All of this being said, you have to ask why credit counseling agencies don't provide a truly negotiated debt settlement approach for consumers if it is a mathematically logical way to deal with some situations where consumers can demonstrate they are appropriate for that approach and understand the associated risks.
Mr. Jarashow said that so far he had handled 80 complaints, with about half resulting in a settlement for the consumer, and that he had decided against pursuing many cases, some because they were frivolous.
Representative Bill Pascrell Jr., Democrat of New Jersey, who has introduced a bill to regulate the secondary ticketing market, praised the settlement as a victory for consumers.
The settlement "is a win for consumers, certainly, who will now have the benefit of unrestricted competition," Deborah A. Garza, deputy assistant attorney general for antitrust, said in an interview.
"This settlement is a victory for consumers harmed by Apple's unfair billing, and a signal to the business community: whether you're doing business in the mobile arena or the mall down the street, fundamental consumer protections apply," said FTC Chairwoman Edith Ramirez in a statement.
Mark Jafar, a Viacom spokesman, on a company blog called the Time Warner Cable settlement "very good news for consumers".
Steve Kalafer, chairman of New Jersey's Flemington Car & Truck Country, a chain of 17 franchise dealerships that includes a VW dealer, said the settlement is a boon for consumers.
Indeed, as Chairman Leibowitz described the settlement, "it is good for consumers, it is good for competition, it is good for innovation, and it is the right thing to do".
"This settlement is the right result for consumers and for businesses, the right result for the economy and the right result for government," Attorney General John Ashcroft told reporters shortly after the government filed the proposed settlement in Federal District Court here.
Some experts said the settlement could prove good news for consumers and the broader economy, speeding the foreclosure process for hundreds of thousands of homeowners while potentially making it easier to obtain modifications of existing mortgages.
