University of Utah S.J. Quinney College of Law Professor Christopher Peterson co-authored an Op-ed for the Deseret News titled, “Op-ed: Wells Fargo case shows how fine print can erode freedom.” A statement from the article reads:
“Rather than addressing this systemic wrongdoing, Wells Fargo moved to keep the scandal out of the public eye by pointing to “ripoff clauses” buried deep in its contracts that force consumers to file individual claims in secret hearings. It may seem strange that the bank would prefer to face hundreds of thousands of consumers one by one and not defend itself in a handful of class-action lawsuits. Yet in practice, forced arbitration is not simply an alternate forum, but a way to ensure the bank never has to give consumers their money back.”