#consumer-protection

#consumer-protection

In the biggest case ever brought before the HCRA's discipline committee, Briarwood Development Group was accused of violating the province's code of ethics for home builders by coercing 142 buyers into paying more for pre-construction homes, for which they had already paid deposits and signed agreements, ultimately extracting more than $18 million. The counts against Briarwood were all dismissed or withdrawn last month, after the HCRA failed to prove its case and bring forward substantial evidence.

A pensioner who ploughed 40,000 into a fraudulent wine investment scheme has warned others not to fall for similar scams after three men were jailed. Terry Fleming, 81, from Croxley Green, Hertfordshire, said he invested the money over two years believing he would make a profit, but eventually had to sell the bottles at a considerable loss. Three men who stole at least 6m from 41 victims in the scheme were given prison terms to at St Albans Crown Court on Friday.

The motion put forward by the NDP looks to update the Ticket Sales Act to combat fraud, and predatory pricing by banning the sale of tickets above face value, but did not mention how this policy would be enforced. Here's the choice we're putting towards Conservatives. You can either vote with us to finally end ticket gouging once and for all, or keep siding with the resellers and leave fans on the sidelines, said Leader Marit Stiles at a news conference Wednesday.

As weather disasters become more and more frequent, the home insurance system feels broken for Americans across the country. Now, the advocacy nonprofit Consumer Reports is trying to implement a " homeowners insurance bill of rights " to codify baseline protections across all 50 states. According to a survey from the group, homeowners have seen their insurance rates climb-like Sierra in North Carolina, whose insurance spiked 43% last year, with her provider citing the "increased regional weather risks" as well as Hurricane Helene's impact specifically.

It takes viewers through the "American story" of Campbell's life: from a childhood in foster care and public housing to Princeton University and ultimately to the halls of power. "My own story is proof of what's possible, but yet we can do so much more. We can truly make this Commonwealth a place where everyone, no matter who you are or where you come from, can dream big and actually have those dreams realized," she says in the ad.

There are a lot of weird scam tools out there. Soaring power bills have made the "power saver" scam devices popular, but the other day I came across another odd one called a "USB Phone Battery Repair Multipurpose Battery Restorer Efficient Repair" dongle. Also: Want to cut your electric bill? Skip these scam 'power-saving' devices, and buy this instead It claims to do a lot, but rest assured, all it does is take your money.

* Law school applications up 33 percent. Or " nearly half" as some lawyers would say. [ Reuters] * Supreme Court's voting rights argument reveals justices more than willing to roll back the law to 1950s. [ Bloomberg Law News] * Michigan State Title IX investigators may have collaborated with university lawyers. [ State News] * The lawyer-to-blacksmith pipeline is alive and well. [ CBS News] * Trump DOJ wastes tons of taxpayer money on frivolous cases, but the costs to the accused matter almost as much winning. [ NPR]

California has enacted new legislation that aims to limit companies from charging consumers "exorbitant" fees to cancel fixed-term contracts.

"A steak is made of meat full stop. Using these names only for real meat keeps labels honest, protects farmers, and preserves Europe's culinary traditions," said lead negotiator and EPP member of parliament Celine Imart ahead of Wednesday's vote. "Calling it 'meat' is misleading for the consumer," she added.

We heard Californians loud and clear, Newsom said in a statement, and what's clear is that they don't want commercials at a volume any louder than the level at which they were previously enjoying a program.

The United Kingdom's rapport with the European Union proceeds uninterrupted even after Brexit. European online services offer something distinct for European consumers: reliability, transparency, and innovation. Be it affordability, choice, or stronger data protection, British users continue to gain from what the European digital economy has built up over decades of EU co-operation and regulatory harmonization. Political frontiers may have shifted, but on the internet, economic exchange of goods, payments, and entertainment across the web between the EU and the UK proceeds with full vigour.

Britain's leading banks have warned the government against capping the resale prices of concert and event tickets, claiming the move would push ticket touts and fraudulent sellers onto unregulated social media platforms. In a submission to ministers, UK Finance, the trade body representing Lloyds, NatWest, HSBC, Barclays and more than 300 other financial institutions, said proposed ticket price caps could backfire by driving "tout activity" away from regulated platforms such as Viagogo and towards sites like Facebook Marketplace, where fans are more exposed to scams.

Swindle involves panicked customers losing more money on top of what was stolen from them in the first place

Nick Pompa, founder of Lootlock - an app that prevents kids from running up unauthorized gaming bills on their parents' credit cards - is an avid gamer and software developer working in fintech. As a dad of two under two, he's looking forward to sharing his passion for gaming with his kids when they grow old enough to play. He started gaming at age 6, he told TechCrunch.

The recommendation is a response to a Fast Track SWIFT challenge from Verizon. Fast Track SWIFT is an expedited challenge process designed for single-issue advertising cases. The challenge said that the AT&T advertising claim, "Learn how everyone gets iPhone 16 Pro on us," was false because not "everybody" can get a free phone. The challenge said the ad suggested that every customer on every AT&T plan can receive a new phone.

* Judge considering sanctioning DOJ lawyers over repeated statements compromising fairness of Mangione trial. [ NY Times] * Roberta Kaplan representing Disney shareholders seeking discovery to determine if Kimmel suspension demonstrates a breach of fiduciary duties. [ Semafor] * Group challenging SEC gag rule, which prevents parties who voluntarily settle enforcement cases from turning around and telling the market they did nothing wrong, seeks en banc review from the Ninth Circuit. But, you know, you don't have to settle. [ Law.com]

A leading consumer group is proposing a policyholder rights initiative that would require insurers to offer coverage to California homeowners who fireproof their homes - or lose the right to sell home or auto insurance in the state for five years. The Insurance Policyholder Bill of Rights was filed with state Atty. Gen. Rob Bonta's office last week by Consumer Watchdog, the Los Angeles advocacy group whose founder Harvey Rosenfield authored Proposition 103, the 1988 initiative that governs California insurance law.

"Awareness campaigns are important, but they only go so far," said Jessica Fraser of Timmins, Ont., who lost $10,000 in a TD bank scam in June. TD Bank, which is listed as a "champion" on the coalition's campaign website, refused her request for a refund. "They're supposed to be the gatekeepers of my money and I trusted them to safeguard me," she said. "Instead, I'm left carrying the burden."

Publishers Clearing House, known for its surprise home visits and oversized prize checks, has filed for bankruptcy, ending decades of "forever" payouts to past winners. The sweepstakes company, which operated for nearly 60 years, sold its assets to mobile gaming firm ARB Interactive for $7.1 million. Under the agreement, however, the buyer will not honor lifetime payments owed to winners before July 15.

"Australia's ANZ, one of the country's \"big four\" banks, has agreed to pay a record fine of $240 million Australian dollars ($159.5 million) over \"widespread misconduct\", the financial regulator said Monday. The fine is the largest ever announced by the regulator against a single entity, the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) said. ANZ was fined for \"acting unconscionably\" while managing a $14-billion bond deal with the Australian government."

The US Federal Trade Commission is investigating whether Amazon.com Inc. and Alphabet Inc. 's Google misled advertisers that place ads on their websites, according to people familiar with the matter.

"Starting October 14, we're adding an Exact Amount offer to the Fortnite V-Bucks purchasing page that lets you 'top up' your V-Bucks balance to the exact amount needed for the item you're trying to buy," the company announced on Thursday. "Let's say you want an item that costs 500 V-Bucks but you only have 400 V-Bucks in your account. You'll be able to buy just the 100 V-Bucks needed."

Consumers should be aware AOLs are being offered as substitutes for title insurance but they do not, and legally cannot, offer the same protection as title insurance, the letter states. The gap in coverage may leave consumers without protection that they believe they purchased. White states that as long as the AOL does not offer consumers coverage that meets the definition of insurance as outline in the Code of Virginia, it is not subject to his Bureau's regulation.