Underneath All Are the Contracts
Ralph Nader explains the problem with standard form contracts and introduces faircontracts.org.
Latest News
Sneaky fee alert: ‘Urban Destination Charge’ added to hotels just in time for the holidays
Move over, resort fees. There’s a new enemy in your quest to get a good deal on a hotel room: The “urban destination charge.” Travelers cramming into New York City to catch a glimpse of the famous Christmas tree outside Rockefeller Center are now getting hit with a relatively new $25-$35 fee, several outlets have…
Senate spits at consumers; ending ban on lawsuit fine print a gift to banks
While you were busy worrying about health insurance premiums and perhaps Donald Trump’s latest Tweet, the U.S. Senate spat in the face of American consumers this week. In a 50-50 vote that required Vice President Mike Pence to break the tie, the Senate voted to nullify a pro-consumer rule that was more than a decade…
Big Banks are Hiding Behind Credit Unions to Get Away with Forced Arbitration
“Given the popularity of small banks and credit unions — which are among the very few financial institutions consumers view favorably — it’s no wonder the bigger banks want lawmakers to think they’re ideologically aligned with the little guy. But the truth is far different.” Read more of Paul Bland, executive director at Public Justice here on how Big…
Tort Law and Mass Deception by Fine Print
Tort Law and Mass Deception by Fine Print Margaret Jane Radin About 5 years ago, Katie, my niece, wanted to take Audrey, her then-3-year-old daughter, to a birthday party being held at a children’s recreation facility. In order for Audrey to attend, Katie was required to sign a fine-print form. Among other things, the…
Nancy Kim’s Wrap Contracts Symposium
Nancy Kim’s Wrap Contracts Symposium is published in the Southwestern Law Review’s Spring 2014 Issue, Volume 44, Number 2. The entire issue is devoted to commentary on her book Wrap Contracts: Foundations and Ramifications (2013). She argues that the digital form of online contract affects not only process, but substance.
Protect Critical Speech! Consumer Freedom to Review Act of 2015 has support across the political spectrum.
Legislation to Protect Critical Consumer Speech Introduced The Consumer Review Freedom Act of 2015 has support across the political spectrum. U.S. Reps. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.), Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.), Blake Farenthold (R-Texas) and Brad Sherman (D-Calif.), in a reprise of the 2014 version introduced by Representatives Swalwell and Sherman, have teamed up to introduce legislation that…
Fine Print
Check out this video made to help spread the word about FairContracts.org and what consumers should watch for in the fine print of boilerplate contracts. Special thanks to those who worked on it especially Lonnie Ray Atkinson and the whole team of Anitek, Aaron Ryan, Jayson Bimber, Jonathan Baldizon, and Nicole Timmerman. Fine Print from…
CFPB Holds Field Hearing On March 10 in Newark On Forced Arbitration in Fine Print Contracts; Fact Sheet
For hearing location and details, visit here: http://www.consumerfinance.gov/blog/save-the-date-newark/ For the CFPB Study Fact Sheet see here. The report is released at 8:00 a.m. EST here. For Citizen Works’ Fair Contracts take, see Bob Sullivan at Credit.com here. For a report by the New York Times on how forced arbitration hurts service members, see here. Some highlights…
David Halperin”s Republic Report on “Mass Actions” in Student Enrollment Agreement Fine Print
David Halperin’s Republic Report on “Mass Action” Ban in Student Enrollment Agreement A critical point in a new enrollment agreement described in detail by David Halperin at Republic Report states: “Students must agree to give up the right to a jury trial. The agreement reads, “By my signature, I acknowledge that I understand that both…
Citizen Works, Alliance for Justice, Institute for Consumer Antitrust Studies at Loyola University Chicago School of Law, to Host Event on Lost in the Fine Print, with the 41st Governor of Illinois, Pat Quinn
Citizen Works, Alliance for Justice, Institute for Consumer Antitrust Studies at Loyola University Chicago School of Law, to Host Event on Lost in the Fine Print this February 27, 2015 at Loyola Law with special keynote by Pat Quinn, the 41st Governor of Illinois In addition to a brief keynote from Pat Quinn, the 41st Governor…