Consumer Law

Debt can be a harsh mistress. If you find yourself with more credit card debt than you can handle, what are your rights under U.S. law? What limits are placed on debt collectors?

More than half the states in the United States set no limits to credit card interest rates. Although new federal laws help credit card customers by limiting interest rate hikes on existing...

Lemon laws are an important type of legislation for consumer protection that attempt to protect those who purchase automobiles that are defective or fail to meet standard quality levels.

A criminal background check has become standard practice in many situations, from businesses conducting pre-employment screening to individuals checking out a new love interest. The digitization...

Your credit report contains information on how you have managed your debts in the past. The duration that the information remains on your report depends on the type of record.

Canceling a gym membership can be complicated, especially if a long-term contract is involved. If you want to cancel a Fitness First membership, carefully review the contract. Getting out of a...

A personal injury lawyer is a lawyer who handles specific cases. Some cases may include malpractice, slip and falls, workman's compensation or motor vehicle accidents.

The U.S. federal government began giving out Social Security numbers in the 1930s as a way to keep track of individual Social Security accounts. Today it is also used as a way to verify identity....

Lemon Laws are found in all states, though they differ in many respects. If you have owned your vehicle for two years or fewer and it's defective, then you have a lemon. However, the process you...

Thinking about bringing someone to court? If all else has failed, filing a civil law suit can be your only option. However this process can be intimidating for the inexperienced. Civil court also...

Unless you are among the privileged few, as you battle through the uncertainty of a serious medical diagnosis and treatment, you will certainly have to battle through paying medical bills. If your...

Whenever you lease an apartment or building, there are two important pieces of paper that need to be filled out, the "Move-In Inventory Checklist" and the "Move-Out Inventory Checklist." The...

Class action lawsuits are instigated by one or more plaintiffs for a larger group that share a common interest, such as injuries from the use of a company's product or service, and often result in...

Finding yourself the subject of assertive collection activity is challenging and oftentimes frustrating. One tool used by debt collectors is a wage garnishment. If you find your wages being...

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration oversees false claims of medicinal effects for products such as acai berry. You can file a complaint with this agency to report possible scams or fraudulent...

Ontario Small Claims Court is designed to help you use the court system to collect money to which you are entitled under the law. Typical claims include unpaid accounts for goods or services you...

Bad credit can make you feel helpless, but you have rights under federal law. Credit agencies must keep the information in your credit file accurate, fair and private.

To allow a trusted relative or friend to make decisions regarding your personal health care when you can't speak or communicate for yourself, you need to obtain a durable health care power of...

All consumers should be aware of their current credit score, and the information that is being used to derive that score. If there are errors or incomplete information on a credit report,...

In the unfortunate event of being arrested, getting out of jail instantly is not free. Bail bonding covers the fees charged to be released from jail under the condition that the accused appears in...

Receiving a bad check is a frustrating experience. With that understood, you have specific rights to recover what is due and owing to you as the result of a bounced check written to you. In order...

As we cruise along in the 21st century, more and more of us are educating ourselves and striving to live a healthier and greener life. The use of green products a major commercial enterprise, and...

Every year, thousands of citizens fail to claim money that is rightfully theirs. Whether you forgot to file your income tax return for a previous year, failed to request money held in escrow that...

Physicians and medical facilities will sometimes bill patients for services that were not provided. While this can sometimes be an indication of a scam on behalf of the facility, more often than...

If you are facing the prospect of a suit in small claims court, you need to understand your options. You have the legal right to take any small claims suit brought against you to trial. On the...

Facing a debt collection company in court is a challenging and oftentimes frustrating experience for many debtors. If you are the defendant in a suit filed by a debt collection company, you need...

Information in a credit report can determine whether or not someone gets housing, a loan, insurance or even a job. Negative information about an unpaid debt or collection account typically remains...

If you've looked for a job recently or applied for credit during the past 12 months, you have inquiries listed on your credit report. The Federal Trade Commission says credit bureaus must maintain...

Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) established in 1970, credit reporting agencies must follow specific regulations involving the data on your credit report. If a judgment appears on your...

Intro Whenever a person is communicating by mail with a credit card debt collection company, a Certificate of Service letter should be sent with each piece of communication. A Certificate of...

A certificate of origin is a legal document stating that goods in a specific export shipment are wholly obtained, produced, manufactured, or processed in a particular country of origin. These...

The Credit and Debit Card Clarification Act of 2008 amends the Fair and Accurate Credit Transaction Act (FACTA) to prevent unnecessary lawsuits, while preserving protections against identity theft...

Credit card debt validation is part of your right as a consumer under the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA) to request proof of a debt that a collection agency may claim against you. A...

Determining fake checks is just as important as determining fake monetary bills. With the rise of technology came the misuse of different machines that made it possible for someone to make a fake...

Paper money is the second major technology for the circulation of currency, following the invention of metal coinage thousands of years ago. It was originally designed to act as a convertible note...

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is the federal consumer protection agency. This arm of the federal government gathers consumer complaints about a range of unfair and/or illegal business...

"I'm a good driver." "I never speed." "I rarely drive." These are all common excuses for why uninsured drivers drive without insurance. There is no good excuse to pose yourself and others to...

Lenders base credit decisions on your credit history---inaccuracies not in your favor can cost you thousands of dollars in interest payments or maybe even the loan itself. Most negative...

You pay a premium to your insurer thinking it will cover you at a time of loss. Unfortunately, insurers might undervalue claims or dispute claims. To resolve these disputes and oversee insurance...

If you or a loved one has suffered severe side effects as the result of taking a prescribed birth control such as Yaz, Yasmin, Ortho Evra, Nuva Ring, Seasonale, Seasonique, or Depo Provera, you...

If someone owes you money, you may be able to have the court garnish a portion of his wages to pay you what is owed to you. After proving to a court that the money is owed to you, getting a wage...

The Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act of 2003 was enacted primarily to fight the growing crime of identity theft. The act strengthened consumer rights by mandating annual free credit...

Scammers taking advantage of gullible consumers during an economic downtown spurred the Federal Trade Commission to form a task force to conduct a law enforcement sweep that commenced in July...

Lemon laws are state statutes that protect buyers of new automobiles. Federal law requires manufacturers to provide a warranty for the vehicle, and state law ensures the manufacturer will repair,...

Failure to answer a summons for credit card debt will result in the collection agency's court victory over you due to a default judgment. This means you forfeited the trial by not appearing to...

The recession is causing people to experience financial disasters; they thought would never happen to them. Job loss, higher food and energy costs are causing people to make choices on whether to...

The newest fraud in this time of hard financial times comes from all businesses that use cash registers.

The Power of Attorney (POA) is a powerful document that allows another person to act on your behalf in legal and financial matters. The POA is most often used by the military when mobilization...

The United States Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, known as HIPPA, protects the privacy of a patient's medical information, such as care a patient sought and medical bills....

Theft of service is a criminal charge determined by each state. In general it refers to a person who receives a good or service and then doesn't pay. It frequently applies to individuals who leave...