Press Release Archive
2017
July
25
- Consumer Action condemns the House's vote to repeal class actions.
The U.S. House of Representatives passed a resolution (H.J. Res. 111) today to repeal the new Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) rule to restore…
20
- Consumer Action opposes Congress's attack on class actions.
Members of both the U.S. House and Senate took a hatchet to consumer protection today by introducing Congressional Review Act (CRA) resolutions to repeal the Consumer…
June
29
- Consumer Action responds to today’s GAO report on Lifeline. Ken McEldowney, executive director of Consumer Action, released the following statement today in response to a report released by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) on the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) Lifeline program, a program that has provided discounted and no-charge phone service for low-income Americans for over three decades.
March
08
- Consumer protections at risk (Consumer Action highlights recent consumer gains now in the cross hairs). Consumer Action News reviews many of the gains made in recent months to protect consumers’ personal safety, online privacy, dispute resolution rights and more. However, many of these critical consumer protections are in danger of disappearing under a new administration and GOP-controlled Congress.
February
03
- New regime plans to 'trump' consumer protections.
Statement by Linda Sherry, Director, National Priorities, Consumer Action
President Trump’s announcement today to dismantle the Dodd-Frank financial protection law and cripple the Consumer Financial…
2016
November
15
- Low-income consumers have options for affordable internet (Consumer Action and Comcast team up to educate consumers about low-cost broadband plans for low-income households). Consumer Action and Comcast have partnered to create a free multilingual educational guide, “Getting up to speed: Broadband internet for low-income households.”
September
30
- One million reasons why consumers need the CFPB.
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) hit the one million mark this week. The Bureau has received more than one million individual consumer complaints about…
28
- Consumer Action joins White House campaign to 'Lock Down Your Login' (Advice to help consumers enable the strongest authentication tools for online accounts). Consumer Action joins a new campaign, “Lock Down Your Login,” to urge Americans to limit their personal cybercrime risk and better protect their key social media, email and bank accounts by enabling strong authentication.
August
23
- Consumer Action joins 280 groups in supporting rule that would restore your right to sue.
WASHINGTON, DC—Consumer Action joined together with 280 consumer, civil rights, labor, community and non-profit organizations to emphasize strong and broad-based support for the Consumer Financial…
July
29
- Consumers get the last word on complaints (Consumer Action applauds CFPB’s latest move to improve its complaint system).
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) is adding a five star system ratings scale to its complaint process to give consumers an efficient way to…
21
- CFPB celebrates its fifth anniversary. Consumer Action's statement on the CFPB after five years
May
26
- Fair treatment for homeowners with limited English proficiency.
Consumer Action, Americans for Financial Reform and coalition partners urge regulators, in a newly released paper, to make it easier for limited English proficiency…
April
01
- The FCC deserves praise for Lifeline modernization proposal.
Statement of Ken McEldowney executive director of Consumer Action, a San Francisco- and Washington, DC-based national consumer advocacy and education membership organization on FCC Vote…
2015
December
16
- Correcting and protecting your credit record (Consumer Action’s newsletter releases credit reporting updates, tips for consumers). In its latest issue of Consumer Action News (bit.ly/credit_reports_issue), Consumer Action explains the only way to prevent new account fraud, and updates consumers on improvements in reporting medical debt and resolving credit report errors.
June
25
- Consumers gain access to the 'heart' of CFPB complaints.
Consumers now have a critical tool with which to educate and empower themselves in the financial marketplace.
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s (CFPB)…
18
- FCC protects consumers from unsolicited robocalls and texts (Agency also moves to modernize Lifeline program to include broadband service to low-income households). The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) issued a firm ruling today advancing consumers’ protections against unwanted robocalls and text messages to their cell phones.
March
19
- Consumers gain access to firsthand complaint information through the CFPB.
Consumer advocates applaud the CFPB for the major step it takes today to empower consumers in the marketplace. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau…
2013
September
12
- Groups send letters to Congress in defense of Lifeline.
To mark Lifeline Awareness Week (Sept. 9-15), Consumer Action and more than 80 groups including consumer rights, public interest, civil rights, religious and community-based…
09
- California LifeLine program helps low-income consumers (September 9-15 is National Lifeline Awareness Week).
SAN FRANCISCO—Consumer Action and AT&T California have again partnered to promote the California LifeLine Program during “National Lifeline Awareness Week,” September 9-15.
Qualifying…
- California LifeLine program helps low-income consumers (Chinese).
三藩市消費者行動（Consumer Action)十分榮幸今年再度與加州AT&T合作，在九月九日至十五日之“全國普濟電話推廣促進週”期間向加州居民提供宣導活動。
符合資格低收入者可獲得加州普濟電話服務。普濟電話可幫他們聯絡家人朋友，索取各種資源，並在緊急時求助。消費者行動和AT&T在此特別向有需要的家庭或個人呼籲，請大家申請這項有折扣優惠的服務，因為他們或許符合資格。
全國普濟電話推廣促進週的發起目的主要是提醒並確保各州合格的低收入消費者用戶，多多了解各州的普濟計劃，而能藉助本地的普濟電話計劃協助得到負擔得起的電話服務。
消費者行動行政主任麥勤（Ken McEldowney)說：”加州普濟電話服務的確能讓低收入的家庭或個人生活有所改善。當加州貧窮戶口數目直線上升時，低收入消費者如果能從加州普濟電話服務得到折扣收費，其意義將更加重要了。我們希望有此需要的加州居民均能得到這項服務的訊息。”
加州AT&T總裁McNeely說：“我們深知普濟電話服務對加州低收入居民所造成的重大影響。我們很榮幸能和消費者行動合作，進一步提醒社區里有需要的個人及家庭去申請，並通過這項計劃與外界溝通聯絡。當今經濟仍陷低迷，因而有更多消費者難以支付日常賬單。普濟電話服務對於這些需要經濟援助的人而言，顯然是比以往都更加重要了。”
加州普濟電話服務是由加州公用事業委員會（CPUC)贊助執行，專門向合格的加州低收入居民提供本地折扣收費之電話服務。目前所有在加州提供傳統住家通訊服務的電話公司，均有提供加州普濟電話服務。加州公用事業委員會制訂了申請規章，明確指示如果用戶有以下兩項指標之一者，則有資格申請加州普濟電話服務：
- 申請者經過批准已參加某項公援計劃：例如聯邦或州立健保（Medicaid／Medi-Cal），低收入者住屋緊急協助計劃（LIHEAP)，婦嬰幼童計劃（WIC)，社安補助金（SSI)或加州食物援助（CalFresh)，也就是以前的糧食券計劃。
- 申請者的全家收入合於規定指標。
消費者查詢普濟電話(又稱為低收入電話服務）相關詳情可直接與個人電話服務公司聯絡。AT&T在加州的用戶可致電：800－446－5651（英文），800－882－0520 （粵語）或 800－962－8250 （國語），可聽取有關普濟電話資訊錄音。也可瀏覽：
- California LifeLine program helps low-income consumers (Spanish) (La Semana Nacional de Concientización sobre Lifeline es del 9 al 15 de septiembre).
SAN FRANCISCO — Consumer Action y AT&T California de nuevo se han asociado para promover el programa California LifeLine durante la "Semana Nacional de…
July
25
- Mobile app transparency code moves consumer privacy forward.
WASHINGTON, DC – The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) released today a mobile application transparency code of conduct aimed at app developers. The…
08
- 'Health Records Privacy' education campaign launches in California (Non-profit Consumer Action to distribute 75,000 copies of multilingual materials to state’s hard-to-reach residents).
San Francisco, July 8, 2013—As health care providers continue the transition from paper to digital medical records, Consumer Action has launched a statewide campaign…
June
18
- Consumers to online advertisers: No tracking for ANY reason.
(Note to editors: Click here for a PDF summary of poll findings.)
WASHINGTON, DC – Consumers do not want to be tracked…
May
31
- Consumer Action survey: Most users would recommend peer-to-peer payments to others (80% of respondents report paying no fees to send “cashless” payments).
A new survey by Consumer Action, released today, finds that consumers have expanding opportunities for making small payments to others electronically with a few…
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