One problem I feel will crop up anyway is an ongoing lack of knowledge about what arbitration run by industries is really about. Consumers may still be tricked into agreeing to it after a dispute arises, with the same biased arbitrators doing the same repeat business w/corporations, etc. BUT, I think that education can fix this, and passage of such a law would go a long way towards consumers’ lawyers being more aware of the problems, too. I doubt any effort will fix all the problems associated with any given issue, but this bill will go a long way toward that end. Doing nothing will just mean business as usual, where consumers have no choice unless they want to forego a phone, computer, credit card, house, car, and so on.

As an aside, I would like to urge consumers to at least TRY to refuse doing business unless the arbitration clause is thrown out of the deal. I am not the only one I have heard of who has refused to buy a new car unless a dealer removed the arbitration clause from all of their contracts. While the car maker’s warranty is non negotiable and subject to state Lemon Laws anyway, the dealer can and sometimes will alter a ‘standard’ contract if you are prepared to walk. We got the arbitration clause thrown out of the contract. We would’ve walked if they didn’t toss it.