Jun 19, 2017 | Blog, Consumer Protection
The FTC, in a June 16, 2017 post by Rosario Méndez, Attorney, Division of Consumer and Business Education, FTC, provided information for consumers about the “signs of a debt relief scam.”
According to the FTC’s post:
. . . a call from someone who says they can reduce or eliminate your debts might sound like the answer to your problems. But in many cases, unscrupulous people are behind these calls. They don’t have any intention of helping you, but are very interested in taking your money. How can you tell if you’re dealing with a debt relief scammer? Because they ask you to pay them before they do anything for you.
That’s what the FTC and the Florida Attorney General said happened in a massive debt relief scam they were able to stop last month. The defendants told people they would pay, settle, or get rid of their debts. But they didn’t. Instead, they just took people’s money. Over time, people found out that their debts were not paid, their accounts were in default, and their credit scores were severely damaged. Some people even got sued by their creditors, or were forced into bankruptcy.
According to the posting, . . . scammers try to take advantage of those dealing with debt – but there’s legitimate help . . .. [Individuals] can talk to [their] creditors directly to negotiate a modified payment plan. [Individuals] also can look for credit counseling.
The FTC posting also recommends that [t]o find reputable help, start with a credit union, local college, military base, or the U.S. Cooperative Extension Service.
Importantly, the FTC posting states that if a person decides to work with a debt relief service to remember the following:
- A legitimate debt relief company won’t make you pay up front. That’s illegal.
- No one can guarantee that your creditors will forgive your debts.
Kehoe Law Firm, P.C. is a multidisciplinary, plaintiff–side law firm dedicated to protecting investors and consumers from corporate fraud, negligence, and other wrongdoing. Driven by a strong and principled sense of social responsibility and obtaining justice for the aggrieved, Kehoe Law Firm, P.C. represents plaintiffs seeking to recover investment losses resulting from securities fraud, breaches of fiduciary duty, corporate wrongdoing or malfeasance, those harmed by anticompetitive practices, and consumers victimized by fraud, false claims, deception or data breaches. Together, the partners of the Kehoe Law Firm, P.C. have spent more than 30 years prosecuting precedent-setting securities and financial fraud cases in federal and state courts on behalf of institutional and individual clients.
Jun 19, 2017 | Consumer Protection, Employment & Technology Archive
Hyundai Steering Mechanism Class Action Lawsuit Filed
Hyundai Accent & Hyundai Elantra (Model Years 2013-2016)
On June 8, 2017, a class action lawsuit was filed against Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) in United States District Court, Central District of California, on behalf of a class of owners of 2013-2016 Hyundai Accent and Hyundai Elantra due to a factory-installed, faulty steering mechanism in the vehicles.
According to the class action complaint:
A defect in Hyundai’s steering mechanism causes the power steering to stop working suddenly, causing the wheel to lock or become difficult or impossible to turn at all.
The faulty steering mechanism is found on at least the following models: Hyundai Accent (model years 2013-2016) and Hyundai Elantra (model years 2013-2016) . . . .”
Hyundai’s defective steering mechanism severely inhibits drivers’ ability to react to and/or avoid other cars, pedestrians, or obstacles.
The Vehicles’ steering defects have been the subject of a large number of consumer complaints.
Hyundai has long known about the problem but has not notified consumers. Previous Hyundai models had the same or a similar defect, which Hyundai was slow to acknowledge.
In 2016, Hyundai issued a recall concerning a similar defect in 2011 Sonata vehicles. The steering problem was caused by conflicting steering wheel input data which caused the power steering to turn off.
Further, according to the class action complaint:
Safe and functional power steering was material to . . . [c]lass members’ decisions to buy or lease the [subject] [v]ehicles . . . and [a] reasonable customer who purchases a vehicle that advertises power steering as a feature expects that feature to function properly. A reasonable consumer further expects and assumes that [Hyundai] will not sell vehicles with known safety defects, and will disclose any such defect to their customers.
NHTSA Consumer Complaints About Inadequate Steering Mechanisms
The complaint further states that [t]he database of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration . . . shows there are many detailed consumer complaints about the inadequate steering mechanisms of the [2013-2016 model year Hyundai Accent and Hyundai Elantra]. Additionally, the complaint alleges that [a]s of June 7, 2017, there were over 100 such complaints for the Elantra and 10 such complaints for the Accent.
What Can Hyundai Accent and Hyundai Elantra Vehicle Owners Do?
If you own a Hyundai Accent or Hyundai Elantra (Model Years 2013-2016) and would like to speak privately with an attorney to learn more information about this investigation, please complete the form to the right or contact Michael Yarnoff, Esq., (215) 792-6676, Ext. 804, [email protected]; John Kehoe, Esq., (215) 792-6676, Ext. 801, [email protected], or send an e-mail to [email protected].
The Kehoe Law Firm, P.C. is a multidisciplinary, plaintiff–side law firm dedicated to protecting investors and consumers from corporate fraud, negligence, and other wrongdoing. Driven by a strong and principled sense of social responsibility and obtaining justice for the aggrieved, Kehoe Law Firm, P.C. represents plaintiffs seeking to recover investment losses resulting from securities fraud, breaches of fiduciary duty, corporate wrongdoing or malfeasance, those harmed by anticompetitive practices, and consumers victimized by fraud, negligence, false claims, deception or data breaches.
