Articles Tagged with consumer law

Published on:

By
If you are new to the Law Librarian Consumer Advocacy Caucus discussion (and Petition) and want some history and to enter the conversation:
1) For law librarians and law library managers: there is a Petition being circulated by the Consumer Advocacy Caucus (including Comments)
2) There are several websites/blogs where you can find of information on the Caucus and the Petition – see below for a list.
Published on:

By
The Washington County Law Library has a new legal research guide on consumer law.  You can find all of the library’s legal research guides on the Subject Guides page and in the Document Index.  The What’s New page is also a good source for new legal research guides and library projects.

In Oregon consumer protection law news, although the 2011 bill banning certain products containing bisphenol A (BPA) failed in the Oregon Legislature, Multnomah County Chair Jeff Cogen (along with Portland City Commissioner Dan Saltzman) wants to try his luck with a county-wide ban of some products containing BPA. 

According to the bill’s summary,  Senate Bill 695 would have created an “unlawful practice of manufacturing, distributing, selling or offering for sale child’s beverage container or reusable bottle made or lined with bisphenol A or replacement material that is carcinogenic or is reproductive toxicant…Requires Oregon Health Authority to approve and obtain for Women, Infants and Children Program infant formula contained only in containers that do not leach into formula certain amounts of bisphenol A or are not made with replacement material that is carcinogenic or is reproductive toxicant.”  The bill would also have created the Oregon BPA-Free Advisory Group.  SB 695 passed the Senate but died in the House Energy, Environment and Water committee.

Published on:

By

Oregon lawyer, John Gear, has started a Law for Real People blog.

You can find links to other Oregon lawyer blogs in this blog’s sidebar: under Blogs: Oregon Legal Topics and also under Blogs: OR Lawyers.

I include links to Oregon lawyer blogs and websites that have useful “content,” i.e. they provide legal information, on a variety legal topics, that might be of value to other lawyers, pro se litigants, and any other Oregonian who has legal questions.

Published on:

By

I love reading consumer news, whether it’s sad stories or great tips in my local newspapers, consumer lawyer websites, or the multitude of consumer protection sites offered up by state and federal governments, e.g. Oregon’s DOJ and the U.S. FTC.

You always learn something, though in the process you may become a bit jaded. But, better jaded than a sucker!

Here are some additional links I’ve collected recently from reading or listening to a few of my favorite consumer law sources:

Published on:

By

As a blogger with a busy “day-job,” I really appreciate it when others do the research for me.

Oregon attorney blogs and consumer and financial law websites offer a wealth of useful information, e.g.

1) Foreclosures: Attorney Ben Knaupp has been blogging a lot about foreclosure law, including an 8-part series on: Dealing with Foreclosure in Oregon, that he ran in October and September 2009.

Published on:

By

There are excellent consumer law websites all over the web, but sometimes you just need the local touch and a local story. This is because a lot of consumer law is local, that is, you need to know state and local law, practice, and procedure in order to determine your rights.

I love this story – and it is so familiar to a public law librarian: many, many people come into the law library to ask, “Where and How Do I Appeal?”

Complete answers to questions people ask are often as elusive as it almost was here for Laura Gunderson – and kudos to her for persistent research, which is often exactly what one has to do – persist, persist, persist. But you can see why legal solutions so often elude those without the aptitute, resources, and time to pursue fairness, if not justice.

Published on:

By

Oregon Department of Consumer and Business Services (DCBS) has a website with information about debt-repair (or debt management) companies:

FAQs for consumers about debt management companies:

Excerpt: “If you’re looking for help reducing or managing your debt – whether it’s credit card debt, a mortgage, or a car loan – you may be considering a debt management company. These companies must be registered by the state of Oregon, and Oregon has many protections in place for consumers who use these services. Before you pay anyone to help you with your debt, it is important to:

Published on:

By

On Saturday, May 8th, the Oregon State Bar (OSB) Civil Rights Section and the Consumer Law Section and will be presenting:

“Consumer Rights in Tough Times: Foreclosures, Garnishment, Debt Collection, Credit, & Consumer Protection.”

Learn about your legal rights as a consumer during tough economic times. Topics will include:

Published on:

By

You can now search a database of complaints to the Oregon Attorney General’s Consumer Complaint Hotline.

At the Oregon Department of Justice we believe a well informed consumer is less likely to become a victim of consumer fraud. In an effort to provide more resources to Oregon consumers we offer this on-line database of complaints submitted to our Consumer Hotline.

The database of consumer complaints is derived from consumer contacts since January 1, 2008 and is for information only. This database may not offer a completely accurate or comprehensive account of every incident….” (Link to AG website.)

Published on:

By

This could be a Traffic Week post, but it’s a new week and time to move on. That said, it’s hard to let go of the steering wheel:

Automobile Fraud and Unsafe Vehicles: How the National Motor Vehicle Title Information System Can Help You Protect Yourself, January 6th, 2010, by Tracy Russo:

Excerpt: “…[C]ar fraud can place unsuspecting consumers in unsafe vehicles….

Consumers can access critical nationwide total loss and salvage vehicle information on vehicles by visiting
www.vehiclehistory.gov. NMVTIS is the only publicly available system in the U.S. to which all insurance carriers, and auto recyclers, such as junk yards and salvage yards, are required, under federal law, to report to on a regular basis….” (link to full post)

Contact Information