You are here

Home >

Consumer Protection

PROTECTING CONSUMER SAFETY—Toys should not be toxic or dangerous for children to play with. Our food should not make us sick. The terms for banking and credit accounts should be clear and easy to understand.

LOOKING OUT FOR CONSUMERS

CoPIRG’s consumer program works to alert the public to hidden dangers and scams and to ban anti-consumer practices and unsafe products.

TROUBLE IN TOYLAND

For 30 years, CoPIRG’s "Trouble In Toyland" report has surveyed store shelves and identified choking hazards, noise hazards and other dangers. Our report has led to at least 150 recalls and other regulatory actions over the years.

Get our tips for avoiding dangerous toys.

BIGGER BANKS, BIGGER FEES

In April, CoPIRG released a report in which we surveyed more than 350 bank branches and revealed that fewer than half of branches obeyed their legal duty to fully disclose fees to prospective customers, while one in four provided no fee information at all. We also found that despite widespread stories about the “death” of free checking, free and low-cost checking choices are still widely available, if consumers shop around.

Find out how to beat high bank fees.

SEE ALL CONSUMER RESOURCES

Get the reports

Issue updates

News Release | CoPIRG | Consumer Protection

Denver financial empowerment office helps thousands of residents reduce debt, save money, avoid debt traps

CoPIRG released new data highlighting the success of the Denver Office of Financial Empowerment and Protection (OFEP), which in 2020 helped thousands of Denver residents reduce debt by $1.4 million, increase savings by $227,000, avoid $826,000 in tax prep fees, and improve credit scores by an average of 43 points. CoPIRG highlighted that the Denver OFEP success underscores the role a statewide Office of Financial Empowerment could play to help leverage Denver’s success across the state.

 

> Keep Reading
Report | CoPIRG | Consumer Protection

Data from the Denver Office of Financial Empowerment and Protection

Data provided by the Denver Office of Financial Empowerment and Protection shows that thousands of people were helped in 2020.

> Keep Reading
News Release | CoPIRG | Consumer Protection

Reauthorization of Colorado's utility consumer advocate takes step forward

The Colorado Senate Transportation and Energy Committee approved SB21-103 and moved the Office of Consumer Counsel (OCC) one step closer to reauthorization. Over the last 30 years, the OCC has saved consumers $1.7 billion - with average annual consumer savings of $113 million over the last five years.

> Keep Reading
Report | CoPIRG Foundation and U.S. PIRG Education Fund | Consumer Protection

What Coloradans Are Fixing 2021

Here in Colorado, we want to fix our stuff – even during the COVID-19 pandemic. According to a review of data from iFixit, which describes itself as the “repair guide for everything, written by everyone,” over 1 million unique users from Colorado went to www.iFixit.com to look up how to repair something in 2020. Even as repairing our devices for learning and working became critical to staying safe, 6 of the top 10 most popular manufacturers of devices that Coloradans were trying to fix restrict access to parts and service information

> Keep Reading
Blog Post | Consumer Protection

Report: Colorado consumers faced major challenges with credit bureaus, debt collectors in 2020 | Aaron Colonnese

> Keep Reading

Pages

News Release | CoPIRG | Consumer Protection

Denver financial empowerment office helps thousands of residents reduce debt, save money, avoid debt traps

CoPIRG released new data highlighting the success of the Denver Office of Financial Empowerment and Protection (OFEP), which in 2020 helped thousands of Denver residents reduce debt by $1.4 million, increase savings by $227,000, avoid $826,000 in tax prep fees, and improve credit scores by an average of 43 points. CoPIRG highlighted that the Denver OFEP success underscores the role a statewide Office of Financial Empowerment could play to help leverage Denver’s success across the state.

 

> Keep Reading
News Release | CoPIRG | Consumer Protection

Reauthorization of Colorado's utility consumer advocate takes step forward

The Colorado Senate Transportation and Energy Committee approved SB21-103 and moved the Office of Consumer Counsel (OCC) one step closer to reauthorization. Over the last 30 years, the OCC has saved consumers $1.7 billion - with average annual consumer savings of $113 million over the last five years.

> Keep Reading
News Release | CoPIRG | Consumer Protection

CoPIRG calls for basic good governance and transparency for electric coops

CoPIRG called on the House Energy and Environment Committee to approve HB21-1131, titled Cooperative Electric Associations Governance Requirements, sponsored by Representatives Amabile and Catlin. The bill would ensure every electric cooperative and the generation and transmission associations they depend on have basic minimum standards of good governance in place. 

> Keep Reading
News Release | Consumer Tips, Consumer Protection

A week's worth of help and tips during Consumer Protection Week

Being a consumer is a tough job. Really tough. During National Consumer Protection Week, which runs through March 6, the U.S. PIRG Education Fund staff is offering a daily dose of tips and advice to help you navigate life’s biggest consumer challenges.

> Keep Reading
News Release | CoPIRG Foundation, U.S. PIRG Education Fund, Frontier Group | Consumer Protection

Study: CFPB complaints shattered records in 2020, exposing how the COVID-19 pandemic battered consumer finances

Consumer complaints about problems with financial companies such as banks, credit bureaus and debt collectors rose by more than 50 percent in 2020 and set new records for each month of the year, according to a new report from the CoPIRG Foundation. The report, Consumers In Peril, which analyzed complaints received by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), was released Monday to kick off National Consumer Protection Week.

> Keep Reading

Pages

Result | Consumer Protection

Defending Colorado’s Consumer Advocate

For 30 years, Colorado’s consumer advocate, the Office of Consumer Counsel (OCC), has gone to bat for Colorado consumers on gas, electric and telephone matters. All told, it has saved Coloradans more than $1.7 billion on their bills. Despite this track record of success, in 2015 the state legislature came close to eliminating it. CoPIRG helped mobilize public support and generate media attention to save the OCC.

> Keep Reading
Result | Consumer Protection

30 years of toy safety

For the past thirty years, our sister organization U.S. PIRG Education Fund has taken a close look at the safety of toys sold in stores. Their reports have led to more than 150 regulatory actions. In November 2015, they released our 30th annual Trouble in Toyland report.

> Keep Reading
Result | Consumer Protection

Keeping Families Safe From Dangerous Products

Companies that  violate product safety laws will face stiff fines and penalties,

> Keep Reading
Report | CoPIRG | Consumer Protection

Data from the Denver Office of Financial Empowerment and Protection

Data provided by the Denver Office of Financial Empowerment and Protection shows that thousands of people were helped in 2020.

> Keep Reading
Report | CoPIRG Foundation and U.S. PIRG Education Fund | Consumer Protection

What Coloradans Are Fixing 2021

Here in Colorado, we want to fix our stuff – even during the COVID-19 pandemic. According to a review of data from iFixit, which describes itself as the “repair guide for everything, written by everyone,” over 1 million unique users from Colorado went to www.iFixit.com to look up how to repair something in 2020. Even as repairing our devices for learning and working became critical to staying safe, 6 of the top 10 most popular manufacturers of devices that Coloradans were trying to fix restrict access to parts and service information

> Keep Reading
Report | CoPIRG Foundation, U.S. PIRG Education Fund, Frontier Group | Consumer Protection

Consumers in Peril

A review of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s public complaint database finds that consumer complaints about financial grievances spiked during the pandemic year of 2020, eclipsing 2019, the previous record year. Analysis of complaint volumes and the types of complaints received shows that, as consumers dealt with the economic fallout of the pandemic, they increasingly faced  problems with financial companies.

> Keep Reading
Report | CoPIRG | Consumer Protection

A Guide for Protecting Yourself from Identity Theft

On September 21st, all fees to place and remove credit freezes at the major credit bureaus will be eliminated. CoPIRG recommends all Colorado consumers take advantage of this opportunity and place a credit freeze at the three major credit bureaus (Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion) as well as the National Consumer Telecommunications & Utilities Exchange (NCTUE). Here's how.

> Keep Reading
Report | CoPIRG | Consumer Protection

Recommendations in Response to Equifax Breach

Equifax, one of the big three credit reporting agencies, announced on September 7th that it had been hacked, potentially compromising the data of 145 million Americans. The types of information taken from the massive credit bureau, particularly Social Security numbers and dates of birth, are the keys to new account identity theft. This means identity thieves could open fraudulent credit accounts and rack up tons of debt in your name. Here’s our recommendations for what you should do:

> Keep Reading

Pages

Blog Post | Consumer Protection

Report: Colorado consumers faced major challenges with credit bureaus, debt collectors in 2020 | Aaron Colonnese

> Keep Reading
Blog Post | Consumer Protection

Why Rohit Chopra is the consumer champion we need to head the Consumer Bureau | Aaron Colonnese

We can't let this chance to restore vital consumer protections slip through our fingers.

> Keep Reading
Blog Post | Consumer Protection

How Do Dating Apps Use My Data? A Video Explainer | R.J. Cross

If you've ever used a dating app, your data has likely been collected and shared across the Internet. How do dating - and other types of apps - use your data? Advocate R.J. Cross explains. 

> Keep Reading
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

> Keep Reading
Blog Post | Consumer Tips, COVID-19, Consumer Protection

Six questions to ask before allowing a contractor into your home during the COVID-19 pandemic | Jacob van Cleef

Being proactive and demanding can help keep you and your family safe

> Keep Reading

Pages

Blog Post | Consumer Protection

In the wake of the Capital One data breach, Ed Mierzwinski and Adam Garber explain how to protect your credit

Were you affected by the Capital One breach, one of the largest thefts of data from any bank to date?

> Keep Reading
Blog Post | Consumer Protection

State PIRGs go to Washington for Consumer Lobby Day

Members of Congress hear repeatedly from lobbyists for corporate special interests in their offices and at fundraisers. How can consumer advocates balance the scales?

> Keep Reading
Blog Post | Consumer Protection

Congressional testimony underscores how predatory auto loans are driving Americans into debt

In most of the country, owning a car is all but required. And we're paying for it—to the tune of $1.2 trillion. This is putting the financial well-being of millions of Americans at risk, and CoPIRG and our national network are calling for change.

> Keep Reading
Blog Post | Consumer Protection

188,000 Coloradans Call For Ballot Measure To Rein In Payday Loan Interest Rates

On August 6, CoPIRG and coalition partners dropped off 188,045 signatures at the Colorado Secretary of State’s office in support of a ballot measure to cap sky-high payday loan interest rates. The Secretary of State’s office has the next few weeks to validate the signatures and assign Initiative 126 to the November 6 ballot.

> Keep Reading
Blog Post | Consumer Protection

1 Year After Equifax Data Breach, Here's Everything You Need To Know

One year after announcing the biggest data breach in history, Equifax still hasn’t been held accountable or provided the information and tools consumers need to protect themselves. Since Equifax won’t help protect consumers, CoPIRG is stepping in.

> Keep Reading
Report | CoPIRG

Data from the Denver Office of Financial Empowerment and Protection

Data provided by the Denver Office of Financial Empowerment and Protection shows that thousands of people were helped in 2020.

News Release | CoPIRG

Denver financial empowerment office helps thousands of residents reduce debt, save money, avoid debt traps

CoPIRG released new data highlighting the success of the Denver Office of Financial Empowerment and Protection (OFEP), which in 2020 helped thousands of Denver residents reduce debt by $1.4 million, increase savings by $227,000, avoid $826,000 in tax prep fees, and improve credit scores by an average of 43 points. CoPIRG highlighted that the Denver OFEP success underscores the role a statewide Office of Financial Empowerment could play to help leverage Denver’s success across the state.

 

News Release | CoPIRG

Reauthorization of Colorado's utility consumer advocate takes step forward

The Colorado Senate Transportation and Energy Committee approved SB21-103 and moved the Office of Consumer Counsel (OCC) one step closer to reauthorization. Over the last 30 years, the OCC has saved consumers $1.7 billion - with average annual consumer savings of $113 million over the last five years.

Report | CoPIRG Foundation and U.S. PIRG Education Fund

What Coloradans Are Fixing 2021

Here in Colorado, we want to fix our stuff – even during the COVID-19 pandemic. According to a review of data from iFixit, which describes itself as the “repair guide for everything, written by everyone,” over 1 million unique users from Colorado went to www.iFixit.com to look up how to repair something in 2020. Even as repairing our devices for learning and working became critical to staying safe, 6 of the top 10 most popular manufacturers of devices that Coloradans were trying to fix restrict access to parts and service information

Blog Post

Report: Colorado consumers faced major challenges with credit bureaus, debt collectors in 2020

Consumer Protection

Report: Colorado consumers faced major challenges with credit bureaus, debt collectors in 2020

If you were treated unfairly by a financial company such as a credit bureau in 2020, you're not alone. "Consumers in Peril," a CoPIRG Foundation report on the top marketplace threats that Americans faced in 2020, found that problems with banks, credit bureaus and debt collectors were among the top consumer complaints.

 

Consumer Protection

Auto Loan Complaints Rise

A review of complaints to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s (CFPB) Consumer Complaint Database reveals a sharp spike in consumer complaints about auto purchasing, leasing and finance since the beginning of the pandemic.

 

Consumer Protection

Gov. Polis signs anti-price gouging bill into law

Gov. Jared Polis has signed into law a CoPIRG-backed bill that makes it illegal to sell food, fuel, medical supplies or other necessities for excessively high prices during a declared emergency. In Colorado and across the country, some sellers have been using the pandemic to take advantage of consumers by dramatically raising prices for essential goods.

 

Consumer Protection

Rich Cordray offers expert consumer tips with U.S. PIRG advocates via Zoom

During an online panel organized by U.S. PIRG, former CFPB Director Rich Cordray warned that this difficult time will likely last longer than most believe, and that consumers need protections such as mortgage relief and a halt on evictions for nonpayment of rent in order to weather it.

 
View AllRSS Feed

Tools & Resources

support us

Your donation supports CoPIRG's work to stand up for consumers on the issues that matter, especially when powerful interests are blocking progress.

Donate Today

consumer alerts

Join our network and stay up to date on our campaigns, get important consumer updates and take action on critical issues.
Optional Member Code



CoPIRG is part of The Public Interest Network, which operates and supports organizations committed to a shared vision of a better world and a strategic approach to social change.