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Senators Call On FTC To Do Something About Misleading Fashion Sites
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bleak_fire_
Apr 13, 2016, 4:27:51 PM4/13/16
to
https://consumerist.com/2016/04/13/senators-call-on-ftc-to-do-something-
about-misleading-fashion-sites/
It seems that someone in the offices of Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-
CT) or Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), or perhaps both senators, has either
ordered clothing from a misleading China-based site or read Buzzfeed
recently. Both senators announced today that they’ve sent a letter to
Federal Trade Commission chair Edith Ramirez, urging the FTC to take
action against sites that advertise great deals and don’t deliver what
customers expected.
We’ve discussed these sites before: operating under a wide variety of
names, they use photos of fashionable clothing and low prices to draw
customers, then ship something that sort of resembles that item,
sometimes taking so long to ship from China that customers miss their two-
month window to dispute charges on their credit cards.
“These sites are based in China, so we have no consumer protections
there,” you might say. The Senators’ letter points out that the FTC and
China’s consumer protection agency, the State Administration for Industry
& Commerce, have a memorandum of understanding outlining ways that they
might cooperate in the future. True, the memo is more about discussing
consumer protection laws and holding symposia, and less about day-to-day
consumer protection and shutting down websites, but it’s more than the
customers holding tiny dress-shaped sacks have.
“As you [Commissioner Ramirez] investigate this matter, we urge the FTC
to work with its counterparts to help ensure these fraudulent websites
are promptly dismantled if they cannot commit to being truthful and
accurate about the products they sell,” the senators wrote.
Sen. Blumenthal is the ranking Democrat on the Senate’s Subcommittee on
Consumer Protection, Product Safety, Insurance, and Data Security, and
has an interest in consumer protection as the former attorney general of
Connecticut.
--
bleak_fire_
since nine-seven
twitter.com/thebleakfire
about-misleading-fashion-sites/
It seems that someone in the offices of Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-
CT) or Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), or perhaps both senators, has either
ordered clothing from a misleading China-based site or read Buzzfeed
recently. Both senators announced today that they’ve sent a letter to
Federal Trade Commission chair Edith Ramirez, urging the FTC to take
action against sites that advertise great deals and don’t deliver what
customers expected.
We’ve discussed these sites before: operating under a wide variety of
names, they use photos of fashionable clothing and low prices to draw
customers, then ship something that sort of resembles that item,
sometimes taking so long to ship from China that customers miss their two-
month window to dispute charges on their credit cards.
“These sites are based in China, so we have no consumer protections
there,” you might say. The Senators’ letter points out that the FTC and
China’s consumer protection agency, the State Administration for Industry
& Commerce, have a memorandum of understanding outlining ways that they
might cooperate in the future. True, the memo is more about discussing
consumer protection laws and holding symposia, and less about day-to-day
consumer protection and shutting down websites, but it’s more than the
customers holding tiny dress-shaped sacks have.
“As you [Commissioner Ramirez] investigate this matter, we urge the FTC
to work with its counterparts to help ensure these fraudulent websites
are promptly dismantled if they cannot commit to being truthful and
accurate about the products they sell,” the senators wrote.
Sen. Blumenthal is the ranking Democrat on the Senate’s Subcommittee on
Consumer Protection, Product Safety, Insurance, and Data Security, and
has an interest in consumer protection as the former attorney general of
Connecticut.
--
bleak_fire_
since nine-seven
twitter.com/thebleakfire
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