January 2020 • Issue Seven, Volume Ten • www.consumer-action.org
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What people are saying
"Thank you for educating us about consumer rights and associated concerns. I'll be sure to read each and every article published by you."
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Did you know?
It has not become any easier for parents and their children to sit together when flying, even though it's been three years since Congress asked the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) to review airline family seating policies as part of the 2016 Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Reauthorization Act. Congress added the measure to ensure that young children could sit with their families on airplanes without having to pay extra for reserved seats. The problem has ballooned with the increasing sale of low "economy" airfares. Passengers flying on these tickets don't have the option to choose seat numbers until they check in at the airport--unless they pay extra in advance for reserved seating. If you've experienced issues with seating when flying with young children (regardless of the type of ticket purchased), make sure to submit a complaint to the DOT. (Despite passenger testimonials to the contrary, the DOT has stated it doesn't believe it is challenging for children and their guardians to sit together.)
Low-income workers eligible for up to $6,557 with Earned Income Tax Credit
With tax season upon us, Consumer Action is spreading the word about the anti-poverty Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC). Our updated EITC publication--available now, in five languages--helps low-income workers claim the dollars they're entitled to. Read more...
San Francisco's Chinese community warned of scams, marketplace challenges
Community outreach manager Jamie Woo and project associate Cui Yan Xie recently represented Consumer Action at San Francisco's 15th annual Chinatown Community Resource Fair, held in the city's Chinatown neighborhood. Read more...
Hotline Chronicles: Help! The emails just won't stop coming!
High among the frustrations of modern life is the barrage of emails cluttering our inboxes. While most of us get a lot of emails, one man suddenly got a slew that made him suspect the U.S. Postal Service of "selling" his email address to marketers. Regardless of where they came from, we gave him some tips to make the spam stop. Read more...
Coalition Efforts: Advocates oppose Amtrak's awful arbitration clause
Consumer Action often joins its allies in letters, comments and complaints calling for change, standing up for consumer rights, supporting or opposing proposed laws and objecting to corporate misbehavior, among other activities. We collect these in the Coalition Efforts section of our website. Each month in the INSIDER we highlight some recent activities. Read more...
CFPB Watch: Bureau sued by student loan advocates; director champions own 'no cause' termination
In this regular feature, we detail recent actions taken by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB). This month, we report on charges that the Bureau has failed to protect student borrowers (resulting in a lawsuit), the director's plan to reward companies for "early fixes" to their illegal, anti-consumer behavior, and her support of her own termination-for any, or no, reason at all. Read more...
Class Action Database: Transmission defects lead to extended warranties for Nissan owners
Consumer Action maintains a database of class actions so that interested consumers can learn more, join a pending action or make a claim. Class action lawsuits are an important element of consumer protection and can force changes to anti-consumer business practices and make bad actors return ill-gotten gains to consumers. Read more...
About Consumer Action
Consumer Action has been a champion of underrepresented consumers nationwide since 1971. A non-profit 501(c)(3) organization, Consumer Action focuses on consumer education that empowers low- and moderate-income and limited-English-speaking consumers to financially prosper. It also advocates for consumers in the media and before lawmakers to advance consumer rights and promote industry-wide change.
By providing consumer education materials in multiple languages, a free national hotline, a comprehensive website (www.consumer-action.org) and annual surveys of financial and consumer services, Consumer Action helps consumers assert their rights in the marketplace and make financially savvy choices. Nearly 7,000 community and grassroots organizations benefit annually from its extensive outreach programs, training materials and support.
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