CONSUMER PROTECTION
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.
Illinois 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 30 years, Illinois PIRG’s "Trouble In Toyland" report has surveyed store shelves and identified choking hazards, noise hazards and other dangers. Our report has led to at least 150 recalls and other regulatory actions over the years.
Get our tips for avoiding dangerous toys.
BIGGER BANKS, BIGGER FEES
In April, Illinois PIRG 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.
Find out how to beat high bank fees.
SEE ALL CONSUMER RESOURCES
Issue updates
The Illinois General Assembly passed the Predatory Loan Prevention Act today, which will implement a 36 percent interest rate cap on consumer loans, including payday and car title loans.
The Illinois House of Representatives passed the Predatory Loan Prevention Act today, which if passed by the Senate, would implement a 36 percent interest rate cap on consumer loans, including payday and car title loans.
In mid-November, Peoples Gas released its third quarter report for 2020 detailing the ongoing status of its massive pipe replacement program. One takeaway from the report is that the Peoples Gas pipe replacement program is still behind schedule and over-budget, as it has been every quarter in the almost three years it has been making quarterly reports.
This FTC settlement must be a wake-up call to phone service providers so they do more to protect consumers. If not, the FTC must be vigilant in going after companies that enable the immoral practice of preying on consumers. And the FCC should require providers to block spoofed calls that we all know are scams.
Here’s a guide to your rights depending on how you pay
Consumer Protection
Report finds ComEd scheme caused utility rate hikes for Illinoisans
Illinois PIRG has released "Guaranteed Profits, Broken Promises," a report examining years of actions that, according to federal prosecutors, constituted a corrupt bribery scheme on the part of the utility Commonwealth Edison to win favorable legislation. The report found that, as a result, Illinoisans have been paying 37 percent higher electricity delivery rates.
Consumer Protection
Auto Loan Complaints Rise
A review of complaints to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s (CFPB) Consumer Complaint Database reveals a sharp spike in consumer complaints about auto purchasing, leasing and finance since the beginning of the pandemic.
Consumer Protection
ComEd must be held accountable for bribery schemes
Revelations that the utility Commonwealth Edison, or ComEd, paid bribes in exchange for favorable policies has prompted Illinois PIRG Education Fund to call on the Illinois Commerce Commission to do a comprehensive audit of the company, and to demand transparency through the release of detailed data from ComEd itself.
Consumer Protection
Illinois PIRG sues Clearview AI over privacy violations of millions of Illinoisans
Illinois PIRG has joined the ACLU in a lawsuit accusing the facial recognition startup Clearview AI of violating the privacy rights of millions of Illinois residents. In January, the New York Times reported that Clearview AI had collected more than 3 billion photos from the internet without the knowledge or consent of those pictured.
Latest Reports
Tools & Resources
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Student Tip Sheet: Campus Financial Products
Avoid the tricks and traps in campus financial products that may drive up the costs of collegeIllinois PIRG Education Fund -
Leading Groups Send Criteria for Evaluating VW Settlement
Seeking Compensation for Consumers and Environment -
Group letter opposing Nancy Beck to head CPSC
Former chemical industry official would be fox guarding henhouse
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Your donation supports Illinois PIRG’s work to stand up for consumers on the issues that matter, especially when powerful interests are blocking progress.