Consumer Alerts

The FTC just accepted final settlements with two of the largest paint manufacturers in the country — Sherwin-Williams and PPG Architectural Finishes. The complaints charged that the companies made

By now, you’ve read about the FTC’s settlement with HTC — the agency’s first law enforcement action against a mobile device manufacturer. According to the complaint, when HTC customized the operating

HTC America is a leading manufacturer of smartphones and tablets using the Android, Windows Mobile, and Windows Phone operating systems. The company’s motto is “quietly brilliant.” But based on an FTC

In the few years it’s been up and running, Path has billed itself as a different kind of social network. According to a description of its "Values," "Path should be private by default. Forever. You

You spend a good portion of your time trying to protect sensitive information on your network from high-tech hijackers. That’s important, of course. But don’t let it take your eye off the risks posed

You know that phrase “If it quacks like a duck. . . “? It’s applicable in the Fair Credit Reporting Act context, too. If a company meets the legal definition of a “consumer reporting agency,” it’s a

Bamboo: It’s not just for tiki huts anymore. Consumers are seeing more items, especially clothing and textiles, labeled or advertised as “bamboo.” But according to FTC lawsuits, Amazon.com, Leon Max

Not too long ago, talking on the phone, listening to music, and playing games required three clunky pieces of equipment. Manage that wirelessly? Fuhgeddaboutit. But now we can do all that — and more —

Some sports fans spend Saturdays on the field. For the rest of us, raising a Big Foam Finger is exertion enough. But we’ve all read stories about the dangers that head injuries pose to participants in

Every business generates paper destined for the circular file. But if documents contain sensitive information, don’t toss them out in a way that could invite unauthorized access. According to the FTC

Call them contrepreneurs — marketers who use hyped-up promises to sell business opportunities to people eager to be their own boss. As part of a federal-state blitz on bogus bizopps, the FTC announced

Some things you’d expect to find in a trash can: last night’s potato peelings, the casserole that looked so promising in the cookbook photo, and Oscar the Grouch. But if you run a business, the one

The biggest decision facing a DIYer in the paint store used to be whether Dusting of Snow or Wistful Beige was right for the dining room. But nowadays more businesses are making express claims about

Paranoid delusion from 80s R&B artist Rockwell? Not necessarily, if he had used a computer from a rent-to-own store. Because according to lawsuits filed by the FTC, many stores — including franchisees

"Hey, I've never met you. So don't get clever . T hat's my number. Robocall me never." When consumers are struggling with their finances, is there anything worse than getting solicitations from debt

No one is going to amend the nursery rhyme, but if you market products aimed at fighting bed bugs or head lice and are itching to keep your promotions in line with the law, two FTC lawsuits merit your

If you use consumer testimonials in your ads or have clients who do, check out the FTC’s settlement with Jason Pharmaceuticals, a subsidiary of the diet company, Medifast, Inc. But to really explore

Earlier this year, the FTC settled five law enforcement actions against companies making allegedly deceptive energy savings claims for their replacement windows. Now the FTC has sent letters to 14