9823525 UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
In the Matter of FEDERATED DEPARTMENT STORES, INC., a corporation. DOCKET NO. C-3893 DECISION AND ORDER The Federal Trade Commission having initiated an investigation of certain acts and practices of the respondent named in the caption hereof, and the respondent having been furnished thereafter with a copy of a draft of complaint which the Seattle Regional Office proposed to present to the Commission for its consideration and which, if issued by the Commission, would charge respondent with violations of the Federal Trade Commission Act; and The respondent, its attorney, and counsel for the Commission having thereafter executed an agreement containing a consent order, an admission by the respondent of all the jurisdictional facts set forth in the aforesaid draft of complaint, a statement that the signing of said agreement is for settlement purposes only and does not constitute an admission by respondent that the law has been violated as alleged in such complaint, and waivers and other provisions as required by the Commission's Rules; and The Commission having thereafter considered the matter and having determined that it had reason to believe that the respondent have violated the said Act, and that complaint should issue stating its charges in that respect, and having thereupon accepted the executed consent agreement and placed such agreement on the public record for a period of sixty (60) days, now in further conformity with the procedure prescribed in Section 2.34 of its Rules, the Commission hereby issues its complaint, makes the following jurisdictional findings and enters the following order:
ORDER DEFINITIONS For purposes of this order, the following definitions shall apply:
I. IT IS ORDERED that respondent, directly or through any corporation, subsidiary, division, or other device, in connection with the collection of any debt, shall not:
II. IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that respondent, directly or through any corporation, subsidiary, division, or other device, shall not make any material misrepresentation, expressly or by implication, in the collection of any debt subject to a pending bankruptcy proceeding. III. IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that respondent, and its successors and assigns, for five (5) years after the date of issuance of this order, shall maintain and upon request make available to the Federal Trade Commission business records demonstrating their compliance with the terms and provisions of this order, including but not limited to all reaffirmation agreements signed by consumers and records sufficient to show that the reaffirmation agreements were filed in bankruptcy courts and were subsequently approved by bankruptcy courts as part of the underlying bankruptcy proceedings, if required by the United States Bankruptcy Code. IV. IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that respondent, and its successors and assigns, for five (5) years after the date of issuance of this order, shall deliver a copy of this order to all current and future principals, officers, directors, managerial employees, and bankruptcy court representatives having debt collection responsibilities with respect to the subject matter of this order (collectively, "bankruptcy personnel"), and shall secure from each of these persons a signed and dated statement acknowledging receipt of the order. Respondent shall, for five (5) years after each of these statements acknowledging receipt of the order is signed and dated, maintain and upon request make available to the Federal Trade Commission for inspection and copying the statements. Respondent shall deliver this order to current bankruptcy personnel within thirty (30) days after the date of service of this order, and to future bankruptcy personnel within ninety (90) days after the person assumes a position as bankruptcy personnel. V. IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that respondent shall notify the Commission at least thirty (30) days prior to any change in the corporation in each case that may affect compliance obligations arising under this order, including but not limited to a dissolution, assignment, sale, merger, or other action that would result in the emergence of a successor corporation; the creation or dissolution of a subsidiary, parent, or affiliate that engages in any acts or practices subject to this order; the proposed filing of a bankruptcy petition; or a change in the corporate name or address. Provided, however, that, with respect to any proposed change in the corporation about which respondent learns less than thirty (30) days prior to the date the action is to take place, respondent shall notify the Commission as soon as is practicable after obtaining this knowledge. All notices required by this Part shall be sent by certified mail to the Associate Director, Division of Enforcement, Bureau of Consumer Protection, Federal Trade Commission, Washington, D.C. 20580. VI. IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that respondent shall, within sixty (60) days after the date of service of this order, and at such other times as the Federal Trade Commission may require, file with the Commission a report, in writing, setting forth in detail the manner and form in which it has complied with this order. VII. This order will terminate on August 20, 2019, or twenty (20) years from the most recent date that the United States or the Federal Trade Commission files a complaint (with or without an accompanying consent decree) in federal court alleging any violation of the order, whichever comes later; provided, however, that the filing of the complaint will not affect the duration of:
Provided, further, that if the complaint is dismissed or a federal court rules that the respondent did not violate any provision of the order, and the dismissal or ruling is either not appealed or upheld on appeal, then the order will terminate according to this Part as though the complaint had never been filed, except that the order will not terminate between the date the complaint is filed and the later of the deadline for appealing the dismissal or ruling and the date the dismissal or ruling is upheld on appeal. By the Commission. Benjamin I. Berman SEAL ISSUED: August 20, 1999 |