On a regular basis I continue to hear Alabama consumers complain about being forced to sign binding arbitration agreements when they buy automobiles, trucks, and other consumer products. I also hear from folks who have valid claims against companies arising out of consumer transactions and who learn to their detriment that they have either unknowingly signed an agreement that contained such an arbitration provision or had one placed in a monthly statement without their knowledge. These consumers then found their claims shunted into arbitration where they have little change of success. To summarize all of this, consumers don’t like mandatory, binding arbitration and can’t understand how corporations can get away with this sort of thing.

Every single public opinion survey that has polled the arbitration issue recently has reported that folks all over the country strongly dislike mandatory arbitration that is binding. The thing that really concerns most of the folks I talk with is that politicians don’t seem to recognize that there is even a problem. Consumers can’t understand why politicians won’t help them. My response is simply that consumers have very little political clout and that big money in the form of campaign contributions is the thing that gets the attention of most politicians. I hope that will change one of these days.

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