and women with highly effective contraceptive methods that are free and universally available is the best way to reduce rates of unintended pregnancy and abortion, a goal we all share,” said Greenberg.   

According to a new report from the Alan Guttmacher Institute, U.S. abortion rates reached a record low in 2014, for the first time falling below its level in 1973—the year abortion became legal nationwide. Anti-abortion groups and policymakers often claim credit for reduced incidence of abortion due to restrictions on access, but the facts prove otherwise: among the 28 states and the District of Columbia that did not have major new restrictions in effect, all but three saw abortion declines in 2011–2014, and combined they accounted for 62 percent of the total decline in the number of U.S. abortions. This follows another decline in abortion during the 2008–2011 period, which was driven entirely by a steep drop in unintended pregnancy, which in turn was explained by improved contraceptive use.

“The Guttmacher Report shows no clear pattern linking restrictions and declines in abortion incidence,” said Greenberg.

Greenberg also stated, “We call upon Congressman Price to maintain women’s access to free contraception and the other preventive services covered under the Affordable Care Act. The nominee for this critically important HHS post should work to preserve and improve women’s health, not roll back the clock.”

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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.

Script Your Future launches sixth annual student competition for innovations in medication adherence – National Consumers League

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January 17, 2017

Contact: Cindy Hoang, National Consumers League, (202) 207-2832, cindyh@nclnet.org 

Washington, DC—This week marks the launch of the sixth annual Medication Adherence Team Challenge, a two-month-long intercollegiate competition among health profession student teams and faculty for creating solutions to raise awareness about medication adherence as a critical public health issue. The Challenge, coordinated by the National Consumers League (NCL), America’s pioneer consumer group and the lead organization on the national Script Your Future campaign, is returning to university campuses across the country after five years of successful student competition and innovation. 

The Challenge is part of Script Your Future, a campaign launched by NCL and its partners in 2011 to combat the problem of poor medication adherence in the United States, where nearly three out of four patients do not take their medication as directed.

“With the changing landscape of healthcare in America, the role of healthcare professionals in helping patients take their medications as directed to preserve and improve their health is more critical than ever. The Challenge uniquely encourages an interprofessional approach to improving medication adherence and lays the foundation for adherence-minded care delivery among future professionals before they enter the workforce,” said Sally Greenberg, NCL executive director. “Each year, we are so impressed by the ingenuity of our student teams and their ability to meet patients where they are. We look forward to seeing what this year’s Challenge will contribute to the discussion.”

The Challenge is sponsored by the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy (AACP), the National Association of Chain Drug Stores (NACDS) Foundation, the National Community Pharmacists Association (NCPA), and the American Pharmacists Association (APhA).

From January 16 through March 17, inter-professional teams—including student pharmacists, nurses, doctors, and others—will implement outreach with creative approaches in their communities to raise awareness and improve understanding about medication adherence, using Script Your Future.  At the end of the Challenge, teams submit entries for review by national partner organizations, and winners are recognized nationally for their efforts to improve medication adherence.

“The Script Your Future Adherence Challenge has provided a tremendous opportunity for health professions students to illustrate how they can work collaboratively to improve patient care through better medication adherence,” said Dr. Lucinda L. Maine, executive vice president and CEO at the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy. “This challenge, now in its sixth year, continues to provide a great example of the power health professions teams can have on the public health issue of medication adherence.”

Since the Challenge began in 2011, more than 9,500 future health care professionals have directly counseled more than 34,000 patients and reached more than 11 million consumers about the importance of medication adherence. Last year’s National awardees were the University of Pittsburgh School of Pharmacy and the University of Charleston School of Pharmacy. The Focused awardees were the Northeast Ohio Medical University (NEOMED) (Health Disparities), the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (Media), and the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy (Creative Inter-Professional Event).  

To learn more about last year’s winners visit the Script Your Future website.

For more information on the Challenge visit the Challenge Community website at https://syfadherencechallenge.ning.com/. Tweet along with us during the Challenge using #SYFchallenge and follow the campaign @IWillTakeMyMeds.

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Script Your Future is a campaign of the National Consumers League (NCL), a private, non-profit membership organization founded in 1899. NCL’s mission is to protect and promote social and economic justice for consumers and workers in the United States and abroad. For more information about the Script Your Future campaign, visit www.ScriptYourFuture.org. For more information on NCL, please visit www.nclnet.org.

NCL raises concern about potential Kennedy vaccine appointment – National Consumers League

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January 13, 2017

Contact: NCL Communications, Cindy Hoang, cindyh@nclnet.org, (202) 207-2832

Washington, DC—The nation’s pioneering consumer advocacy organization is today sounding the alarm bells about news that President-elect Trump might be considering anti-vaccination charlatan Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to chair either a vaccine safety or autism commission. The National Consumers League (NCL) says the appointment would be a step backwards for public health, giving those who oppose vaccines another platform to spout the discredited notion of a causal link between vaccines and autism.   

“Let’s be clear,” said NCL Executive Director Sally Greenberg, “The scientific consensus is overwhelming: vaccines don’t cause autism. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the World Health Organization, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine, the American Academy of Pediatrics, and dozens of peer-reviewed studies have all said that there’s no connection. Indeed, the one so-called study that tried to assert the connection was found to be fraudulent and thoroughly debunked.,” said Greenberg. “Appointing someone like Kennedy – a purveyor of junk science with no medical training – is dangerous to the public’s health and must be denounced by all responsible voices.”

Unfortunately, despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary, public doubts about vaccine safety remain. In fact, NCL’s vaccine perception study found 33 percent of survey respondents think vaccinations can cause autism. In addition, while most survey respondents (87 percent) say they support mandatory vaccination of school-aged children in theory, 64 percent of adults say parents should have the final say whether or not to vaccinate.

The following statement may be attributed to Greenberg:

“The reason behind these vaccine doubters is likely that the current generation of parents has never experienced the panic—and often heartbreak—caused by outbreaks of diphtheria, polio, small pox, tetanus and influenza that earlier generations of parents suffered before vaccines were developed. . They have lost perspective on how serious – and deadly – these diseases can be. As a result, those parents abstaining from having their children vaccinated are enabling deadly illnesses to return. And threatening everyone’s health.

“As the Trump Administration comes into the White House, the public health community must come together to reject junk science and demand that accurate, life-saving information about vaccines be widely disseminated. Let us never return to those dark days of fatal – and completely preventable – disease outbreaks and thank modern medicine for developing vaccinations that enable all of us – especially children – to lead long, healthy, and happy lives.”

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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 statement on distribution of settlement funds to Herbalife distributors – National Consumers League

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January 11, 2017

Contact: NCL Communications, Cindy Hoang, cindyh@nclnet.org, (202) 207-2832

Washington, DC—The National Consumers League (NCL), America’s pioneering consumer advocacy organization, today applauded the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) disbursal of compensation to hundreds of thousands of consumers who lost money due to unfair and deceptive actions by multi-level marketing company Herbalife. NCL was the first consumer group in the nation to call on the FTC to investigate allegation of pyramid scheme behavior at Herbalife. The following statement is attributable to John Breyault, NCL’s vice president of public policy, telecommunications, and fraud: 

“We applaud the FTC for ensuring that victims of Herbalife’s fraudulent activities will receive some restitution for their losses.  This action is yet another sign that, despite statements to the contrary, it is no longer business as usual for the direct selling industry. We strongly urge the FTC and state regulators to hold Herbalife’s and the entire direct selling industry’s feet to the fire to ensure that consumers are protected from pyramid scheme behavior.” 

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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.