Company: GOLD
Filing Date: 2025-02-10
Form Type: 10-Q
Source: 0000950170-25-016909
Chunk: 62

Company: Gold.com, Inc.
Filing Date: 2025-02-10
Form: 10-Q
Item: Item 1A
Chunk 62
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 enact similar restrictions on lead providers and potentially on marketing affiliates in the future, and if other states adopt similar restrictions, our ability to use lead providers or marketing affiliates in those states would also be interrupted.

The failure by lead providers or marketing affiliates to comply with applicable laws or regulations, or any changes in laws or regulations applicable to lead providers or marketing affiliates or changes in the interpretation or implementation of such laws or regulations, could have an adverse effect on our business and could increase negative perceptions of our business and industry. Additionally, the use of lead providers and marketing affiliates could subject us to additional regulatory cost and expense. If our ability to use lead providers or marketing affiliates were to be impaired, our business could be materially adversely affected.

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Judicial decisions, CFPB rulemaking, or amendments to the Federal Arbitration Act could render the arbitration agreements we use illegal or unenforceable.

We include arbitration provisions in our loan and financing agreements and to our Direct-to-Consumer terms and conditions. These provisions are designed to allow us to resolve any customer disputes through individual arbitration rather than in court and explicitly provide that all arbitrations will be conducted on an individual and not on a class basis. Thus, our arbitration agreements, if enforced, have the effect of shielding us from class action liability. Our arbitration agreements do not generally have any impact on regulatory enforcement proceedings. We take the position that the arbitration provisions in loan and financing agreements, including class action waivers, are valid and enforceable; however, the enforceability of arbitration provisions is often challenged in court. If those challenges are successful, our arbitration and class action waiver provisions could be unenforceable, which could subject us to additional litigation, including class action litigation.

In addition, the U.S. Congress has considered legislation that would generally limit or prohibit mandatory arbitration agreements in consumer contracts and has enacted legislation with such a prohibition with respect to certain mortgage loan agreements and also certain consumer loan agreements to members of the military on active duty and their dependents. Further, the Dodd-Frank Act directed the CFPB to study consumer arbitration and authorized the CFPB to adopt rules limiting or prohibiting consumer arbitration, consistent with the results of its study. In July 2017, the CFPB issued a new rule on arbitration, which would have prohibited class action waivers in certain consumer financial services contracts. However, in November 2017, a joint resolution passed by Congress was signed disapproving the rule under the Congressional Review Act. Because the rule was disapproved, it cannot be reissued in