CARS President Awarded "2025 Legislative Advocate of the Year" Award
CARS President Rosemary Shahan was recently awarded the "2025 Legislative Advocate of the Year" Award, presented by the Consumer Federation of California and the California Low Income Consumer Coalition, in honor of her work to win passage of the California Combating Auto Retail Scams (CARS) Act, a landmark first-in-the-nation law that will take effect on October 1 of this year.
Rosemary led the coalition that advocated for passage of the law, and worked closely with the author, Senator Ben Allen (D-Santa Monica) and his Legislative staffer Shoshana Levy, to overcome the vehement opposition from new and used car dealers and their trade associations, auto lenders, banking interests, the Chamber of Commerce, and the Civil Justice Association of California (including Big Tobacco, the oil industry, and other multi-national corporations that profit from causing horrific human misery).
Front row: Shelmun Dashan (Policy Director, Berkeley Center for Consumer Law and Economic Justice), Erika NGO (Legislative Director for CA Assemblymember Ash Kalra -- holding two awards, presented to her and to Assemblymember Kalra), CARS President Rosemary Shahan, National Consumers League Executive Director Sally Greenberg, Shoshana Levy (Policy Analyst for Senator Ben Allen -- holding two awards, presented to her and to Senator Allen), Yarissa Ramirez (Associate Director, Consumer Federation of California), and Heidi Pickman (Vice President of the small business organization, CAMEO Network)
Back row: Dani Kando Kaiser (Policy Advocate, California low-income Consumer Coalition), Megan Varvais (consumer advocate and Board Member, CARS Foundation), Robert Herrell (Executive Director, Consumer Federation of California), Ted Mermin (Director, California Low-income Consumer Coalition), Andrea Luquetta (Senior Counsel, Center for Responsible Lending), and Jamie Duong (Director of Operations and Development, Consumer Federation of California)
National Consumer Law Center
The Consumer Impact Award Presented to Rosemary Shahan
In recognition of her visionary leadership
in protecting consumer rights and
preserving access to economic justice
The award was presented by NCLC at the annual Consumer Rights conference in Seattle, October, 2012
NCLC has presented this award only once before, to Jean Ann Fox
Rosemary was introduced by leading national consumer advocate
and former Duke University Law Professor Tom Domonoske
The Consumer Impact Award recognizes exceptional consumer advocates who are non-attorneys,
who would otherwise receive the NCLC Vern Countryman Award.
Money Magazine: Heroes A yearlong celebration of 40 people who have made extraordinary efforts
to improve others' financial well-being; May, 2012
"A Driving Force for Lemon Laws"
Rosemary Shahan, President and Founder of Consumers for Auto Reliability and Safety
Why she's a hero: Shahan, 62, has spent three decades fighting on drivers' behalf
for more effective repairs, improved safety, and fairer financing.
CARS was selected by Consumers Union as one of 5 finalists
for the Consumers Union Excellence in Consumer Advocacy Award,
launched to honor those who advocate for consumers. More about the award
Here is our 90 second video that was entered for the award:
Consumer Attorneys of California Consumer Advocate of the Year Award, 2009
"For her inspirational efforts in Protecting Consumer Rights and
Improving Consumer Safety in the
Wake of Automaker Bankruptcy Filings"
Consumer Federation of America
presents Esther Peterson Consumer Service award to
CARS President Rosemary Shahan, widely considered to be top consumer award in the nation June, 2004
The Gleitsman Foundation Award of Achievement, 2002
Upon the recommendation of California
Attorney General Bill Lockyer
"For twenty-three years you have continued to work tirelessly, with no support staff and very little money, to improve auto safety and promote fair and equitable treatment for all consumers, particularly low-income consumers, minorities and women.... and for this we salute you." www.gleitsman.org
Consumer Attorneys of California
"Consumer Advocate of the Year 2000"
"For your passionate and persistent pursuit of consumer rights and for
your special ability to make manufacturers of defective and dangerous
products and insurance companies squirm."
State of California Department of Consumer
Affairs Distinguished Service Citation (1985)
C.A.R.S. Mission
CARS is a national, award-winning,
non-profit auto safety and consumer
advocacy organization working to
save lives, prevent injuries, and
protect consumers from
auto-related fraud and abuse.
THANK YOU!
to everyone who has supported CARS' work, including the more than 589,000 people who have contributed financially
to CARS, and signed or shared CARS' petitions. YOU are helping save precious lives!!
Buyer Beware! Auto dealers use
forced arbitration
to get away with cheating customers
Even when car dealers flagrantly violate consumer protection laws, you may not be able to get justice. That's because almost 100% of car dealers stick "forced arbitration" clauses into their contracts. If they cheat you, and you try to take them to court, they can just laugh at you. That's because they can get your case kicked into arbitration -- a secret, rigged process that favors big, corrupt lawbreakers. The dealer often gets to choose the arbitration firm, and even the arbitrator who hears your case. Unlike judges, arbitrators are perfectly free to ignore the law.
Dealers claim that arbitration is quick. But Jon Perz in San Diego had to wait over 8 years in "arbitration limbo" before he finally got justice, after Mossy Toyota sold him an unsafe car. CARS produced a short video exposing what happened. More than 1.3 million people have watched our video on YouTube:
See the billboard CARS displayed
right next to Mossy Toyota's car lot,
and read more about how Jon finally won.
