Employee-pricing with no money down promo extended

By Truman Lewis of ConsumerAffairs

Amazon and Walmart have also gotten warnings

By Mark Huffman of ConsumerAffairs

• FTC targets deceptive "Made in USA" claims with warning letters to four companies.

• Amazon and Walmart notified over suspect product listings by third-party sellers.

• Agency reaffirms strict compliance with "Made in USA" labeling standards.

Since taking office, the Trump administration has taken steps to encourage U.S. manufacturing, even placing tariffs on products made elsewhere. The Federal Trade Commission sent out a wave of warning letters this week to companies it says are stretching the truth in that regard.

The agency cautioned four manufacturers and sent notices to retail giants Amazon and Walmart regarding potentially deceptive labeling practices by third-party sellers on their platforms.

FTC Chairman Andrew Ferguson underscored the significance of accurate labeling in a statement accompanying the announcement.

Made in the USA is not just a slogan its a sign that a product connects us to the workers and businesses that make America great, Ferguson said. Consumers want to have confidence that when they buy something labelled Made in the USA they are actually supporting American workers and the American economy. Companies that falsely claim their products are Made in the USA can expect to hear from the FTC.

Companies named in the warning

The warning letters target four businesses whose products are allegedly mislabeled or insufficiently substantiated as U.S.-made:

• Americana Liberty, a flagpole retailer

• Oak Street Manufacturing, LLC, a footwear manufacturer

• Pro Sports Group LLC, a football equipment company

• USA Big Mountain Paper Inc., a personal care product maker

The companies were reminded that under the FTC Act and the Made in USA Labeling Rule, any product marketed as Made in USA must be all or virtually all made in the United States. The FTC instructed them to either halt such marketing or provide clear substantiation.

Failure to comply can result in legal consequences, including subpoenas, federal lawsuits, injunctive actions, and civil penalties.

Amazon and Walmart are also under scrutiny

In addition to targeting individual manufacturers, the FTC sent letters to Amazon and Walmart, emphasizing that their platforms host third-party sellers making questionable Made in USA assertions. The agency warned that such representations may violate both the FTC Act and the platforms own seller policies.

The letters serve not only as a warning but also as a guide, reminding online marketplaces of

The FTC said the regulatory action is part of the FTCs broader July campaign to reinforce the importance of accurate origin labeling. The agency said it is promoting consumer trust in American-made products while ensuring companies adhere to federal standards.

The rule would have made it easier and simpler to cancel unwanted subscriptions

By Mark Huffman of ConsumerAffairs

• Federal appeals court strikes down FTCs click to cancel rule, citing regulatory overreach
• Consumer advocates warn the decision could make canceling subscriptions harder for millions
• Legal uncertainty looms for subscription-based businesses as industry braces for next steps

Companies that provide services long ago learned that if they could persuade customers to subscribe and pay a monthly fee, they would be assured of a constant revenue flow. Many that took that step did not make it easy to unsubscribe.

Enter the Federal Trade Commission, which last year finalized the click to cancel rule, requiring companies that sold subscriptions to make it easy for customers to cancel. But what seemed like a victory for consumers has now been overturned by the courts.

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit on Tuesday struck down the FTCs click to cancel rule, finding the FTC had exceeded its authority under Section 18 of the FTC Act.

The rule and the ruling

The now-defunct rule, finalized in March 2024, required businesses to provide a straightforward online mechanismoften a single click or clearly labeled buttonfor customers to cancel subscriptions and recurring charges. It also prohibited companies from obstructing the cancellation process with unwanted prompts, retention offers, or long call center wait times.

But in a 2-1 decision, the court ruled that the rule constituted a significant expansion of the Commissions rulemaking powers without explicit congressional authorization.

The Commission cannot create sweeping mandates that transform how businesses operate without a clear legislative directive, the justices wrote.

Industry cheers, advocates warn

Business groups and subscription-based platforms welcomed the ruling as a check on what they characterized as heavy-handed regulation. The National Retail Federation and Chamber of Digital Commerce, which had both filed amicus briefs in support of the challenge, praised the decision as a victory for regulatory balance and innovation.

However, consumer protection groups reacted with alarm, pointing out that companies have deployed a well-documented practice of using dark patterns and deceptive practices to keep consumers paying for a service they no longer want or need.

Prices at the wholesale level rose 6.3% in June

By Mark Huffman of ConsumerAffairs

• The Manheim Used Vehicle Value Index climbed to 208.5, up 6.3% year over year and 1.6% month over month, reflecting seasonal strength despite tariff-driven volatility.

• Retail demand remains solid as off-lease supply continues to tighten, supporting higher used-vehicle values.

• The used-vehicle market is showing signs of normalization and resilience, outperforming the new-vehicle segment in terms of stability.

The wholesale used-vehicle market posted a notable uptick in June, defying the typical seasonal downtrend and signaling continued strength in a sector buoyed by resilient demand and tightening supply. That suggests prices on used car lots may continue to rise.

According to the latest data from Cox Automotive, the Manheim Used Vehicle Value Index, which tracks vehicle prices at the wholesale level, rose to 208.5, a 6.3% increase from a year ago and up 1.6% from May after seasonal adjustments.

Tariffs, which are making new cars more expensive, were likely a factor. However, despite the seasonally adjusted index showing a monthly rise, non-adjusted wholesale prices actually fell by 1.1% in June, a sharper-than-usual decline. This disconnect was largely attributed to price volatility following recent tariff announcements that disrupted new-vehicle supply chains and trickled down to affect used-vehicle dynamics.

Wholesale appreciation trends have been more volatile over Q2 as tariffs really impacted new sales and supply, said Jeremy Robb, senior director of Economic and Industry Insights at Cox Automotive. Even so, retail sales continue to run a bit hotter than prior years.

Signs of market stabilization

Industry experts see encouraging signs that the used market is returning to a more stable rhythm after years of pandemic-induced turbulence.

Historically, the used market has been incredibly consistent; but the pandemic disrupted much of that consistency, said Jonathan Smoke, chief economist at Cox Automotive. What we are seeing suggests we could finally be out of that pattern.

Improved supply bolstered by trade-ins linked to new-vehicle sales earlier this year is contributing to a more normalized market. This balance between supply and demand is expected to support continued price strength in the second half of 2025.

Elevated depreciation trends

While June saw stronger index readings overall, weekly data from the Manheim Market Report (MMR) indicated elevated depreciation, especially in the latter half of the month. MMR values fell each week, culminating in a 0.6% drop in the final week.

Over four weeks, three-year-old vehicles depreciated by 1.3%, a much steeper decline than the 0.6% historical average for the same period.

Still, the average daily sales conversion rate rose to 57.8%, up over 1 percentage point from May and well above the three-year June average of 53.1%, signaling continued retail demand.

The luxury vehicle segment once again led price appreciation, climbing 8.8% year over year, followed by SUVs at 6.0%. In contrast, compact cars declined by 0.1% the only segment to register a drop while mid-size sedans and trucks posted modest gains of 2.8%.

Retail used-vehicle sales slipped 1.5% from May but remained 2% higher than June 2024. Listing prices edged up 0.3%, and days supply remained unchanged month-over-month at 45 days still slightly tighter than last years 46-day supply.

In contrast, new-vehicle sales slumped. June saw a 14.2% drop from May and a 4.2% year-over-year decline, dragged down by cooling demand and tariff pressures. Retail new sales were estimated to be 3.0% lower than a year ago, with the fleet share dipping to 17.6%.