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Blog Post | Consumer Tips, COVID-19

Planning to vote in person? Consider taking a bag of supplies to help you survive long lines | Teresa Murray

With Election Day coming up, here's a tip guide for what to do before you go to vote, what to take with you and how to stay safe while you’re at your polling place.

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News Release | U.S. PIRG Education Fund | Consumer Protection

COVID-19 pandemic worsens existing consumer problems with car buying

Consumer complaints to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) regarding vehicle loans and leases have increased sharply during the coronavirus pandemic, according to a new report by the U.S. PIRG Education Fund and Frontier Group. The analysis suggests that consumers are facing abusive and deceptive practices from the automobile lending industry.

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Report | U.S. PIRG Education Fund | Consumer Protection

Auto Loan Complaints Rise

Our latest report, with the Frontier Group, finds that: Financing the purchase of a car is a minefield for consumers at even the best of times. Tricks and traps in the auto marketplace can leave consumers paying more for a car than they should – or, worse, to being victimized by predatory and abusive practices by auto dealers and lenders. COVID-19 has left consumers even more vulnerable.

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Blog Post | Consumer Tips, COVID-19

Why can I still buy toxic hand sanitizer? | Teresa Murray

The FDA doesn’t have the authority to stop retailers from selling dangerous over-the-counter products such as toxic hand sanitizer. Our safety system is broken, and we need to fix it. 

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Blog Post | Consumer Tips, COVID-19

Tenant protections from eviction and utility cutoffs vary by state | Jacob van Cleef

The CDC implemented the eviction freeze on Sept. 4 to reduce the number of people on the streets who could get infected with and spread the COVID-19 virus. Landlords and other groups filed lawsuits attempting to strike down the halt on evictions, so the future of the policy remains uncertain.

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News Release | U.S. PIRG Education Fund | COVID-19

Consumer complaints about COVID-19 fraud pass 200,000

Consumer complaints to the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) related to the coronavirus exceeded 200,000 on Thursday, Sept. 17, with a total of more than $140 million in fraud losses. This release summarizes actions by 15 federal agencies to stop fraud related to Covid-19 and offers consumer tips to report fraud and protect themselves against scams.

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News Release | U.S. PIRG Education Fund | COVID-19

Six months into the COVID-19 pandemic, price gouging persists on Amazon

U.S. PIRG Education Fund searched Amazon and other major retailers for 10 of the most popular COVID-19 consumer products, and found that ridiculous pandemic pricing is still an issue.

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News Release | U.S. PIRG & Environment Texas

Statement: BioLab chemical fire during Hurricane Laura

As Hurricane Laura rushed through Louisiana and southeastern Texas early Thursday, a chemical plant caught fire in Lake Charles, La. The facility is reportedly leaking chlorine, which can cause blurred vision, nausea and vomiting, and even fluid in the lungs. To prevent or mitigate future disasters like this, we must minimize our reliance on dangerous chemicals and fossil fuels.

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News Release | US PIRG Education Fund | Consumer Tips, COVID-19

Hand sanitizers pose ongoing threat to consumer health

Consumers using hand sanitzer to kill the coronavirus may be unwittingly putting toxic substances on their skin. 

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Report | U.S. PIRG Education Fund

Hospital Repair Restrictions

Our report on how manufacturers restrict repair for devices in hospitals, and how that impacts patient care. The report includes a survey of 222 medical device repair professionals, which highlights how widespread these issues are in hospitals, even during the pandemic. 

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Report | U.S. PIRG Education Fund | Higher Ed

Fixing the Broken Textbook Market, Second Edition

The U.S. PIRG Education Fund and the Student PIRGs asked students how the high cost of college course materials affects them. 

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Report | U.S. PIRG Education Fund | COVID-19

Putting Consumers First

U.S. PIRG Education Fund, the Student Borrower Protection Center and Consumer Action have released a report recommending that  CFPB should use the full extent of its authority to take immediate action to strengthen its consumer complaint tool, hold companies accountable for providing complete and timely responses to consumers, and leverage consumer complaints related to the pandemic to support oversight and regulatory action to protect consumers.

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Report | U.S. PIRG Education Fund and National Taxpayers Union Foundation | Tax

Toward Common Ground 2020

Even before COVID-19, the U.S. was on track to surpass a $1 trillion deficit. Current projections are climbing much higher. Once the immediate health crisis begins to subside, lawmakers will face the challenge of adopting a 2021 federal budget in a time of reduced revenue. U.S. PIRG Education Fund and National Taxpayers Union Foundation have come together to recommend over 50 bipartisan spending reform recommendations for Congress, totaling nearly $800 billion in savings.

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Report | U.S. PIRG Education Fund

The Fix Is In

Our survey of 302 independent repair technicians shows that independent shops offer more options for repair, but are struggling to access parts, service information and repair software which is necessary to fix phones — which manufacturers won’t let these independent shops have.

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Blog Post | COVID-19

Which retailers require customers to wear face masks? | Grace Brombach

Only four out of 20 major chain stores studied still allow customers to shop without face coverings

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Blog Post | Consumer Tips, COVID-19, Consumer Protection

Choosing the best way to pay: Cash, credit cards, debit cards, P2P, checks or online payments | Teresa Murray

Here’s a guide to your rights depending on how you pay

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Blog Post

Smoke is Not a Joke | Gina Werdel

Wild fires in the West have created some of the worst air quality of anywhere in the world right now. This isn't just an issue for children or people with pre-existing conditions, it's a health risk for everyone.

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Blog Post

Update: How are the major airlines protecting their passengers from COVID-19? | Grace Brombach

From requiring masks, to blocking middle seats, to cleaning between flights, not all airlines are taking equal steps to protect passengers

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Blog Post

Let's use Mesothelioma Awareness Day to reduce the threat of asbestos in our schools | Danielle Melgar

As we approach Mesothelioma Awareness Day on September 26 amidst a pandemic that is keeping many school children home for another academic year, we should take the opportunity to clean up our school buildings of toxic threats, including asbestos, a known cause of mesothelioma.

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Blog Post

How to keep your child safe from Halloween's toxic terrors

The FDA doesn’t test for asbestos in cosmetics before they go to market. This Halloween, parents should check the label on kids’ costume makeup to avoid ingredients that put their kids at risk of exposure to toxic contaminants.

Report | U.S. PIRG Education Fund

Break the waste cycle

Election Day is less than a week away, and come January, returning and newly elected legislators will face a mounting plastic waste crisis. Nearly 100,000 tons of plastic -- enough to fill roughly 1.5 football stadiums -- are thrown away every day in the United States. Break the Waste Cycle highlights producer responsibility, an emerging trend in which product-makers – not individuals or taxpayers – are responsible for the waste they create. 

News Release | U.S. PIRG Education Fund

Report calls for an end to rewarding waste makers

DENVER -- Election Day is less than a week away, and come January, returning and newly elected legislators will face a mounting plastic waste crisis. Nearly 100,000 tons of plastic -- enough to fill roughly 1.5 football stadiums -- are thrown away every day in the United States. On Thursday, the U.S. PIRG Education Fund released a report, Break the Waste Cycle, highlighting producer responsibility, an emerging trend in which product-makers – not individuals or taxpayers – are responsible for the waste they create.  

Report | U.S. PIRG Education Fund

Nursing home safety during COVID: PPE shortages

Seven months into COVID-19 pandemic, 226,000 nursing home residents nationwide at risk

News Release | US PIRG Education Fund

Report: Nursing homes endure massive PPE shortages

Seven months into this pandemic, PPE shortages have become much worse, according to “Nursing home safety during COVID: PPE shortages,” a report by the U.S. PIRG Education Fund and Frontier Group.

Solid Waste

New federal bill calls for U.S. to move beyond plastic

On Feb. 11, U.S. Sen. Tom Udall and U.S. Rep. Alan Lowenthal introduced legislation that would phase out unnecessary single-use plastics, which commonly end up clogging our landfills and polluting our environment. It also provides funding for recycling and composting infrastructure, and would shift the financial burden of managing waste and recyclables from town and city governments to the manufacturers.

 
  • COVID-19 CONSUMER TIPS
    Avoid online scams, protect your credit and more. We have assembled a set of consumer tips and guides, and will add more in the days to come.
    OUR TIPS
  • AUTO LOAN COMPLAINTS RISE
    Consumer complaints about auto purchasing, leasing and finance have spiked since the beginning of the pandemic.
    OUR REPORT
  • THE FIX IS IN
    Our survey shows that independent shops are struggling to access parts, service information and repair software which is necessary to fix phones — which manufacturers won’t let these independent shops have.
    OUR REPORT
  • CHAIN REACTION V
    The overuse of antibiotics contributes to antibiotic-resistant bacteria, which can cause life-threatening infections in people. Our report ranks restaurant chains on their policies relating to antibiotic use in their beef supply chains.
    SEE THE GRADES

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