Even with bought-and-paid-for Senators urging the FCC to hurry up its review of the pending merger of Comcast and Time Warner Cable, there is only so much the regulators can do when they don’t have the documents they need to complete that review. That’s why the FCC has once again hit the pause button on the time clock for this mega-merger. [More]
Government Policy
BMW Doesn’t Like Being The Last One Standing, Issues Nationwide Recall Of Cars With Defective Takata Airbags
By 12.22.14
Being the last one in line isn’t always the best feeling. That may have been the case for BMW after it was the last automaker to not issue a nationwide recall of vehicles equipped with Takata-produced airbags that may spew shrapnel at passengers upon deployment. Now, bowing to pressure from federal regulators, the manufacturer plans to recall some 140,000 cars from across the United States. [More]
FTC, State Of Florida Shut Down Deceptive Online Directory Companies, Order $1.7M In Redress
By 12.22.14
For a small business owner trying to reach customers, advertising in an online directory might sound like a good idea. But there are also scammers out there looking to take advantage of these businesses by charging them for directory listings that never materialize. Just ask the victims of two “directory” operators that allegedly bilked millions of dollars from small businesses. [More]
Fiat Chrysler Expands Takata Airbag Recall To 3.3M Across The United States
By 12.22.14
After months of pushing back, Fiat Chrysler is finally following the lead of other major automakers. Bowing to pressure from federal regulators, the company is massively expanding their recall of vehicles with potentially defective Takata airbags that have been linked to at least five deaths so far.
T-Mobile Agrees To Pay $112.5M To Settle FTC Mobile-Cramming Lawsuit
By 12.19.14
Rounding out a week punctuated by new accusations of mobile carriers overcharging consumers using a practice known as “bill-cramming,” one past lawsuit is being put to rest. T-Mobile agreed today to shell-out at least $112.5 million to settle a Federal Trade Commission lawsuit that the “Un-carrier” tacked-on unwanted third-party charges to customer’s bills. [More]
Report: Envoy Air, ExpressJet More Likely To Lose Your Bags; Virgin, Frontier Least Likely
By 12.18.14
Each time I check my suitcase before hopping a flight, I say a little prayer that my things will make to my final destination. Luckily for me, I’ve had few issues with checked baggage (knock on wood), but thousands of other passengers haven’t been so fortunate. In fact, a new report from the U.S. Department of Transportation reveals that more than 1.6 million consumers have filed mishandled baggage reports in the first nine months of 2014. So, is there one airline that’s more apt to lose your luggage? Probably. [More]
Verizon: We Can Basically Charge Netflix For Peering Forever And There’s Nothing The FCC Can Do To Stop It
By 12.18.14
The FCC is facing a lot of opposition this year, but Verizon in particular just really seems to thrive on challenging the agency. The latest move from the telco giant is a message to the FCC that even if they use Title II to regulate net neutrality, there is nothing the commission can do to prevent interconnection fee spats like the one Verizon and Netflix had this year. [More]
CFPB: Retailer Allegedly Using Illegal Debt Collection Practices Against Servicemembers Must Refund $2.5M
By 12.18.14
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau continues its fight against companies that continuously take advantage of members of the military, despite protections afforded to them under federal laws. Regulators’ latest victory? A settlement demanding over $2.5 million in consumer relief from three companies that allegedly used illegal tactics to pilfer money from servicemembers and their families. [More]
Reminder: TSA Has Magic Machines That Will Find Gun Parts Hidden In A PlayStation 2
By 12.18.14
This just in: X-ray machines used by the Transportation Security Administration have the power to see through plastic — yes, even the plastic used in gaming consoles! — and will be able to detect the presence of things that should not be in your carry-on bag. One traveler recently foiled by the TSA apparently thought all the camouflage needed to hide gun parts was a Playstation 2. [More]
Traveler Gets Luggage Back From Airport’s Lost & Found 20 Years After Plane Trip
By 12.18.14
We’ve all been there — the airline has lost your luggage and it’s probably never going to show up again. But maybe if you wait 20 years, your missing property will find its way back to you. [More]
![Officials with Takata took out full-page ads in major U.S. newspapers to reassure customers. [Click to Enlarge]](../../../../consumermediallc.files.wordpress.com/2014/12/takata.jpg?w=300&h=225&crop=1)
Ford Takes Takata Airbag Recall Nationwide, Adds Additional 500,000 Vehicles
By 12.18.14
For the second time this month Ford has announced plans to expand its recall of vehicles equipped with Takata-produced airbags that may spew shrapnel at passengers upon deployment. Not only does the latest recall cover nearly 500,000 vehicles, it finally takes into consideration the National Highway Traffic Safety Administrations’ request to include vehicles currently registered nationwide. [More]
CFPB Suit: Texas Company Charged Consumers Millions In Fees For Credit Card They Couldn’t Use
By 12.17.14
Credit cards, while often a risky financial product, can at times prove to be a proverbial lifesaver when you get into a pinch. For that reason, most consumers who apply for a card envision using it as a valid form of payment for any number of reasons. While a Texas-based company marketed their credit card as general-use, consumers quickly found out that wasn’t actually the case. And so, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has filed suit against the company for its allegedly deceptive ways. [More]
Consumer Advocates Head Back To FCC, Continue Urging Agency To Reject Comcast/TWC Merger
By 12.17.14
After a long pause, the FCC’s review of the Comcast/TWC merger is back underway. Now, the wave of comments in response to Comcast’s last data dump are starting to roll in, once again asking the agency to block the merger. [More]
FDA: Going To The Mall For Your Ultrasounds Probably Isn’t A Good Idea, Even If It Comes With A Keepsake Gift
By 12.17.14
Any expectant parent would likely jump at the chance to see their developing bundle of joy. But while commercial ultrasound businesses might seem like the perfect place to catch a glimpse, the Food & Drug Administration is once again warning consumers that non-medical ultrasounds and heartbeat monitors aren’t exactly safe. [More]
CFPB Lawsuit: Sprint Made Millions Off Consumers Acting As A “Breeding Ground” For Bill-Cramming
By 12.17.14
Just a day after rumors surfaced that Sprint could be facing a $105 million from the Federal Communications Commission for allegedly overcharging customers using a practice known as “bill-cramming,” the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has filed a lawsuit against the carrier for the bogus charges placed on customer’s phone bills. [More]
FCC Reportedly Planning To Fine Sprint $105M For Wireless Bill-Cramming
By 12.16.14
Just two months after the Federal Communications Commission imposed its largest fine on AT&T for overcharging consumers using a practice known as “bill-cramming,” the regulator is reportedly poised to saddle Sprint with the same $105 million fine for similar practices. [More]
Comcast, Charter, TWC All Admit That Strong Net Neutrality Rules Won’t Actually Be The End Of The World
By 12.16.14
Every single one of the big ISPs has been spending the better part of a year telling both the government and the public that using Title II to regulate net neutrality would be so counterproductive, ineffective, and unlawful that it would ruin the whole internet for everyone forever. Their main threat has been that with tighter regulation, they will stop spending money investing in networks. But to their investors, company executives are telling a different tale entirely: Comcast, Charter, and Time Warner Cable have now joined Verizon in admitting that from an investment standpoint, Title II won’t really harm them or change much of anything at all. [More]
Roku And Comcast Finally Make Nice, Will Allow HBO Go And Showtime Apps
By 12.16.14
A personal anecdote, if you’ll allow… A few years back, I — ever a good son — bought my mother a Roku box for her TV (that I’d also bought her), only to find out that she, like millions of other Comcast subscribers, was not allowed to access the device’s HBO Go app because she’s a Comcast customer. But those darks days are coming to an end, now that Kabletown and Roku are suddenly buddies. [More]
