Attorney General Koster is an active and aggressive protector of Missouri’s consumers. After taking office, as the mortgage crisis was heating up, he declared “Zero Tolerance” on businesses that were cheating consumers trying to avoid foreclosure or lower their month house payments. Koster took legal action to stop these businesses, and actively warned consumers not to do business with them. Similarly, Koster has gone after businesses that promise to obtain lower credit card payments for consumers.
Koster also has taken on businesses that sold consumers auto service contracts that did not do what they promised. After filing lawsuits against a number of businesses, Koster created an Auto Service Contract Task Force. The Task Force’s recommendations led to legislation passed by the General Assembly in 2011 to set rules for selling these products and to regulate those who sell them.
The Attorney General has pursued many other businesses and industries that have taken advantage of consumers, including:
In the past two years, Koster’s office has obtained restitution and penalties of more than $16 million for Missouri’s consumers who had filed consumer complaints with his office. In addition, through litigation and formal settlement agreements, he has obtained almost $15 million for the state on behalf of consumers.
Other areas in which the Attorney General has been out-front for consumers include mishandled pre-need funeral plans, unfair debt-collection practices, anti-competitiveness in the credit card industry, and fraudulent charities.