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Consumer protection laws provide safeguards for consumers with respect to credit agreements, defective products, unfulfilled services and ultimately helps to prevent business fraud, unfair practices and shield individuals from scams and thieves. It is the job of the Federal Trade Commission and the Better Business Bureau to enforce consumer protection laws, but when consumer protection laws in Sacramento fail, individuals will need to work with an experienced Sacramento consumer litigation lawyer to help recover damages and ensure the business is disciplined for their actions. There are many different areas of consumer litigation, including identity theft, fraud and more. The attorneys at Gale, Angelo, Johnson & Pruett P.C. specialize in two main areas of consumer protection – protecting consumer rights under the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) and the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA).
The Telephone Consumer Protection Act was passed in 1991 and it outlines rules and regulations to help reduce the number of nuisance and solicitation calls. Common violations of the TCPA include calls received before 7 a.m. or after 9 p.m., calls to individuals who are listed on the national do-not-call registry and prerecorded robocalls. In general, any automated dialing, telemarketing calls, text messages, unsolicited faxes, and any other unwanted communication via phone devices are a violation of the TCPA and anyone who receives these types of calls has a case they can bring to a local state court or small claims court. The TCPA is also an important piece of legislation that helps protect people who owe money or are in debt from harassment and illegal debt collection practices.
The Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) is a federal law that helps to regulate the collection of credit information from consumers and access to credit reports. The rules outlined in this piece of legislation govern how credit information can be obtained, how long it can be kept for and how it is to be shared with others. The three major credit reporting bureaus – Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion, collect and sell information on consumer financial history. Businesses can ask to check consumer credit reports for various purposes – the main reason being in regard to a loan, especially when it comes to buying a house, renting a property, buying a car, etc. The FCRA also gives consumers specific rights, including the right to access their own free credit reports and to have inaccurate information removed. The Federal Trade Commission and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau are the main federal agencies in charge of overseeing and enforcing this law. As a consumer, you have the right to sue a credit reporting agency for not properly investigating a dispute as well as those who access your credit reports without permission, like debt collectors.
If you have experienced nuisance calls from debt collectors or have been a victim of improper credit reporting, please connect with our team of consumer litigation lawyers. Our diligent and experienced attorneys will help you understand your rights under the TCPA and FCRA, guide you through the process of restoring your credit, protect you from future trouble and ensure you receive the monetary damages you are owed.
Give us a call at 916-290-7778 for help with your financial concerns or fill out the inquiry form below to schedule a thorough case evaluation with our team.
