attorney-general

The National Association of Attorneys General has polled state attorneys general, who are typically responsible for enforcing consumer protection laws in their states, and announced the top ten consumer complaints for 2008. It's an interesting list.  More Â»

Over a year ago, we wrote about Lifestyle Lift and its attempts to astroturf a customer review website (while simultaneously suing that website for trademark infringement, naturally). But then they caught the attention of New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo's office, and now they've agreed to pay $300,000 and will stop publishing fake reviews online.  More Â»

Ticketmaster will pay a $50,000 fine and shutter more than 100 deceptive brokerage sites as part of a wide-reaching agreement with Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan. Madigan's office accused Ticketmaster's always shady subsidy, TicketsNow, of creating sites that masqueraded as local venues selling tickets at face value. The settlement also requires TicketsNow to wait until after Ticketmaster puts non-sporting events on sale before hawking tickets at outrageously inflated prices.  More Â»

One of the acai berry's most miraculous powers is its ability to filch hundreds of dollars from consumers who are seeking new ways to lose weight and live forever. Now one company known for marketing an acai elixir has settled a lawsuit from the Arizona Attorney General over charges of deceptive practices.  More Â»

The New York Attorney General shut down a network of debt collection agencies today that were run by convicted felon Tobias Boyland, who along with his colleagues impersonated police officers, threatened debtors with arrest, and told them they were being sued in civil court. Boyland is also an author and a musician, and he has an awesome website, bagsofmoney.us, which—warning—launches into a street-friendly rap song as soon as it loads.  More Â»

U.S. Fidelis, the auto warranty company that's currently being investigated by 40 state attorneys general for questionable business practices, has hired the law firm headed by former U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft. The firm won't represent the company in litigation, but is supposed to provide an internal review of their practices. They'll also provide draping cloths for any immodest statuary, and wiretap kits for employees of interest. Hey, it's hard to do topical humor on someone who's been out of office for 4 years.  More Â»

The Today show recently aired a terrifically entertaining exposé of US Fidelis, one of the biggest companies behind the auto warranty racket that you've probably encountered via junk mail, telemarketing, or even on TV. They start by looking at an individual who spent $3,180 on one of their auto warranties only to be left stranded when her car overheated and they refused to pay.  More Â»

Come on people, Dell agreed to dole out $1.5 million to customers who had problems with warranty repairs, credit financing, and rebates, but with only a week before the filing deadline, Washington's Attorney General says that only 42 people in his state have submitted claim forms. We know there are eligible Dell victims out there. Our tipline alone has nearly 1,000 Dell-related complaints. Please, fill out your claim form now and get the money your state attorney generals earned for you!  More Â»

Philips Avent, the nation's largest seller of baby bottles, announced today that it will voluntarily stop selling bottles containing the controversial chemical bisphenol A (BPA). Attorneys general from Connecticut and New Jersey had written a letter to several bottle makers asking them to stop, and the Washington Post says the six largest baby bottle manufacturers in the country have voluntarily complied.  More Â»

When the recent Bruce Springsteen ticket sales event blew up in Ticketmaster's stupid face, it brought down the wrath of New Jersey Attorney General Anne Milgram. Now Ticketmaster and New Jersey have reached a settlement that will change how the company conducts business across the U.S. Here's what will change:  More Â»

The Florida Attorney General's office is looking into nearly 60 complaints they've received about Cash4Gold.com. A number of them complain about sending in valuable jewelry and getting pennies back, and then the company not sending their stuff back as promised.  More Â»

A $3.35 million settlement has been reached with 34 states in the suit against Dell alleging deceptive practices like misleading consumers about financing terms, rebates, and warranties. The states are...  More Â»

A Maryland woman bought some jewelry on sale at the Kohl's in Westminster, then discovered cheaper prices under the price tags.  More Â»

AIG has been repeatedly called on the carpet over the past week or so for indefensible "business as usual" expenditures—a lavish corporate retreat, an executive hunting trip, and severance packages costing tens of millions of dollars. Now, after a meeting with NY Attorney General Andrew Cuomo, they've announced they'll start trying harder to monitor and stomp out unnecessary expenses.   More Â»

Comcast has joined pretty much every other ISP in New York by shutting off access to newsgroups, effective two days ago, although current users will still have access through October 25th. A lot of stories on this topic have focused on how New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo has led the overall "crackdown" due to kiddie porn, but we think this is really just a politically convenient business decision to cut costs on a service that's declining in popularity. DSLReports seems to agree, and they offer some advice on where you can get affordable newsgroup access now that your ISP is no longer footing the bill.  More Â»

Between 1992 and 2003, Citibank operated an "automatic sweeping" program that would without notice remove positive balances from customers' credit card accounts—mainly those of the poor and the recently deceased—and pocket the money. Now it's paying back $14 million dollars to the affected customers, plus another $3.5 million in penalties to California, thanks to that state's Attorney General.  More Â»

Four major potato chip makers have agreed to use less of the carcinogen Acrylamide under a settlement with the California Attorney General's office. Frito-Lay, Heinz, Kettle Foods, and Lance Inc. also agreed to pay a $3 million fine for flouting state laws that require companies to place warning labels on products with carcinogens.  More Â»

Florida's Attorney General scored a victory for consumers last week, when AT&T Mobility agreed to refund fees that third-party vendors snuck onto thousands of accounts under the guise of "free" ringtones, wallpapers, and text content. They also agreed to hand over $2.5 million to help fund the state's recently-created CyberFraud Task Force, to spend $500,000 for "consumer education on safe Internet use," and to start policing third-party vendors better and make sure all billed items are clearly described.   More Â»

She writes:

When I went to pay for the order, I noticed a gratuity already included on the bill. I told the waiter, "this is take out gratuity is not included."   More Â»

Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley last week unveiled aggressive regulations designed to curb the orgy of irresponsible lending that led to the subprime meltdown. The measures, among the strictest in the nation, enjoin lenders from profiteering or ignoring a prospective borrower's financial situation.  More Â»