With regulators, lawmakers, and consumers increasingly focused on pricing transparency, understanding the legal treatment of surcharges, "junk fees," and disclosure practices is more important than ever. Recent federal and...more
7/25/2025
/ Advertising ,
California ,
Continuing Legal Education ,
Disclosure Requirements ,
E-Commerce ,
Fees ,
New York ,
Point of Sale Terminals ,
Price Transparency ,
Pricing ,
Surcharges ,
UDAP ,
Unfair or Deceptive Trade Practices ,
Webinars
This week, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) announced a settlement with NextMed parent company Southern Health Solutions, Inc., in response to allegations that the telemedicine platform offered deceptive claims and fake...more
7/18/2025
/ Advertising ,
Consumer Protection Laws ,
EFTA ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Failure To Disclose ,
Fake Reviews ,
False Advertising ,
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ,
Fees ,
FTC Act ,
Hidden Fees ,
Medicare ,
Online Reviews ,
Section 5 ,
Settlement ,
Telehealth ,
Testimonial Statements ,
Unfair or Deceptive Trade Practices
Last week, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) published a set of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) aimed at helping businesses and consumers understand the agency’s Rule on Unfair or Deceptive Fees, which takes effect on May...more
5/13/2025
/ Advertising ,
Consumer Protection Laws ,
Disclosure Requirements ,
Event Tickets ,
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ,
Fees ,
Final Rules ,
Hospitality Industry ,
SBREFA ,
Small Business ,
Unfair or Deceptive Trade Practices
On March 21, a federal judge in Washington state denied Doxo Inc.’s motion to dismiss a complaint brought by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) regarding Doxo’s alleged deceptive advertising practices. ...more
3/31/2025
/ Disclosure Requirements ,
False Advertising ,
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ,
Fees ,
Financial Services Industry ,
Gramm-Leach-Blilely Act ,
Online Platforms ,
Payment Systems ,
ROSCA ,
Subscription Services ,
Unfair or Deceptive Trade Practices
Venable's AdLaw Symposium is back!
Please join us in our Washington, DC, headquarters for this highly anticipated event focused on providing you with the information you need to promote your brand with confidence....more
3/7/2025
/ Advertising ,
Artificial Intelligence ,
Auto-Renewal ,
Best Practices ,
Beverage Manufacturers ,
Chief Compliance Officers ,
Data Privacy ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Events ,
False Advertising ,
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ,
Fees ,
Food Manufacturers ,
Greenwashing ,
Legal Ethics ,
Marketing ,
NAD ,
Pricing ,
Privacy Laws ,
Risk Mitigation ,
State Regulators ,
Subscription Services
This week, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and the Illinois attorney general announced a settlement with Grubhub Inc. to resolve allegations that the company engaged in an array of unfair and deceptive practices that...more
12/19/2024
/ Advertising ,
Cancellation Rights ,
Consumer Protection Laws ,
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ,
Fees ,
FTC Act ,
GrubHub ,
Hidden Fees ,
Job Ads ,
ROSCA ,
State Attorneys General ,
Subscription Services ,
Unfair or Deceptive Trade Practices
Since July 1, when California’s “Honest Pricing Law” or “Hidden Fees Statute” became effective, the plaintiffs’ bar has filed more than a dozen complaints alleging violations of the statute....more
10/3/2024
/ Class Action ,
Consent ,
Convenience Fees ,
Credit Card Surcharges ,
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ,
Fee Disclosure ,
Fees ,
Hidden Fees ,
Price Transparency ,
Processing Fees ,
Product Pricing ,
Retailers ,
State Attorneys General ,
Surcharges
This week, the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals issued a stay of the Department of Transportation’s (DOT) price transparency and “junk fee” rule (the Rule or the Final Rule). The ruling effectively blocks the DOT from enforcing...more
8/1/2024
/ Air Carriers ,
Airlines ,
Chevron Deference ,
Department of Transportation (DOT) ,
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ,
Fees ,
Loper Bright Enterprises v Raimondo ,
New Rules ,
Non-Compete Agreements ,
Price Transparency ,
Stays ,
Unfair or Deceptive Trade Practices
On May 20, Minnesota Gov. Tim Waltz signed the state’s so-called junk fee bill into law. The law, similar to a proposed Federal Trade Commission rule and laws in other states, requires businesses to include all mandatory fees...more
Stay informed about two recent FTC actions on price transparency, the “CARS” and “Unfair or Deceptive Fees” Rules, as well as similar state laws. By understanding regulators’ expectations regarding fee disclosure, add-on...more
Large banks and credit unions must provide certain information to customers free of charge, such as account balances, transaction history, and fees, according to an advisory opinion issued by the Consumer Financial Protection...more
10/17/2023
/ Advisory Opinions ,
Banks ,
Biden Administration ,
Consumer Financial Protection Act (CFPA) ,
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) ,
Credit Unions ,
Excessive Fees ,
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ,
Fees ,
Financial Services Industry ,
Hidden Fees ,
Supervisory Highlights
This week, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) released a Proposed Rule, “Rule on Unfair or Deceptive Fees.” The Proposed Rule comes after the FTC solicited comments through its Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking in...more
10/12/2023
/ Advanced Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ANPRM) ,
Brick-and-Mortar Stores ,
Comment Period ,
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) ,
Disclosure Requirements ,
E-Commerce ,
Fees ,
Goods or Services ,
Governor Newsom ,
New Legislation ,
Proposed Rules ,
Public Comment
On September 19, Sam Levine, the director of the Federal Trade Commission’s Bureau of Consumer Protection, outlined the agency’s priorities at the annual conference of the National Advertising Division. Here are the...more
9/20/2023
/ Advertising ,
Anti-Discrimination Policies ,
Artificial Intelligence ,
Enforcement Priorities ,
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ,
Fees ,
FTC Act ,
Hidden Fees ,
NAD ,
Pricing ,
Proposed Rules ,
Trade Conference ,
Unfair or Deceptive Trade Practices ,
Website Design
Gather your W-2’s and call your CPAs! Tax season is upon us, and that means one thing for the FTC—another flurry of activity in its ongoing action against Intuit, Inc., one of the largest online tax-filing services. Recently,...more
The FTC’s ears must have been burning. Yesterday, just hours after we finished a webinar discussing the latest developments in the FTC’s push for more rulemaking, the FTC announced an upcoming open meeting where it will...more
In June, New York enacted a ticket transparency law seeking to make sweeping changes to how ticket prices are communicated to consumers and eliminate deceptive ticket pricing practices. The law will go into effect on...more
The FTC is off to the races with another proposed rulemaking. On June 23, the FTC, by a 4-1 vote, issued a notice of proposed rulemaking (NPR) to combat what it perceives as “junk fees” and “bait-and-switch advertising...more
7/6/2022
/ Advertising ,
Automotive Industry ,
Automotive Loans ,
Car Dealerships ,
Excessive Fees ,
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ,
Fees ,
Magnuson-Moss Act ,
Marketing ,
Proposed Rules ,
Rulemaking Process ,
Warranties