Protecting Consumers

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 THE PUBLIC

Arizona PIRG’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 years, the state PIRGs’ Trouble In Toyland report has surveyed store shelves and identified choking hazards, noise hazards and other dangers. To date, our report has led to at least 150 recalls and other actions to get dangerous toys off store shelves. Click the link to read our report.

BIGGER BANKS BIGGER FEES

In April, the state PIRGs 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.

Issue updates

News Release | Arizona PIRG Education Fund | Financial Reform

Professor Elizabeth Warren and New Consumer Bureau Launch Website – ConsumerFinance.gov

The new Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) has something new for American consumers. ConsumerFinance.gov is a government website that actually says ‘come on in and talk with us’ instead of one that says ‘go away, we cannot help.’

> Keep Reading
News Release | Arizona PIRG | Financial Reform

Consumer Financial Protection Bureau on Track

Six months after Wall Street reform legislation creating the new Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) was signed, a leading coalition released Halfway to the CFPB: An AFR Progress Report on “Standing Up” the New Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.

> Keep Reading
Report | Arizona PIRG | Financial Reform

Halfway to the CFPB

Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) Implementation Team staff are making significant progress in their efforts to both build an effective agency and be ready to perform required functions by the transfer date (July 21, 2011).   Based on our analysis of several key metrics, on the date halfway between passage and startup, the CFPB Implementation Team is properly focusing on key goals and outcomes.  Moreover, the high-quality of its early hires will give it the CFPB the ability to significantly broaden and accelerate its activities over the next six months.

> Keep Reading
News Release | Arizona PIRG Education Fund | Consumer Protection

Parents Beware - Many Toys Still Toxic, Hazardous

According to the Arizona PIRG Education Fund, dangerous or toxic toys can still be found on America’s store shelves.

> Keep Reading
Report | Arizona PIRG Education Fund | Consumer Protection

Trouble in Toyland 2010

According to the Arizona PIRG Education Fund, dangerous or toxic toys can still be found on America’s store shelves.  The Arizona PIRG Education Fund released the 25th annual Trouble in Toyland report, which reveals the results of laboratory testing for toxic chemicals and identifies toys that pose choking hazards.  Trouble in Toyland also includes guidance for avoiding common hazards.

> Keep Reading

Pages

News Release | Arizona PIRG Education Fund | Consumer Protection

Arizona PIRG Education Fund Urges Support of a Broadband Plan That Serves the Public Good

As the state and the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) begin to consider a long-term strategy to innovate infrastructure, the Arizona PIRG Education Fund and the Media and Democracy Coalition issued A Public Interest Internet Agenda, to serve as a guide to direct decision makers towards consumer protective policy solutions that will connect every citizen to the Internet.

> Keep Reading
News Release | Arizona PIRG | Consumer Protection

Consumer and Privacy Groups Urge Congress to Enact Consumer Privacy Guarantees

A coalition of ten consumer and privacy advocacy organizations today called on Congress to enact legislation to protect consumer privacy in response to threats from the growing practices of online behavioral tracking and targeting.

> Keep Reading
News Release | Arizona PIRG | Financial Reform

PRESIDENT PROPOSES NEW CREDIT SAFETY AGENCY FOR CONSUMERS

State and national consumer protection organizations applauded President Obama’s proposal to create a new federal Consumer Financial Protection Agency to ensure the safety, fairness and sustainability of credit. The agency would have broad powers to ensure that credit and payment products do not have predatory or deceptive features that can harm consumers or lock them into unaffordable loans.

> Keep Reading
News Release | Arizona PIRG | Financial Reform

Statement of Diane E. Brown, Arizona PIRG Executive Director, On U.S. Senate Passage of the Credit Card Act

The Arizona Public Interest Research Group (Arizona PIRG) commends the U.S. Senate on overwhelming passage of the Credit Card Accountability, Responsibility and Disclosure (CARD) Act. While the  U.S. House has already passed a similar Credit Cardholders Bill of Rights, we expect that the House will simply pass the identical Senate bill so Congress can send a final bill for the President to sign before Memorial Day.

> Keep Reading

Pages

View AllRSS Feed

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.

CONSUMER ALERTS

Join our network and stay up to date on our campaigns, get important consumer updates and take action on critical issues.


support us

Your donation supports Arizona PIRG's work to stand up for consumers on the issues that matter, especially when powerful interests are blocking progress.