Harassed by Debt Collectors? Get the Tools to Fight Back

When you know you owe money on an unpaid debt, every piece of mail or phone call can make your blood pressure rise. Collections companies use over-the-top strategies, hoping that you will get so sick of being harassed by debt collectors you’ll pay just to make the phone calls stop. But you can fight back. Find out what to do to turn the tables when the debt collector calls.

Toyota Recalls Prius, C-HR for Risk of Engine Fire

Toyota Motor Corp. recently announced it is recalling over 1 million of its flagship Prius and C-HR vehicles because of a risk of engine fire. Find out if your vehicle was affected, and what to do if it was.

Safety Advocates Say Driverless Car Regulations Bill Falls Short

Consumers don’t have much confidence in the safety of autonomous vehicles. But the federal bill that would create the country’s first driverless car regulations puts auto manufacturers’ needs over consumer safety. 

Interest-Only Subprime Auto Loans are Too Good to Be True

Low-income families can sometimes find themselves desperate to get financing for a new-to-them used vehicle. They may be swayed by low monthly payments or interest-only subprime auto loans. But these lending options come with big strings attached, and sometimes the lenders don’t lay everything on the table.

CFPB Ombudsman Quits Over Student Loan Regulation

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s (CFPB’s) Student Loan Ombudsman, Seth Frotman has had enough of the political maneuvers affecting the way he does his job overseeing student loan regulation. On August 27, 2018, Frotman resigned from the CFPB. His resignation letter shows how the organization has changed under the Trump administration.

Is a Rebuilt Salvage Vehicle Worth the Savings?

You are browsing your favorite online reseller, when you stumble upon a later model car. It looks beautiful and the price seems too good to be true. Buried in the description, you see the words “rebuilt salvage” or “rebuilt title”. But the car looks great. Should you buy it? Is a rebuilt salvage vehicle worth the savings?

Mass Tort or Class Action: Know the Difference

A manufacturer or company’s bad behavior can hurt hundreds, sometimes thousands of people. When those people come together in a lawsuit, it may be as part of a mass tort or class action. The differences between these cases may seem like legalese, but they can significantly affect your rights.

Class actions and mass torts are both lawsuits that can be brought when many people suffer harm because of a similar situation. But the legal differences between a class action and a mass tort could hurt your rights if you don’t know how to respond when notices arrive. 

FBI Uncovers $4.5 Million Classic Car Fraud Scheme to Steal from Collectors

It’s August in Metro Detroit, and that means it’s time for the Dream Cruise and classic cars. If you are thinking about getting in on the fun with a classic car purchase, you will want to know about a $4.5 million classic car fraud scheme recently uncovered by the FBI, and how to make sure you’re not taken advantage of too.

Gym’s Trans-Affirming Policy Violates Michigan Consumer Protection Act, Court Says

Would you want to know if your gym was trans-affirming before you paid for your membership? Would it bother you to share a locker room with people whose biological sex was different than yours? One gym’s trans-affirming policy has been up for debate in the courts for years. Now the Michigan Court of Appeals has said that the unwritten policy could have violated the Michigan Consumer Protection Act.

Insurance Companies Can Cancel Innocent Third Party Benefits, Michigan Supreme Court Says

After a serious auto accident, should your insurance coverage depend on the honesty of another person? The Michigan Supreme Court recently said that insurance companies are allowed to cancel no-fault benefits paid to an innocent third party if they can prove fraud when the contract was signed.

The Hidden Lemon Law Cost to Buying Big Ticket Items as an LLC

You are ready to put down money on a big-ticket item – maybe a vacation home, new vehicle, RV, or boat. You may think it is a good idea to create an LLC so you can claim the purchase is business related and pay less taxes. But in addition to the risk of tax fraud, that strategy could trigger a hidden lemon law cost if your big purchase turns out to be defective.

Kids, Campgrounds, and Unsupervised Play: A Parents’ Guide

For many families, summer in Michigan means vacations up north and trips to the state and county fairs. Often, parents use these weekends to give their kids a chance at unsupervised play in the relative safety of the campgrounds. But those properties also come with certain risks. Find out what a parent’s duty to supervise is when a child is injured on a campground.

Auto Dealer Fraud vs Lemon Law: Know the Difference

In the legal world, the way you label your case can be the difference between meaningful relief and a motion to dismiss. It’s important to know ahead of time whether what you are dealing with is auto dealer fraud vs lemon law. It can affect your claim, and the remedies available when things go wrong.

Selling Defective Puppies? Local Pet Store Sued for Consumer Protection Violations

The term “product defect” usually brings to mind vehicles breaking down or problems with packaging. But could a company get into regulatory trouble for selling defective puppies? A recent lawsuit against a pet shop owner in Novi, Michigan tests the limits of Michigan’s Consumer Protection Act.

Arbitration Clause Sinks Fiat Chrysler Employees’ Lemon Law Claims

When you work for a car company, there’s a certain amount of brand loyalty that goes along with the salary. Many auto manufacturers and dealerships encourage this, offering employees, friends, and family significant deals on the sale of new cars. But the arbitration clause in the fine print of Fiat Chrysler’s employee discount form means you could be signing away a successful lemon law claim if there are problems with the vehicle.

How Can You Prove Toxins Caused Your Illness in Toxic Torts?

When environmental factors make you sick, it can be hard for you and your doctors to connect the dots. Air pollution, emissions, run-off, and other industrial byproducts can seriously affect your health, decreasing your life span and quality of life. But when you take a company to court in a toxic tort lawsuit, it’s up to you to prove toxins caused your illness. In most cases, that means you’re going to need an expert.

Voluntary Surrender or Repossession: Which is Better for Your Credit Score?

If you fall behind on your auto loan payments because of a lost job, unexpected medical expenses, or simply not enough income, you may consider voluntary surrender of your vehicle. But what that means, and how it affects your credit score compared to repossession can be something of a mystery. Here are some things to consider.

Consumer Advocates Call Tesla’s Autopilot Deceptive Advertising

Can a car crash be a marketing problem? Tesla’s Autopilot has been involved in at least 3 serious accidents in two years. Consumer advocates say the company’s deceptive advertising is misleading consumers, convincing them they can take their eyes off the road.

Jeep Cherokees Recalled for Fire Risk

Defective manufacture of vehicles can put drivers at risk of serious injury, even death. Especially when there is fire risk, mechanical issues or software problems turn new vehicles in to a risky proposition without the car buyer even knowing it. Sometimes, though, auto manufacturers find a product defect before anyone gets hurt. That’s what happened with the 2018 Jeep Cherokees recalled for fire risk earlier this month. 

Telemarketing Class Action Lawsuit Against Dish Network Could Pay You $1,200

Telemarketing calls are disruptive and annoying. That’s why the Federal Trade Commission set up the National Do Not Call Registry. But Dish Network ignored the list in 2010 and 2011. Now a telemarketing class action lawsuit out of North Carolina has resulted in a nationwide verdict that could pay you up to $1,200.