Blog Posts Tagged with Payments and Billing

Here’s a riddle. What five-letter word can mean a try-out, a source of vexation, and a legal proceeding?

When websites prominently advertised “FREE!” golf balls and other gear, duffers and low-handicappers alike swung for the deal. But according to the FTC, 10 related defendants drove consumers into the rough with poorly disclosed terms and conditions, deceptive negative options, and misleading upsells, in violation of the FTC Act and the Restore Online Shoppers’ Confidence Act.

Financial technology remains a hot topic for consumers, offering the possibilities of increased convenience and access to financial services at a lower cost. As part of its FinTech Forum series, the FTC continues to promote public discussion of the ways in which innovative FinTech services – many provided by non-banks and technology companies within the FTC’s jurisdiction – can benefit consumers and the potential issues for stakeholders to keep in mind.

Imagine a series of promotions that involve pain relief promises, cognition claims, endorsements, 30-minute radio ads, “risk-free” money-back guarantees, “free” trial offers, negative options, telemarketing, and upsells of buying club memberships. What could possibly go wrong for consumers?

Where would you like to start?

“Just like the white winged dove sings a song,” you can count on the BCP Business Blog to celebrate the “Edge of Seventeen” – 2017, of course – with a recap of in-case-you-missed-it developments from 2016. (Sorry, Stevie Nicks. That was a stretch.) In no particular order, here is our take on ten noteworthy consumer protection actions from the year gone by.

The military community makes many of the same consumer decisions as their civilian counterparts. We all need to manage our money – and avoid rip-offs. But servicemembers and their families also face unique challenges, like frequent relocations and deployment. When a permanent change of station is on the horizon, a military family needs to rent or buy a new place to live, manage money while on the move, and be vigilant about dealing with businesses in an unfamiliar locale. A servicemember’s regular paycheck from Uncle Sam can make them a target for scammers.

Peer-to-peer payment systems and crowdfunding are emerging financial technologies that could render the “Sorry, I forgot my wallet” cliché obsolete. Those talked-about trends are up for discussion at the FTC’s second FinTech Forum, set for Wednesday, October 26, 2016.

The FTC’s lawsuit against AMG Services, Scott Tucker, and others challenged deceptive and unfair payday lending and debt collection practices that targeted cash-strapped consumers. The case has already resulted in an important ruling related to the scope of the FTC Act. But an order granting the FTC’s Motion for Summary Judgment includes a history-making provision: a $1.3 billion financial remedy – the largest ever in a litigated FTC case.

If your business regularly makes wire transfer payments, it could be the next target of a fast-growing scam in which cybercriminals trick employees into transferring large sums of money to them by impersonating CEOs and other company executives in spoofed emails.