A California court recently interpreted the state's Honest Pricing Law, drawing a critical line between mandatory fees that must be disclosed upfront in advertised prices and optional charges that consumers can choose to avoid. This decision provides essential clarity for businesses offering add-ons, service fees, or other charges during the purchasing process, as enforcement around hidden fees intensifies across the state.

As we previously reported, in December 2015, the FTC settled claims against Oracle that the company deceived consumers about security updates on Oracle's Java Platform, Standard Edition software (Java SE).

The Federal Trade Commission recently sued PepsiCo, Inc. alleging that the company engaged in illegal price discrimination by providing a large retailer with unfair pricing advantages in violation of the Robinson-Patman Act.

Attorneys general from twenty-two states today announced that Classmates, Inc. which runs the website classmates.com, and Florists Transworld Delivery, Inc. and FTD.com, Inc. (collectively, "FTD") have agreed to settle allegations that the companies were involved in misleading, unfair, and deceptive trade practices.

Federal and state regulators are intensifying scrutiny of hidden fees and junk fees in consumer transactions. This article examines the FTC's final Fees Rule, state-level enforcement actions, and emerging litigation risks, while providing guidance on compliance strategies for businesses navigating this evolving regulatory landscape.

New York Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman recently announced a $1.6 million settlement with two auto dealerships, SG Hylan Motors and Best Auto Outlet, Inc., who were found to have engaged in jamming schemes between 2010 and 2014.

A court has allowed a lawsuit against Safeway to proceed, challenging whether the retailer's advertised wine discounts were based on genuine former prices. The case examines when promotional pricing crosses the line from legitimate marketing into potentially deceptive practices, raising questions about how retailers substantiate their comparative price claims.

Sonoma County and four other California District Attorney's Offices reached a $5.1 million settlement with Tractor Supply West over allegations of price accuracy violations, unlicensed pesticide sales, and misleading biodegradability claims. The case highlights California's strict enforcement of consumer protection laws and environmental marketing standards, particularly regarding biodegradability claims that are generally prohibited unless products meet narrow legal exceptions.

Sonoma County and four other California District Attorney's Offices reached a $5.1 million settlement with Tractor Supply West over allegations of price accuracy violations, unlicensed pesticide sales, and misleading biodegradability claims. The case highlights California's strict enforcement of consumer protection and environmental marketing standards, particularly regarding biodegradability claims that are generally prohibited unless products meet narrow legal exceptions.

Last month, a Tennessee Federal court ordered Mapco Express, Inc. ("Mapco") to pay approximately $1.9 million to settle class action claims arising from a 2013 data breach of its retail computer systems.

Texas has become the first state to hold TikTok legally liable for deceiving parents about platform safety and exposing minors to harmful content. District Judge Cory Liu's landmark ruling confirms that social media companies face direct accountability under state consumer protection laws when their marketing conceals digital dangers from families, setting a precedent for state-level enforcement against technology platforms.

A broker-dealer agreed to provide remediation to impacted customers to settle FINRA charges of failing to establish and maintain a supervisory system and written supervisory procedures.

On August 4, 2015, the CFPB announced that it filed a lawsuit in federal district court against NDG Enterprise (NDG), a complex web of commonly controlled companies, for collecting money consumers did not owe.

Plaintiff brought suit on behalf of a putative class of owners of New York buildings with Pella windows, alleging that Pella's windows contained common design defects.

CarSure, LLC, a Texas-based aftermarket automotive warranty seller, faces a lawsuit brought by a group of Wisconsin car owners who claim that the company violated the Driver's Privacy Protection Act ("DPPA") by purchasing the motor vehicle records of Wisconsin car owners from third-party data suppliers.

On July 19, 2018, it was announced that Operation Troop Aid ("OTA") entered into a settlement with multiple states, including California, Delaware, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia and Washington ...

Earlier this year, two plaintiffs launched a putative class action against Portland-based Craft Brew Alliance, the fifth largest brewing company in the U.S. and parent company of Kona Brewing Co.

Last week, the Federal Trade Commission ("FTC") settled a claim against the Consumer Education Group for $100,000 regarding alleged violations of the FTC's Telemarketing Sales Rule ("TSR") and Section 5(a) of the FTC Act.

Popular indoor cycling company SoulCycle Inc. recently settled a nationwide putative class action in an agreement valued between $6.9 million and $9.2 million.

Last week a class action lawsuit was filed against Vitamin Shoppe, Inc. The plaintiffs asserted that Vitamin Shoppe misled consumers and made scientifically inaccurate claims with regard to its garcinia cambogia weight loss supplement in violation of California's unfair competition law, false advertising law, and the Consumer Legal Remedies Act.