NEWS RELEASE
COLORADO ATTORNEY GENERAL
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DENVER – Attorney General Phil Weiser today joined a bipartisan coalition of 19 state attorneys general in supporting the Federal Trade Commission’s proposed Trade Regulation Rule on Unfair or Deceptive Fees.
“Businesses must disclose up front all fees for goods or services so that consumers know what they are paying for. My department has actively pursued companies for charging deceptive or hidden fees, and we will continue to do so. I support this proposed junk fees rule from the FTC because it will strengthen our partnership with the federal government and provide another tool for protecting consumers,” Weiser said.
The comment letter was filed on Wednesday in response to an FTC notice of proposed rulemaking, which allowed for comments on the proposed rule’s provisions, including:
- Prohibiting ‘bait and switch’ advertising by requiring businesses, from the outset, to clearly and conspicuously disclose the total price, inclusive of any mandatory fees;
- Requiring businesses to more prominently display the total price when pricing information is advertised;
- Prohibiting businesses from misrepresenting the nature and purpose of any fee, and;
- Requiring businesses to clearly disclose the nature and purpose of certain fees (such as shipping charges and optional fees) before the consumer consents to pay.
In their letter, the attorneys general support the FTC’s proposed rule and highlight their enforcement efforts in protecting consumers from deceptive fee practices.
Also joining the letter are the attorneys general from Arizona, Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Oklahoma, Oregon, Vermont, Washington, and Wisconsin.
A copy of the letter can be found here.
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