US lawmakers urge FTC to finalize new car buyer protections

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – A group of 17 Democrats in Congress on Wednesday urged the Federal Trade Commission to finalize new consumer protections for car buyers despite objections from auto dealers.

The FTC in June 2022 proposed banning fees and bait-and-switch advertising tactics and requiring dealers to make key disclosures to consumers, including providing a true “offering price” and to make disclosures about optional add-on fees.

Senators Ed Markey, Ron Wyden, Cory Booker, Brian Schatz and Representative Pramila Jayapal among others in a letter seen by Reuters called on the FTC to “adopt strong regulatory protections for car buyers” arguing “unfair and deceptive practices involving motor vehicle dealers have widespread consequences.”