The term junk fees has been used liberally in recent years, and particularly in the past year, by politicians, regulators, and the media to refer to different types of fees that are charged to consumers by businesses in different industries. There have been significant government efforts, both at the State and Federal levels, to combat unfair or deceptive practices related to such fees. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has been particularly active in the rulemaking area, with a new proposed Trade Regulation Rule on Unfair or Deceptive Fees that could result in a major overhaul of the way companies disclose the prices of goods and services to consumers in advertising and marketing.

In this episode of Perfect Balance: An Advertising Law Podcast, host Po Yi is joined by Manatt partners Bez Stern, Bryan Schneider and Scott Pearson, to discuss the latest efforts by regulators and legislators relating to what they deem to be unfair or deceptive fees and the implication for businesses marketing to consumers.

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Additional Resources

• Manatt Practice Pages
  • Advertising, Marketing and Media
  • Consumer Financial Services
  • Consumer Protection
  • Federal Trade Commission (FTC)
• Articles
  • FTC Regulation Tracker – December 2023
  • FTC Seeks to Ban “Junk Fees” With a New Proposed Rule
  • Massachusetts AG Proposes Rule Regulating “Junk Fees” and Subscriptions