Consumer Federation of California

We love the convenience of gift cards, but there’s always been a niggling drawback. What do you do when your gift card has just two or three dollars left on it? That probably won’t cover another purchase and retailers have never been required to give it back to you in cash, until now. Read More ›

Consumers will get a break this holiday season thanks to a new California law – Senate Bill 250 by Senator Ellen Corbett (D – San Leandro). The new law gives consumers the right to cash in an unused or partially used gift card when the value of the card is less than ten dollars. Read More ›

Consumers Union, CalPIRG, MOMS, Consumer Action and the Consumer Federation of California will join consumers in San Francisco…calling on manufacturers, retailers, and government agencies to develop effective measures to prevent unsafe products from reaching store shelves. Read More ›

Going over credit reports can reveal whether there are mistakes that could lower a credit score and whether identity theft has occurred. Sandra Chapin, program director at the San Mateo-based Consumer Federation of California, ordered her credit reports a few weeks ago. Read More ›

On the plus side, the governor did sign Senate Bill 250, which will let you get cash for a gift card when the remaining balance drops below $10. That was bad news for the big retailers. In 2005, Home Depot reported $43 million in income from unused gift cards, said the Consumer Federation of California. Read More ›

In a land where the car is virtually everywhere, one out of four drivers in California gets behind the wheel without automobile insurance. Now a program that recently expanded to every county is meant to reduce the state’s estimated 5.6 million uninsured drivers by providing them with a liability insurance policy for less than $400 a year. Read More ›

“It is important that consumers have the information they need to make well-informed decisions when purchasing products,” Torrico said. “It’s equally important that they are assured their financial privacy will be protected and the products meet appropriate safety standards. That security will not only protect consumers, it will enhance consumer confidence.” Read More ›

KPFA covers the growing scandal and conflict of interest surrounding the Consumer Product Safety Commission’s head Nancy Nord. CFC’s Richard Holober is interviewed on the scandal. Read More ›

The measure fails to address skyrocketing health insurance premium costs. During the years 2000 – 2005, health insurance premiums escalated by 87 percent, which is over four times the rate of inflation. Read More ›

“This is a great honor,” said Wolk. “This state owes a great debt to groups like the Consumer Federation for their vigilant defense of our consumer rights. They work to ensure the safety of our food, the protection of our financial information, issues that touch all of our lives.” Read More ›

Unfortunately, ten months after anointing 2007 as the “Year of Health Care”, the Governor has offered a plan that still fails to address two fundamental components of any credible health care reform proposal: affordability and cost containment. Read More ›

The Consumer Federation of California released today its 2007 Scorecard for State Lawmakers. Legislators were rated by their key votes on consumer rights bills. Read More ›

Among the hundreds of bills the Governor signed and vetoed this weekend, several may hit you in the pocket book. Here’s a look on how the Governor sided on key bills designed to protect consumers. Read More ›