Consumer Protection

PROTECTING CONSUMER SAFETY—Toys should not be toxic or dangerous for children to play with. Our food should not make us sick. The terms for banking and credit accounts should be clear and easy to understand.

LOOKING OUT FOR CONSUMERS

CALPIRG’s consumer program works to alert the public to hidden dangers and scams and to ban anti-consumer practices and unsafe products.

TROUBLE IN TOYLAND

For 27 years, CALPIRG’s "Trouble In Toyland" report has surveyed store shelves and identified choking hazards, noise hazards and other dangers. Our report has led to at least 150 recalls and other regulatory actions over the years.

Get our tips for buying safer toys.

BIGGER BANKS, BIGGER FEES

In April, CALPIRG released a report in which we surveyed more than 350 bank branches and revealed that fewer than half of branches obeyed their legal duty to fully disclose fees to prospective customers, while one in four provided no fee information at all. We also found that despite widespread stories about the “death” of free checking, free and low-cost checking choices are still widely available, if consumers shop around.

Find out how to beat high bank fees.

SEE ALL CONSUMER RESOURCES

Issue updates

Report | CALPIRG Education Fund | Consumer Protection, Health Care

Your Price May Vary

New report finds that the price charged for common surgeries varies dramatically from one region to another within California.

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Blog Post | Consumer Protection

FTC Offers Consumers Tips on Unwanted Robocalls | Jon Fox

FTC Offers Consumers Tips on How to Respond to Unwanted Robocalls + Helpful Video.

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Financial loss from identity theft increasing, report says

Higher dollar loss per victim of identity theft, according to a new report by the California Public Interest Research Group.
Read more here: http://www.sacbee.com/2012/06/27/4595220/financial-loss-from-identity-th...

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News Release | CALPIRG Education Fund | Consumer Protection

New Report on Technology & Identity Theft Shows Victims are Losing More Money

California Victims Lost an Average of $786 in Theft Cases Investigated Last Year, Significantly Up from the Previous Year

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Blog Post | Consumer Protection

On the Internet, Everyone Knows If You're A Big Dog, Or Just A Dog | Ed Mierzwinski

A Wall Street Journal story today has everyone talking about how Internet sites use profiles and cookies to offer different customers different offers, or the same product for different prices. On the Internet today, everybody knows whether you're a big dog, or just a dog.

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News Release | CALPIRG Education Fund | Consumer Protection

CALPIRG Releases New Shopping Guide for Cell Phones

CALPIRG Education Fund releases new cell phone shoppers’ guide offering simple tips consumers can take to save money when buying a new cell phone.

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News Release | CALPIRG | Consumer Protection, Financial Reform

President Appoints Richard Cordray To Head Consumer Agency

“For months Wall St. has been using every trick in the book to try and derail this nomination and ultimately undermine the entire consumer bureau,” said Pedro Morillas, CALPIRG Legislative Director. “Today’s appointment is a bold and important step by the President that will allow the CFPB to get to the important work of protecting consumers.”

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News Release | CALPIRG | Consumer Protection

New Laws Going into Effect in 2012

Despite the general gridlock in Sacramento this year, the legislature and governor moved the ball forward on several issues that will improve everything from consumer protections to our voter registration rules. Here is a list and descriptions of some of the new laws that go into effect on January 1st.

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News Release | CALPIRG Education Fund | Consumer Protection

Consumers Lose Up to $5 Billion on Unused Gift Cards

It’s tough to beat the convenience of a gift-card, but consumers should be aware that about 2-5% of gift-cards end up going unused

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News Release | CALPIRG Education Fund | Consumer Protection

Facing mounting opposition, AT&T drops bid to take over T-Mobile

“We’re not surprised to see this flawed deal fail. As proposed, AT&T’s takeover of T-Mobile would have done little to protect American consumers or ensure that they enjoy competitive and dynamic wireless services,” said Jon Fox. 

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TOY SAFETY TIPS ON-THE-GO

From toxic chemicals to choking hazards to dangerous magnets, see what dangerous toys to watch out for while you shop.

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