As Consumer Watchdog’s founder, Harvey Rosenfield is one of the nation’s foremost consumer advocates. Trained as a public interest lawyer, Rosenfield authored Proposition 103 and organized the campaign that led to its passage by California voters in 1988 despite over $80 million spent in opposition (still a record).
He has co-authored groundbreaking initiatives on HMO reform and utility rate deregulation (Proposition 9, 1998). Rosenfield is the author of the book, Silent Violence, Silent Death: The Hidden Epidemic of Medical Malpractice.
Rosenfield, who established Consumer Watchdog in 1985, has worked for the Federal Trade Commission, the U.S. Congress, in private practice, as a staff attorney for Ralph Nader’s Public Citizen Congress Watch and as the Program Director for the California Public Interest Research Group (CalPIRG).
Rosenfield graduated magna cum laude from Amherst College and obtained a joint Law and Masters degree in Foreign Service from Georgetown University.
Consumer Watchdog Opposes Delay in $256 Million in Refunds and Rate Savings for State Farm Customers
Santa Monica, CA – Consumer Watchdog will be in court tomorrow to oppose a request by State Farm, California’s largest insurance company, to postpone refunds of more than $100 million in overcharges on home, condo and renters insurance, and delay a 7% rate cut that would save customers $156 million per year (including the savings from denying the 6.9% rate increase sought by State Farm).
State Farm Sues to Avoid $256 Million in Refunds and Rate Savings for Consumers
Santa Monica, CA – State Farm, the nation’s largest insurance company, has filed two lawsuits seeking to overturn an order by the Insurance Commissioner that the company cut its home condo and renters insurance rates by 7% – which would save customers $156 million per year as compared to the rates requested by State Farm – and repay its policyholders more than $100 million for overcharges dating ba
WASHINGTON, D.C.Consumer Watchdog Posts Judge’s State Farm Proposed Refund Order; Commissioner Must Approve Or Reject
Santa Monica, CA – Yesterday, the California Department of Insurance made public a proposed decision by an Administrative Law Judge, issued after an extensive hearing requested by Consumer Watchdog, ordering State Farm to decrease its homeowners insurance rates by 7.0%, and to refund policyholders $85 million for overcharges collected since July 15, 2015.
Judge Finds that State Farm Overcharged Consumers $85 Million, Proposes Refunds and $156 Million Rate Reduction; Final Decision From Insurance Commissioner Pending
Santa Monica, CA -- In a major victory for 1.7 million State Farm policyholders, an administrative law judge at the California Department of Insurance has:
Consumer Advocates Demand Federal Agency Act on Auto Safety Petition
Santa Monica, CA -- A backroom deal by the federal agency responsible for auto safety to allow automakers to avoid following federal safety rules is unlawful and will lead to more deaths and injuries, three top consumer advocates said today. They urged the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to grant the formal petition the advocates filed in January to require automakers to make advanced safety