New Law Good News for Online Shoppers Bilked by Mystery Charges

Online marketing firms that bilked millions of consumers out of more than $1 billion will find it far harder to pick the pockets of online shoppers thanks to a new law passed by Congress.

For years, millions of consumers have been opening their credit card statements and discovering small, recurring charges for services they were tricked into signing up for while shopping online. These third-party "post-transaction" marketers typically offered consumers rebates or discounts when completing a purchase on popular shopping sites.

But due to disclosures buried in fine print, consumers didn't realize that by checking the "yes" box, they were actually enrolling in money-drainers with names like "Reservation Rewards," granting firms permission to bill their credit cards with mystery charges.