Nearly two years after federal authorities arrested the man behind the company responsible for one of the scammiest payday loans Consumerist has ever seen, the man and his lawyer were convicted of racketeering related to running a $3.6 million online payday lending operation that exploited more than 4.5 million people. [More]
After Closing 100 Locations, Ruby Tuesday Is Going Private In $146M Deal
By 10.16.17
Earlier this year, Ruby Tuesday revealed that it was exploring strategic alternatives — corporate speak for a sale — after experiencing continued declining sales and closing nearly 100 underperforming stores. Now, the company has settled on its alternative, a $146 million sale to private equity firm NRD Capital. [More]
Pizza Hut Alerts Customers Of Possible Theft Of Credit Card & Other Info
By 10.16.17
Tens of thousands of Pizza Hut customers received something unexpected this weekend. No, not a pizza, but notice that their credit card information may have been impacted during a security breach at the pizza company… two weeks ago. [More]
19,000 Macy’s Martha Stewart Cake-Cutting Sets Recalled Because They Aren’t Supposed To Cut You
By 10.16.17
When properly used, a cake-cutting knife should not cut the person slicing into the cake. But some Martha Stewart-branding serving sets have been breaking, doing damage to the holder instead of the cake. [More]
Sprint & T-Mobile Want To Merge Without Selling Anything Off
By 10.16.17
When a merger between two or more companies will have a drastic effect on competition, it’s all but expected that the new couple will sell off some of their existing operations to alleviate antitrust concerns. Even though a merger or Sprint and T-Mobile would leave the U.S. with only three national wireless carriers, the two rumored lovebirds are reportedly unwilling to part ways with any assets. [More]
Ford To Inspect, Repair 1.3M Explorers Over Exhaust Fumes
By 10.13.17
More than a year after federal safety regulators announced they were investigating at least 600,000 Ford Explorer SUVs after receiving hundreds of complaints that potentially dangerous exhaust fumes were leaking into the car’s cabin, Ford says it will inspect and repair more than 1.3 million vehicles. [More]
Samsung CEO To Leave Company Over “Unprecedented Crisis”
By 10.13.17
It hasn’t exactly been a great year for Samsung: The company’s vice chairman was indicted, arrested, and then sentenced to five years in prison in connection to a massive South Korean bribery case, then there were the Galaxy Note 7 and washing machine explosion debacles. Now the CEO of the tech giant’s electronics division is heading for the door amid what he calls an “unprecedented crisis” within the company. [More]
Student Loan Debt Relief Operations Allegedly Bilked $95M From Borrowers
By 10.13.17
The federal government and 11 states have joined together to accuse 30 purported debt relief operations of using deception and false promises to swindle more than $95 million from student loan borrowers. [More]
Sketchy Debt Relief Company Accused Of Impersonating Federal Agency
By 10.13.17
In a sweet case of karma, a debt relief operation that claimed to wipe away consumers’ debt through an affiliation with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has been sued by none other than that exact same agency. [More]
Tesla Recalls 11,000 Model X Vehicles Over Seats That Could Fly Forward
By 10.13.17
It’s not only convenient, but often necessary, for a vehicle’s seats to move. However, if those seats don’t return and stay in their proper position it can be a problem. Case in point: 11,000 Tesla Model X SUVs now under recall. [More]
Report Finds Auto Dealers May Be Charging Hispanic Customers More For Vehicle Add-Ons
By 10.11.17
If you’ve purchased a new car at a dealership, you’re probably familiar with the slew of possible options and add-ons for your vehicle — everything from tinted windows to extended service contracts. A new report claims that the price a customer is charged for these extras may be linked to their ethnicity.
[More]
United Airlines Strands Couple In Puerto Rico, So They Decided To Get Married
By 10.11.17
A couple from Oregon who were visiting Puerto Rico when Hurricane Maria hit say they were abandoned by United Airlines, forcing them to find their own way home. But their extended stay on the Caribbean island also resulted in an impromptu wedding. [More]
T-Mobile Fixes Bug That Exposed Customers’ Personal Info
By 10.11.17
T-Mobile patched a vulnerability on its website last week that could have exposed the personal information — including email addresses, account numbers, and other data — of its 76 million users. [More]
Coach Changes Name To ‘Tapestry’ Now That It Owns Other Brands
By 10.11.17
Months after Coach went on a shopping spree, picking up rival Kate Spade for $2.4 billion, the company has changed its name to Tapestry. [More]
Uber Facing At Least 5 Federal Investigations, Claims Report
By 10.11.17
Uber’s recent woes — a $20 million text message spamming settlement, an ousted CEO, investigations into sneaky software, and other issues — continue to deepen, as the Department of Justice has now reportedly opened at least five investigations into the company and its business practices. [More]
Congress, Trump Administration May Get Rid Of Billions In Student Aid
By 10.10.17
The Federal Pell Grant Program provides billions of dollars in financial aid to college students in need of assistance, but these grants — and other aid — could disappear or be made worthless if proposals by Congress and the Trump administration are enacted. [More]
Toys ‘R’ Us Recalls 29,000 ‘Wiggle Ball’ Toys Over Choking Hazard
By 10.10.17
Kids love wiggly, easy-to-grasp toys. Some kids also like putting little pieces of brightly colored plastic in their mouths. So when one of those wiggly toys has pieces that can break off and find themselves in a baby’s mouth, it’s time for a recall. [More]
Uber To Pay $20M For Allegedly Spamming People With Illegal Text Messages
By 10.10.17
More than a year after a Chicago resident filed a class-action lawsuit against Uber, claiming the company violated federal law by sending unsolicited text messages to people who want nothing to do with the service, the ride-hailing company has agreed to pay $20 million to put the legal challenge behind it. [More]
