Protecting Consumers

LOOKING OUT FOR CONSUMERS

MASSPIRG’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, MASSPIRG’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

MASSPIRG 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.

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Media Hit | Consumer Protection

State Supreme Court rules that asking for customers’ ZIP codes is illegal

SJC ruled that consumer's don't need to give their zipcodes or other personal information to retailers when checking out at the register.

Media Hit | Consumer Protection, Financial Reform

Collins, Ayotte stand in way of new consumer protection bureau

KUDOS TO Senator Elizabeth Warren for coming out swinging against the big banks at her first Senate Banking Committee hearing, urging regulators to finally hold the banks accountable and leading the fight to defend the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.

Blog Post | Consumer Protection

Consumers Stuck without Stickers | Deirdre Cummings

A new law lets supermarkets dump price stickers. Among many suggestions, MASSPIRG calls for 21st century complaint process--allowing shoppers to file complaints at the register or price scanner with their smart phone.

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Blog Post | Consumer Protection, Financial Reform

SENATORS HOLD CFPB DIRECTOR HOSTAGE, ROIL MARKETS | Deirdre Cummings

On Friday, most Senate Republicans again sent the President a letter saying they would not confirm Richard Cordray to a full term as CFPB director unless the agency's powers and independence were first gutted. Their intransigence contributes to market uncertainty that ignores at least three things: The CFPB is here to stay; the public wants the CFPB; and, banks lose to payday lenders if the director is not confirmed.

News Release | MASSPIRG | Consumer Protection, Financial Reform

MASSPIRG Commends President for Renomination of Richard Cordray to Head CFPB

President renominates Richard Cordray as director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.

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Media Hit | Consumer Protection

State Supreme Court rules that asking for customers’ ZIP codes is illegal

SJC ruled that consumer's don't need to give their zipcodes or other personal information to retailers when checking out at the register.

Media Hit | Consumer Protection, Financial Reform

Collins, Ayotte stand in way of new consumer protection bureau

KUDOS TO Senator Elizabeth Warren for coming out swinging against the big banks at her first Senate Banking Committee hearing, urging regulators to finally hold the banks accountable and leading the fight to defend the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.

News Release | MASSPIRG | Consumer Protection, Financial Reform

MASSPIRG Commends President for Renomination of Richard Cordray to Head CFPB

President renominates Richard Cordray as director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.

Media Hit | Consumer Protection, Financial Reform

Central Mass Colleges Score Over $150K From Credit Card Agreements

Central Mass colleges and alumni associations received over $150,000 from credit card company agreements in 2011, according to the 2012 annual report and database from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB).

MASSPIRG outlines agressive credit card marketing practices and provides tips on how to avoid high fees.

News Release | MASSPIRG Education Fund | Consumer Protection

Survey Finds Dangerous Toys on Store Shelves

Dangerous or toxic toys can still be found on America’s store shelves, according to Massachusetts Public Interest Research Group Education Fund’s, MASSPIRG 27th annual Trouble in Toyland report.

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Result | Consumer Protection

Keeping Dangerous Toys Off Store Shelves

Toxic chemicals, including lead and hormone-disrupting phthalates, are now banned in toys, thanks to a law we worked alongside our delegation to help pass in Congress. The same law requires regulators to test toys and infant products for safety before they hit store shelves.

Result | Consumer Protection

Locking Out Identity Thieves

In the wake of failures in data security on the part of data dealers and credit card companies, we worked to convince the Legislature to pass one of the nation’s strongest laws to prevent identity theft in 2007.

Result | Consumer Protection

Demanding Action From Big Tobacco

Lives have been saved by the Fire-Safe Cigarette Bill MASSPIRG helped to pass in 2006. The law requires cigarette manufacturers to make cigarettes with paper that burns slower to prevent fires started by cigarettes.

Report | MASSPIRG Education Fund | Consumer Protection

Trouble in Toyland

The 2012 Trouble in Toyland report is the 27th annual Massachusetts Public Interest Research Group (MASSPIRG) survey of toy safety. In this report, MASSPIRG provides safety guidelines for consumers when purchasing toys for small children and provides examples of toys currently on store shelves that may pose potential safety hazards.

Report | MASSPIRG | Consumer Protection

Big Banks Bigger Fees, 2012

A new survey shows free checking widely available at small banks but banks still hiding fees from consumers.

Report | MASSPIRG | Consumer Protection, Food

Total Food Recall

No Progress in Reducing Foodborne Illness

Over the past few years, Americans have grown accustomed to seeing headlines about tainted food being recalled and pulled off of store shelves. These high-profile recalls leave many Americans wondering whether enough is being done to reduce the risk of contaminated food and foodborne illness.

Report | Container Recycling Institute (CRI) | Consumer Protection, Solid Waste

Returning to Work

This study provides an intensely detailed, scenario-specific assessment of the jobs to be gained from increased recycling of what is arguably the most common, most prolific and most sought-after of all household recyclables—beverage containers.

Report | Consumer Protection

Trouble In Toyland

The 2011 Trouble in Toyland report, our 26th annual survey of toy safety,provides safety guidelines for consumers when purchasing toys for young children and examples of toys currently on store shelves that may pose potential safety hazards.

Pages

Blog Post | Consumer Protection

Consumers Stuck without Stickers | Deirdre Cummings

A new law lets supermarkets dump price stickers. Among many suggestions, MASSPIRG calls for 21st century complaint process--allowing shoppers to file complaints at the register or price scanner with their smart phone.

Add new comment

Blog Post | Consumer Protection, Financial Reform

SENATORS HOLD CFPB DIRECTOR HOSTAGE, ROIL MARKETS | Deirdre Cummings

On Friday, most Senate Republicans again sent the President a letter saying they would not confirm Richard Cordray to a full term as CFPB director unless the agency's powers and independence were first gutted. Their intransigence contributes to market uncertainty that ignores at least three things: The CFPB is here to stay; the public wants the CFPB; and, banks lose to payday lenders if the director is not confirmed.

Blog Post | Consumer Protection, Financial Reform

The CFPB is now taking your credit bureau complaints | Deirdre Cummings

Excellent news! The CFPB is now taking your complaints about credit bureaus and credit reports.

Blog Post | Consumer Protection

CFPB says 1 in 5 credit scores sold to consumers have "meaningful" differences from scores lenders use Deirdre Cummings Ed Mierzwinski

The CFPB has confirmed what consumer advocates have been saying all along. Credit scores heavily marketed to consumers aren't the same as those used by lenders; at least 1 in 5 consumer scores have "meaningful" differences and that "score discrepancies may generate consumer harm." That's why we call them FAKO scores.

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Blog Post | Consumer Protection, Financial Reform

It happened 4 years ago this weekend, and Congress has already forgotten Deirdre Cummings Ed Mierzwinski

Four years ago, on September 14-15, 2008, the Lehman Brothers investment bank declared bankruptcy while Bank of America acquired another foundering investment bank, Merrill Lynch -- major events that froze the financial markets and led in a few days to a $700 billion bailout of the financial system. Just four years later, some in the Congress have forgotten that real people and the economy are still suffering from the financial collapse, as it steps up Wall Street-backed efforts to prevent regulators from protecting the public.

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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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