News Releases for March 2000
March 31, 2000
- For Release: March 31, 2000
FTC Agreement Resolves Anticompetitive Concerns Raised by Phillips Petroleum/Duke Energy Collaboration, Duke's Acquisition of Conoco's and Mitchell's Oklahoma Assets
Combination of Natural Gas Gathering and Processing Businesses Valued at $6 Billion
- For Your Information: March 31, 2000
Announced Actions for March 31, 2000
Approved applicatons in Exxon Mobil Corporation, Fidelity National Financial, Inc., VNU, N.V.; amended complaint in FTC v. Mediworks, Inc.; approved publication of Federal Register notice regarding Guides for the Household Furniture Industry; released Federal Trade Commission Performance Report for Fiscal Year 1999
March 30, 2000
- For Release: March 30, 2000
FTC, DOJ and HUD Announce Action to Combat Abusive Lending Practices
Delta Funding Corporation, a consumer finance company headquartered in Woodbury, New York, today agreed to settle charges brought by the Federal Trade Commission, the Department of Justice, and the Secretary of the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).
- For Release: March 30, 2000
FTC, DOJ and HUD Announce Action to Combat Abusive Lending Practices
Delta Funding Corporation, a consumer finance company headquartered in Woodbury, New York, today agreed to settle charges brought by the Federal Trade Commission, the Department of Justice, and the Secretary of the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).
March 29, 2000
- For Release: March 29, 2000
Federal Trade Commission Testifies Before House Committee on Competition in The Petroleum Industry
Potential for 'Collusion or Exclusion' Necessitates Scrutiny by Enforcement Authorities
- For Release: March 29, 2000
Dura Lube, Motor Up Settle FTC Charges
Settlements Will Bar Deceptive and Unsubstantiated Performance Claims; Dura Lube to Pay $2 Million in Consumer Redress
March 28, 2000
- For Release: March 28, 2000
FTC Testifies Before Senate Small Business Committee on Office Supply Fraud
Office supply fraud costs its victims, typically small businesses and non-profit organizations, an estimated $200 million per year, the Federal Trade Commission today told the Senate Committee on Small Business at a hearing concerning office supply scams.
March 24
, 2000
- For Release: March 30, 2000
FTC, DOJ and HUD Announce Action to Combat Abusive Lending Practices
Delta Funding Corporation, a consumer finance company headquartered in Woodbury, New York, today agreed to settle charges brought by the Federal Trade Commission, the Department of Justice, and the Secretary of the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).
March 23
, 2000
- Embargoed for 11:15 am EST Release: March 23, 2000
150 Organizations in 28 Countries Tackle Internet Fraud
Unprecedented International Partnership Targets Bogus Get-Rich-Quick Scams
March 22, 2000
- For Release: March 22, 2000
FTC Chairman Testifies Before Senate Subcommittee on Commission's Antitrust Enforcement Activities
Stresses "Bedrock Principle" That Protecting Competition Enhances Consumer Welfare
March 21, 2000
- For Release: March 21, 2000
Puerto Rico Dental Association Agrees to Settle FTC Charges of Price Fixing, Boycotting Providers, and Restraining Truthful Advertising by Members
The Colegio de Cirujanos Dentistas de Puerto Rico ("Colegio"), an association of approximately 1800 dentists licensed to practice dentistry in Puerto Rico, has agreed to settle Federal Trade Commission charges that it restrained competition among dentists in Puerto Rico by fixing the terms under which individual dentists would deal with health insurers and other payers of health care services, orchestrating or threatening boycotts of payers by its members to obtain higher reimbursement, and preventing or discouraging truthful, nondeceptive advertising by members.
- For Your Information: March 21, 2000
Announced Actions for March 21, 2000
The Federal Trade Commission today announced the following actions:
March 20, 2000
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Media Advisory: March 20, 2000
Unprecedented International Law Enforcement Partnership Tackles Bogus Get-Rich-Quick Scams On The Internet
Press conference to announce "GetRichQuick.Con" a massive and unprecedented international partnership to combat Internet fraud. 143 organizations in 27 countries on 5 continents, are partners in this law enforcement sweep, including state law enforcers in 45 states, 7 Federal agencies, and 39 Better Business Bureaus.
March 17, 2000
- For Release: March 17, 2000
Travel Package Marketers Reach Settlement with FTC
Defendants to Pay $145,000 in Consumer Redress for Telemarketing Sales Rule Violations
March 16, 2000
- For Release: March 16, 2000
FTC Charges Drug Manufacturers with Stifling Competition in Two Prescription Drug Markets - Complaint Filed Against Hoechst Marion Roussel, Inc. and Andrx Corp.; Proposed Settlement Reached with Abbott Laboratories and Geneva Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
Complaints Charge Multi-Million-Dollar Arrangements Were Designed to Keep Generic Versions of Cardizem CD and Hytrin Off the Market
- Media Advisory: March 16, 2000
FTC Charges Agreement Between Hoechst Marion Roussel and ANDRX Corp. To Delay Entry of Generic Competition for Cardizem CD® Violates Antitrust Laws;
Proposed Settlement with Abbott Laboratories and Geneva Pharmaceuticals to Resolve Similar Charges over Generic Version of Abbott's Hytrin®
- For Release: March 16, 2000
FTC Announces Public Workshop on Slotting Allowances and Other Grocery Marketing Practices
The Federal Trade Commission will hold a public workshop at its Washington, D.C. headquarters on May 31 and June 1, 2000, to discuss issues relevant to the use of slotting allowances.
March 15, 2000
- For Release: March 15, 2000
Statement of Richard G. Parker, Director, FTC Bureau of Competition
Decision By FTC; BP Amoco; ARCO; and the States of Alaska, California, Oregon and Washington to Request Adjournment of Proceedings
- For Release: March 15, 2000
$11.8 Million in Consumer Redress in Deceptive Infomercial Partnership Scheme
In response to a Federal Trade Commission suit alleging that Automated Systems & Concepts International, Inc. and its president, John R. ("J.R.") Munoz, engaged in deceptive practices to induce investments in three partnerships formed to produce television infomercials to market various products, U.S. District Judge Stephen V. Wilson of the Central District of California has permanently enjoined the defendants from misrepresentations in connection with telemarketing or the sale of any investment and has ordered them to pay more than $11.8 million in consumer redress.
March 14, 2000
- For Release: March 14, 2000
FTC Accepts Consent Agreement Allowing Rhodia, Donau Chemie AG to Acquire Albright & Wilson, Protecting Competition in the Market for Pure Phosphoric Acid
The Federal Trade Commission has reached a proposed settlement agreement with Rhodia, Donau Chemie AG (Rhodia) and Albright & Wilson PLC (A&W) that, subject to final approval, would allow Rhodia's proposed acquisition of A&W while addressing anticompetitive concerns the Commission has identified surrounding the transaction.
- For Release: March 14, 2000
Three Florida-Based Companies to Pay $210,000 in Redress To Settle FTC Complaint of Pay-Per-Call Rule Violations
Defendants to Forgive $36 Million in Audiotext Charges "Crammed" onto Consumers' Bills
March 10, 2000
- For Your Information: March 10, 2000
Announced Actions for March 10, 2000
The Federal Trade Commission today announced the following actions:
March 9, 2000
- For Your Information: March 9, 2000
FTC Staff Comments on FDA's Proposed Regulations to Improve Efficiency of Citizen Petition Process
Staff of the Federal Trade Commission's Bureau of Competition and Policy Planning office has submitted comments to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regarding its proposed rule aimed at improving the citizen petition mechanism as one way for persons to contact the FDA concerning matters within its jurisdiction.
- For Release: March 9, 2000
Credit Repair Scammers Settle FTC Charges
Operators who sold consumers advice about how they could improve their credit profiles "ethically" and "legally" by replacing their social security numbers with other taxpayer identification numbers have agreed to settle Federal Trade Commission charges that their schemes violated federal laws.
- For Release: March 9, 2000
FTC Competition Chief Testifies before House Committee on Recent Nationwide Oil Price Fluctuations
Antitrust Oversight of Affected Markets Necessary to Prevent Anticompetitive Conduct
March 8, 2000
- For Release: March 8, 2000
World's Largest Manufacturer of Spice and Seasoning Products Agrees to Settle Price Discrimination Charges
McCormick & Company, the world's largest spice company, has agreed to settle Federal Trade Commission charges that it violated federal antitrust laws by engaging in unlawful price discrimination in the sale of its spice and seasoning products.
March 7, 2000
- For Release: March 7, 2000
FTC Settles with Company that Caught Travelers in "Trip Trap"
Resort World, Individual Defendants to Pay $75,000 in Consumer Redress
- For Release: March 7, 2000
Wisconsin Chiropractic Association and Its Director Agree to Settle FTC Charges of Price-Fixing;
Related Settlement with Two La Crosse Chiropractors Resolving Allegations of Price-fixing and Organizing Boycott of Local Managed Care Plan
- For Release: March 7, 2000
FTC Testifies: Identity Theft on the Rise
The Federal Trade Commission today told a Senate Committee that identity theft is on the rise and called for increased public and private efforts to combat the problem.
March 6, 2000
- For Release: March 6, 2000
State-Federal Crackdown on Phony Business Opportunities Intensifies
The Federal Trade Commission, the Department of Justice and law enforcement officials from 29 states today announced Project Biz-illion$, a multi-pronged attack on traditional business opportunity scams that bilk hundreds of thousands of consumers out of tens of millions of dollars a year.
- For Release: March 6, 2000
Nine West Settles State and Federal Price Fixing Charges
State Attorneys' General Settlement Obtains $34 Million In Overcharges
March 2, 2000
- For Release: March 2, 2000
FTC Conducts Review of Smokeless Tobacco Regulations
The Federal Trade Commission today announced that it is beginning a review of its smokeless tobacco trade regulation rule.
March 1, 2000
- For Your Information: March 1, 2000
Announced Actions for March 1, 2000
The Federal Trade Commission today announced the following actions:
- For Release: March 1, 2000
Trans Union's Sale of Personal Credit Information Violates Fair Credit Reporting Act, FTC Rules
Firm is Ordered to Stop Illegal Sales of Consumer Reports to Target Marketers
- For Release: March 1, 2000
FTC and FCC Issue Joint Policy Statement On Deceptive Advertising of Long Distance Telephone Services
New Guidelines Issued to Promote Truth-In-Advertising of Telecommunications Services, Including 10-10 Dialing