Executive Overview – There is a recurring practice of firms failing to disclose upfront mandatory charges in the advertised price of their goods or services, leading to an unexpected higher final cost for consumers (e.g. “resort fees” in hotel bookings and “processing fees” in ticket purchases). – Misleading pricing threatens competition in the market, as … Continue reading
Tag Archives: FTC
Economic Freedom Series: Why Do I need a Prescription for Contact Lenses?
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and Federal Drug Administration (FDA) have infringed upon my economic liberties. Collectively, these government bodies created an inefficient marketplace that burdens contact lens retailers and consumers. In hopes of curtailing market power granted to contact lens prescribers by FDA regulation, the FTC designed the Fairness to Contact Lens Consumer Act … Continue reading
Just Google It?
If search engines and search advertisers were playing each other in Hasbro’s Monopoly, Google would definitely have hotels on both Boardwalk and Park Place, according to a Federal Trade Commission (FTC) staff report. Unfortunately, reality is no board game, and Google has been accused of using anticompetitive tactics to harm both rivals and consumers. The … Continue reading
Net Neutrality: Why the FCC Should Vacate the Premises
When it comes to current Net neutrality issues, the public debate swings predominantly between two different regulatory strategies (known as, Title II and Section 706), both to be administered by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). Yet, as much as we concern ourselves with better definitions and the right regulations, we should be more concerned with … Continue reading