Consumer Protection

LOOKING OUT FOR CONSUMERS

U.S. PIRG’s consumer program works to alert the public to hidden dangers and scams and to ban anti-consumer practices and unsafe products.

TROUBLE IN TOYLAND

For 30 years, U.S. PIRG’s "Trouble In Toyland" report has surveyed store shelves and identified choking hazards, noise hazards and other dangers. Our report has led to at least 150 recalls and other regulatory actions over the years.

Get our tips for avoiding dangerous toys.

BIGGER BANKS, BIGGER FEES

In April, U.S. PIRG released a report in which we surveyed more than 350 bank branches and revealed that fewer than half of branches obeyed their legal duty to fully disclose fees to prospective customers, while one in four provided no fee information at all. We also found that despite widespread stories about the “death” of free checking, free and low-cost checking choices are still widely available, if consumers shop around.

Find out how to beat high bank fees.

SEE ALL CONSUMER RESOURCES

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Blog Post | Public Health, Consumer Protection

Ten year anniversary of safer school supplies: Happy Birthday, CPSIA! | Kara Cook-Schultz

Landmark consumer legislation has had a monumental effect on protecting kids’ health.

News Release | U.S. PIRG | Consumer Protection

10th Anniversary of Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act: Safer Products, Better Tools for Informed Purchasing, Increased Safety, More to do

Today marked the tenth anniversary of the passage of the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA) and lauded the consumer safety benefits that resulted from this landmark law.

Blog Post | Consumer Protection

ID Theft & Privacy Checklists | Mike Litt

Today, we're releasing our revamped Identity Theft and Online Privacy resources.

News Release | U.S. PIRG | Consumer Protection

One year after discovering your data was hacked, Equifax still hasn’t paid a price

A year after Equifax discovered signs of a data breach that exposed 147 million Americans to potential identity theft, the company has yet to be held accountable.

News Release | U.S. PIRG | Consumer Protection

As Senate Considers Kathy Kraninger, More than 100 Groups Release Video to Defend CFPB

As the Senate Banking Committee begins a scheduled confirmation hearing for Consumer Financial Protection Bureau director nominee Kathy Kraninger, U.S. PIRG and 103 other groups representing consumers, small businesses, students, and workers, released an online video on Twitter and Facebook about the current state of the CFPB.

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News Release | U.S. PIRG | Consumer Protection

10th Anniversary of Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act: Safer Products, Better Tools for Informed Purchasing, Increased Safety, More to do

Today marked the tenth anniversary of the passage of the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA) and lauded the consumer safety benefits that resulted from this landmark law.

News Release | U.S. PIRG | Consumer Protection

One year after discovering your data was hacked, Equifax still hasn’t paid a price

A year after Equifax discovered signs of a data breach that exposed 147 million Americans to potential identity theft, the company has yet to be held accountable.

News Release | U.S. PIRG | Consumer Protection

As Senate Considers Kathy Kraninger, More than 100 Groups Release Video to Defend CFPB

As the Senate Banking Committee begins a scheduled confirmation hearing for Consumer Financial Protection Bureau director nominee Kathy Kraninger, U.S. PIRG and 103 other groups representing consumers, small businesses, students, and workers, released an online video on Twitter and Facebook about the current state of the CFPB.

News Release | U.S. PIRG | Consumer Protection

U.S. PIRG statement on the pending resignation of Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Deputy Director Leandra English

CFPB Deputy Director Leandra English announced via Twitter today that she will resign next week, months after Pres. Donald Trump illegally installed his Office of Management and Budget Director Mick Mulvaney into the acting director position.

News Release | U.S. PIRG | Consumer Protection

Agreement between 8 States & Equifax is a Good First Step

Our statement on news of an agreement between eight states’s banking regulators and Equifax to fix the credit bureaus’ data security flaws.

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Result | Consumer Protection

30 years of toy safety

For the past thirty years, our sister organization U.S. PIRG Education Fund has taken a close look at the safety of toys sold in stores. Their reports have led to more than 150 regulatory actions. In November 2015, they released our 30th annual Trouble in Toyland report.

Result | Consumer Protection

Protecting Consumers from Credit Company Abuses

Credit card companies seeking even higher profits have invented a slew of unfair practices. U.S. PIRG played a crucial role in passing the Credit Card Accountability, Responsibility and Disclosure (CARD) Act, which protects consumers and reins in the credit card companies' most abusive fees and practices.

Report | U.S. PIRG Education Fund | Food

Reaping What We Sow

Shaped by modern technologies, financial influences and public policy, American agriculture has evolved into an efficient system that produces all the food the country needs and more. However, in addition to the benefits that our food system offers, the shift to larger and more specialized farms has damaged public health and the environment. This damage is avoidable. Now is the time to reform agricultural practices to better protect public health, the environment, and our future ability to grow food.

Report | U.S. PIRG Education Fund | Consumer Protection

Trouble in Toyland 2017

For over 30 years, U.S. PIRG Education Fund has conducted an annual survey of toy safety, which has led to over 150 recalls and other regulatory actions over the years, and has helped educate the public and policymakers on the need for continued action to protect the health and wellbeing of children.

Toys are safer than ever before, thanks to decades of work by product safety advocates, parents, the leadership of Congress, state legislatures, and the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC).

Report | U.S. PIRG Education Fund | Consumer Protection

Lead In Fidget Spinners

While lead in toys has become less prevalent in recent years, U.S. PIRG Education Fund tested several models of one of today’s hottest toys, fidget spinners, for the toxic heavy metal. Laboratory results indicated that two fidget spinners purchased at Target and distributed by Bulls i Toy, L.L.C. contained extremely high levels of lead. U.S. PIRG Education Fund calls on Target and Bulls i Toy to immediately recall these two fidget spinners and investigate how such high levels of lead were found in these toys. Also, we call on the U.S.

Report | U.S. PIRG Education Fund & Frontier Group | Consumer Protection

Older Consumers in the Financial Marketplace

Older consumers are at risk of harm from predatory financial behavior. An analysis of more than 72,000 financial complaints submitted by older consumers (those 62 years of age and older) to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB, or Consumer Bureau) and contained in its Consumer Complaint Database suggests that mistreatment of older consumers by financial companies is widespread.

Report | Consumer Protection

Guidance for Utilities Commissions on Time of Use Rates

As rapidly evolving renewable and energy efficiency technologies and economics drive ongoing transformation of America’s power sector, advocates from consumer, clean energy and environmental organizations are working together to provide guidance for utilities commissions and other stakeholders grappling with issues of electricity rate design.

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Blog Post | Public Health, Consumer Protection

Ten year anniversary of safer school supplies: Happy Birthday, CPSIA! | Kara Cook-Schultz

Landmark consumer legislation has had a monumental effect on protecting kids’ health.

Blog Post | Consumer Protection

ID Theft & Privacy Checklists | Mike Litt

Today, we're releasing our revamped Identity Theft and Online Privacy resources.

Blog Post | Food

Is This The Start Of A Sustainable Farming Revolution? | Kara Cook-Schultz

In 2003, Sikkim began to aggressively phase out the use of pesticides on every farm in the state. Now, 15 years later, officials say the switch to all-organic agriculture has improved the health of residents, and of the region’s ecosystem.

Blog Post | Consumer Protection

PIRG Delivers 12,600 Petition Signatures & Letter against the Bank Lobbyist Act before Today's Vote in the House | Mike Litt

Today, we sent a letter to all members of the House of Representatives in opposition to S.2155, which is expected to come up for a vote this afternoon. This bill, which we call the Bank Lobbyist Act, is the biggest roll-back of Wall Street Reform protections for mortgage borrowers and our economy since the economic crash 10 years ago. It also provides breaks for Equifax and the other national credit bureaus. In addition to our letter, we also delivered petition signatures from over 12,600 of our members across the country in opposition to S. 2155's credit bureau related problems.

Blog Post | Consumer Protection

Over 70 Groups Encourage FHFA to Finish Review of Credit Scores, Regardless of S.2155's Expected Passage | Mike Litt

Today, we sent a letter to FHFA Director Mel Watt on behalf of 77 organizations, ahead of his hearing before Congress and an expected vote on S.2155 in the House this week.

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