Today was supposed to be the deadline for filing comments with the FCC about its pending net neutrality proposal. But the Commission has just announced that, due to a surge in responses that is once again overwhelming its commenting system, the deadline has been extended to Friday. [More]
Government Policy
AGs For Illinois, New York Ask FCC To Strengthen Net Neutrality
By 7.15.14
Thousands upon thousands of consumers have already voiced their opinion to the FCC about its not-really-neutral net neutrality (aka “cable company f*ckery”) proposal that would allow deep-pocketed content companies to muscle out smaller competitors by paying for so-called “fast lane” access to end users. Two voices in favor of stronger rules that may carry a little more weight with the FCC are the attorneys general of Illinois and New York. [More]
EPA Wants Car Companies To Test Gas Mileage In Real World
By 7.15.14
Over the last few years, car makers have had to fork over more than $500 million in refunds to customers because of exaggerated fuel economy estimates on new vehicle stickers. In an effort to provide more accurate mileage information to consumers, the Environmental Protection Agency wants car companies to do their mpg testing on the road instead of in the lab. [More]
July Recall Roundup – Beware Of Flimsy Phone Chargers
By 7.15.14
In July’s recall roundup, the Consumer Products Safety Commission is out to protect us all from shocking air conditioners, exploding wine bottles, leaking snow throwers, and dangerous mobile device chargers. [More]
Even Scofflaws With $270K In Debt Have The Right To Not Be Cyberstalked By Collectors
By 7.14.14
We recently told you about the woman who admitted she indeed owed Kohl’s $20, but sued the retailer for being over-eager about collecting on the debt. But does a debt collector have more leeway to be a pest when the debt is 13,500 times that amount? [More]
3 Scams Targeted At Hotel Guests
By 7.14.14
Between all the fees and add-on charges that can come with a hotel reservation, just booking a room for the night can make you feel like you’ve been taken for a ride. But even when the hotel isn’t trying to nickel-and-dime you, there are scammers out there ready to steal your money by preying on common assumptions made by hotel guests. [More]
Last Chance To Send In Questions For GM CEO Mary Barra
July 11, 2014
Earlier this week, we told you that our colleagues at Consumer Reports were going to feature General Motors CEO Mary Barra in the magazine’s first Ask the CEO column. They are still accepting questions for Ms. Barra through today at asktheceo@cr.consumer.org, so get yours in ASAP before this opportunity shuts off like the ignition on a 2003 Chevy Cobalt. [More]
Phony Payday Loan Brokers Must Turn Over Rolls Royce, Maserati, Ferrari To Feds
By 7.11.14
When someone goes hunting for a payday loan — just looking to get their hands on a small amount of cash to tide them over until the next paycheck — it’s bad enough that they can end up trapped in a hellish debt cycle that sees them taking out loan after loan. But the FTC says a Tampa-based operation preyed upon these already-desperate victims by tricking them into applying for payday loans, only to steal their info and what little money they had. [More]
New York State Attorney General Tries To Shut Down Lyft Before Tonight’s NYC Launch
By 7.11.14
Seven hours from now, people in the New York City boroughs of Brooklyn and Queens were supposed to be able to dial up a vehicle from ride-sharing service Lyft and coast through traffic in a cloud of peer-to-peer vehicular bliss. “Not so fast!” the New York state government said to the service, its drivers, and their pink-mustachioed cars. [More]
You Have Until August 25 To Tell The FCC Your Thoughts About The Comcast-Time Warner Cable Merger
By 7.11.14
It’s been five months since Comcast and Time Warner Cable first announced their intention to merge, but the regulatory gauntlet they need to get through first is just now ramping up. Earlier this week, the FCC announced the team doing the review, and now they’ve announced their timeline for taking comments on the matter. [More]
M&M’s Pint And Shot Glasses Recalled Because Lead & Cadmium Aren’t Tasty
By 7.11.14
Did you visit one of the M&M’s World retail stores in NYC, Las Vegas, Orlando, or London earlier this year? Did you see some adorable pint and shot glasses featuring the anthropomorphic treats? Well, you might want to stop using them, as those cute candy illustrations may contain high levels of lead and cadmium. [More]
Amazon Sued By Feds Over In-App Purchases
By 7.10.14
Last week, Amazon made it clear to the Federal Trade Commission that it wasn’t going to fork over a ton of cash to close an investigation into the e-tailer’s in-app purchase policy. And today the FTC made it clear that it intends to pursue its complaint against Amazon, suing the company in federal court. [More]
Watch Out For This Spoofed E-Mail From E-ZPass
By 7.10.14
E-ZPass, the transponder-based toll payment system available to drivers traveling on the East Coast, does send out invoices to the address on file for your license plate when you avoid toll collectors without having a transponder. However, they do not send these via e-mail. [More]
How Loophole In Tainted Food Recalls Bit Chicken Company In The Butt
By 7.10.14
For more than a year, chicken producer Foster Farms has been tied to a salmonella outbreak that has sickened hundreds of people, resulted in the shutdown of a Foster plant and the destruction of more than a million pounds of meat. But a loophole in USDA guidelines meant that that the company didn’t issue any recalls until just last week. Now it’s that same loophole that appears to be coming back to bite Foster in the derriere. [More]
FCC Hires Opponent Of Comcast/NBC Deal To Review Comcast/Time Warner Cable Merger
By 7.8.14
Comcast and Time Warner Cable have been treating their merger as a foregone conclusion ever since they announced their betrothal in February. And with the companies cozying up to regulators, dropping huge piles of cash on lobbyists and campaign contributions, and making themselves look as good as possible, it’s not hard to see why the execs at the top would be feeling confident. But the FCC has just made a few key hires that make it look like the agency might actually push back against Comcast’s financial onslaught. [More]
Scientists: Recalled Moldy Exploding Chobani Yogurts Could Make Consumers Sick
By 7.8.14
Hey, remember when Chobani recalled a wide variety of yogurts in the fall of 2013 because fungal contamination made them taste terrible and occasionally explode? About that: a new study published today in a journal of the American Society for Microbiology indicates that the fungus found in contaminated yogurt cups was a strain that can make animals, including humans, sick when it’s eaten. [More]
CFPB Clarifies Rule That Could Cause Heirs To Lose Their Homes
By 7.8.14
When the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau implemented rules to protect consumers from getting caught in mortgage “debt traps” earlier this year, the regulators may have missed one section of not-so-typical borrowers: consumers who inherit a family member’s home – mortgage and all. [More]
Today’s Your Last Chance: FCC Public Comment Period For Net Neutrality Ends Tomorrow
The FCC’s public comment period on their proposed net neutrality rule — the one with the fast lanes, that everyone, even Congress, thinks is a terrible idea — is running out. The deadline is tomorrow, July 15. For anyone who hasn’t yet left a comment but keeps thinking it, now’s the time. [More]