Drip Pricing: Shipping & Handling Fees Turn Risky

Most of us have experienced drip pricing — where the price seems like a bargain until you go through check-out and find that you’re responsible for additional fees. Of course, we’re all free to say “no” at that point, but politicians in the Golden State don’t see it that way. The Department of Redundancies Department...

Plain Meaning: Conservative Judges Reining In the FTC?

In recent decisions analyzing the plain meaning of the FTC Act, two federal district courts have held that the FTC cannot file suit under § 53(b) of the Act where the alleged misconduct has ceased.  If upheld on appeal, the impact of these cases could be extraordinary.

CAN-SPAM: Is the FTC Poised For Major Changes?

The FTC has asked interested parties to address a wide variety of questions concerning its CAN-SPAM rules, including whether the rules provide any benefits at all to consumers. Where might this lead?

Reference Prices: Are You at Risk?

Reference prices advise consumers that they are getting a bargain. The California Court of Appeal, however, just upheld a $6.8 million penalty on the grounds that a company’s use of list prices and comparison prices constituted a deceptive trade practice.  Amazon is also apparently under investigation for its use of list prices.  If past is prologue, we...

Former Prices: A Class Action Trap

Do you promote “former prices” to underscore the bargains you’re offering?  If so, you should be on high alert.  Increasingly, lawyers are targeting these kinds of promotions for sweeping class action lawsuits.

FTC Takes Aim at AT&T: Lessons For Multichannel Marketers

On October 28, 2014, the FTC announced that it was suing AT&T on the claim that AT&T misled “millions of its smartphone customers by charging them for ‘unlimited’ data plans while reducing their data speeds, in some cases by nearly 90 percent.”  Just 20 days earlier, it announced a $105 million settlement with AT&T over...