Various laws and agencies exist to protect consumers, ensuring they can make informed decisions and can rely on the quality of the products and services they purchase. Consumers have a right to expect that businesses conduct themselves ethically and that product advertisements are fair, honest, and accurate. These protections also extend to safeguarding against identity theft and ensuring that credit reports are free from errors that can unfairly impact your financial standing. If you believe your rights as a consumer have been violated in any way, our Albuquerque, New Mexico consumer lawyers are here to help. Contact Feferman, Warren & Mattison today so we can get started working on your case.
Consumer Rights Lawyers: Defending Clients in New Mexico
Here at Feferman, Warren & Mattison, our consumer rights lawyers are dedicated to representing clients facing a wide range of issues, including the following:
What Laws Protect Consumers in the United States?
Just some of the most important laws designed to protect consumers here in the United States are as follows:
- Fair Credit Reporting Act: The FCRA regulates consumer credit reporting and gives consumers the right to obtain their credit reports from credit reporting companies. It also provides consumers with the legal assurance that credit reporting companies will fix any inaccuracies found on a given credit report once the discrepancy is brought to their attention.
- Truth in Lending Act: The Truth in Lending Act is a federal law that regulates lenders in the United States. It requires lenders to give borrowers full disclosures regarding terms and conditions of financial transactions and gives consumers the legal right to pursue a claim against deceptive lenders.
- Fair Debt Collection Practices Act: The FDCPA is designed to protect consumers from debt collectors who engage in unfair, illegal, or deceptive practices to retrieve the debt they believe they are owed. If you are being unlawfully pursued by a debt collector, you have a legal right to file a lawsuit against them.
- Telephone Consumer Protection Act: The TCPA protects consumers from unwanted and harassing robocalls, including telemarketing calls, automated texts, and prerecorded messages. This law sets strict limits on when and how companies can contact you, and provides statutory damages for each violation.
- Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act: RESPA is a federal law designed to protect consumers when dealing with mortgage lenders. It ensures transparency in the real estate settlement process and prohibits abusive practices such as kickbacks or hidden fees.
- Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act: Among other things, this law established the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) and expanded regulatory oversight of mortgage lenders and financial institutions.
- Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act: This law governs consumer product warranties and allows consumers to seek redress when goods fail to live up to the promises made by manufacturers or dealers. It plays a key role in disputes involving auto dealer fraud and mobile home sales.
There are also several laws in place that further consumer protections for people in New Mexico at the state level, such as:
- New Mexico Unfair Practices Act: This state law protects New Mexico consumers from deceptive, misleading, or unconscionable business practices. It applies broadly to goods, services, and credit, and allows consumers to sue for actual damages, statutory damages, and attorney’s fees.
- New Mexico Home Loan Protection Act: This law safeguards homeowners from predatory lending practices, including excessive fees, balloon payments, and loan flipping. It applies to certain high-cost home loans and helps ensure transparency and fairness in the lending process.
If you believe your rights, as afforded by these laws, have been violated in any way, you should strongly consider reaching out to our Albuquerque consumer rights lawyers at once. We can help you seek compensation for any of the financial damages you’ve incurred.
What Agencies Protect Consumers in the United States?
The primary agencies that protect consumers here in the United States are as follows:
- Federal Trade Commission: The FTC is a federal agency formed to protect consumers from unfair and deceptive business practices. The FTC also oversees consumer data security and works to limit the extent to which consumer information is shared between companies.
- Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB): Created under the Dodd-Frank Act, the CFPB enforces federal consumer financial laws and protects individuals from predatory lenders, credit reporting errors, and unfair mortgage practices. The CFPB is especially active in monitoring debt collectors, mortgage servicers, and credit bureaus.
- Federal Communications Commission (FCC): The FCC enforces the Telephone Consumer Protection Act and regulates communication technologies. It plays a central role in protecting consumers from robocalls and illegal telemarketing practices.
- Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD): HUD oversees regulations related to housing, including mobile home dealers and mortgage lenders. It enforces fair lending practices and ensures compliance with laws like RESPA.
- State Attorney General Offices: In every state, including New Mexico, the Attorney General’s office investigates and prosecutes violations of consumer protection laws, from auto fraud to credit reporting violations.
What Should I Do if My Rights as a Consumer Have Been Violated?
If you believe your rights as a consumer have been violated, whether due to identity theft, a credit reporting error, aggressive debt collection, mobile home or car dealer fraud, robocalls, or unfair treatment by a lender, you should take swift action to protect yourself. While each case is unique, there are a few key steps every consumer can take to begin building a strong foundation for legal recourse.
Start by gathering and preserving evidence. Keep a detailed record of any correspondence you’ve had with the business, lender, collector, or dealership involved. This includes emails, letters, voicemails, screenshots of text messages, and call logs–especially important in robocall or harassment cases. If you’ve reviewed your credit report and found errors, make note of the reporting agency and the nature of the inaccuracy. If you were misled by a mobile or car dealer, retain all purchase documents, advertisements, and contracts related to the transaction.
You should also hire an attorney who can file any relevant disputes or complaints with the appropriate credit bureaus, lenders, or regulatory agencies. From there, we can help you assert your rights under the full range of federal and state consumer protection laws–whether that means stopping harassing debt collection calls, fixing damaging errors on your credit report, holding a deceptive dealer accountable, or pursuing legal action against a predatory lender. If the violation is severe or ongoing, we can file a lawsuit on your behalf and fight for financial compensation and injunctive relief.
No matter how complex or intimidating your situation may seem, know that you’re not alone, and that legal help is available. Contact our seasoned Albuquerque consumer lawyers as soon as possible so we can begin evaluating your case and protecting your rights.
Contact Our Consumer Lawyers in Albuquerque, NM Today
If you’ve incurred damages due to a violation of your rights as a consumer, you need a lawyer you can depend on. Fortunately, you’re in the right place. Our legal team proudly serves clients throughout New Mexico, including in Bernalillo County, Valencia County, Doña Ana County, Sandoval County, Santa Fe County, San Juan County, and McKinley County. Contact the Albuquerque consumer lawyers at Feferman, Warren & Mattison today to schedule your initial consultation with our firm.
