consumer protections

SUMMER STEPHAN ANNOUNCES WIN AGAINST AUTO-RENEWAL SUBSCRIPTION FEES

Match has already taken steps to ensure its web disclosures and processes comply with California’s Automatic Renewal and Dating Service Contract laws.

Source: DA News Center

July 12, 2021 (San Diego) -- County District Attorney Summer Stephan (photo, left) announced Wednesday that Match Group, Inc., the owner of numerous popular online dating sites including Match.com, PlentyofFish, OkCupid and Tinder, agreed to pay $2 million in civil penalties and costs, in addition to victim restitution, as part of the settlement of a consumer protection lawsuit. The lawsuit was filed in Santa Cruz county in November 2020 by the California Auto Renewal Task Force (CART), which includes the District Attorney’s Offices in San Diego, Los Angeles, Santa Barbara, Santa Clara, and Santa Cruz counties and the Santa Monica City Attorney’s Office, and alleged that Match’s online dating service subscriptions violated provisions of California’s automatic-renewal and dating service contract laws.


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TRUMP ADMINISTRATION WORKS TO GUT PAYDAY-LENDING SAFEGUARD

By Suzanne Potter, California News Service

July 24, 2020 (Washington D.C.) --  The Trump administration released a proposal this week that would make it easier for banks and payday lenders to charge sky high interest rates - despite California laws against predatory lending.

The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency wants to overturn the "true lender" doctrine and allow payday lenders to evade state interest-rate caps by listing a bank as the lender.

Lauren Saunders, associate director of the National Consumer Law Center, says this will bring back rent-a-bank schemes and allow companies such as OppLoans and Loan Mart to charge 100% or even 200% in interest.

"It's outrageous at this time of economic crisis that the Trump administration, in action after action, is siding with predatory lenders charging outrageous interest rates that just push people into debt and make it harder and harder for them to feed their family," says Saunders.


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LABOR, CONSUMER PROTECTIONS SLASHED BY TRUMP JUST BEFORE LABOR DAY

 

Changes to cost California retirement savers $1.2 billion

By Suzanne Potter, Public News Service, California

September 5, 2017 (Washington D.C.) -- Just days before Labor Day, the Trump administration announced two policies that consumer advocates say hurt the average worker and favor Wall Street and big business.

On Wednesday, the Labor Department announced it is delaying by 18 months’ enforcement of key parts of the Obama-era Fiduciary Rule, which requires financial advisers to put clients' interests above their own when recommending investments.


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