A few weeks ago, Federal Communications Commission member Ajit Pai decided to start asking hotels if their phones offered direct access to 9-1-1, or if guests would have to dial “9” first to get an outgoing line or are routed through the front desk first. The results are in, and Pai is not pleased.
Government Policy
AT&T Promises: Kill Net Neutrality And You’ll Pay Less For Internet
By 3.24.14
Most of the discussion about net neutrality and paid peering has been about who shoulders the financial burden for increased broadband use — the Internet Service Providers who need to invest in hardware and manpower to meet demand, or the companies like Netflix, Google, and Amazon whose content is so in-demand that it requires extra support from the ISPs? In the end, it doesn’t really matter since it’s the consumer who ultimately foots the bill, but AT&T is making its argument for weak net neutrality by saying it will lead to lower rates for subscribers. [More]
Senator Asks Justice Department To Hold GM Responsible For Ignition Fire Lawsuits
By 3.24.14
Earlier this year, GM issued a massive recall of nearly 1.4 million vehicles due to problems with the ignition switch. GM apparently knew about those problems — which have caused several fatalities — for up to thirteen years before issuing the recall, and reportedly also ignored piles of consumer complaints in that timeframe. Consumers’ entirely predictable lawsuits against GM have already begun, but those lawsuits are facing a big potential snag. [More]
March Recall Roundup – Don’t Put A Cork In It
By 3.24.14
In this month’s Recall Roundup, cork toys crumble but aren’t edible, heaters overheat, and Grumpy Cat has a lot to be unhappy about. [More]
Apple, Comcast Chatting About Streaming TV Service That Would Make End-Run Around Net Neutrality
By 3.24.14
One of the biggest roadblocks for non-cable TV companies looking to get into the business of offering live TV service over the Internet is that these cable companies often control that “last mile” of Internet service to customers’ homes. Since the FCC’s net neutrality rules have been gutted — and ISPs now realizing they can charge tolls to content providers even if those rules were in place — the end-user might just get a TV screen full of blocky, stuttering visuals and intermittent audio. Apple is reportedly chatting with Comcast about a set-top box that would get around this concern by treating Apple’s stream differently than regular Internet traffic. [More]
The Consumerist 101 Guide To Understanding Your Financial Regulators
By 3.22.14
Washington, D.C., might as well be called Acronym City. It feels like there are a zillion different, discrete agencies, organizations, bureaus, boards, and commissions within the federal government, each with its own graceless three-, four-, or five-initial moniker, forming the tangled web of a bureaucracy that regulates… well, almost everything. So what are the key regulatory agencies, anyway? Who oversees what, and who do they report to, and how does it all work? [More]
IRS Warns Of “Largest Ever” Phony Phone Call Scam
By 3.21.14
After receiving more than 20,000 reports of victims being taken in by a phone scam in which the callers pretend to be IRS officials, the tax agency’s internal watchdog has issued a public warning for consumers to be mindful of unsolicited calls claiming to be from the IRS. [More]
Graco Tells Parents With Recalled Car Seats They’re In For A 6-8 Week Wait
By 3.21.14
The good news, if you’re a safety-minded person, is that the recall on Graco car seats announced last month and expanded a few weeks later was very effective. Maybe it was more effective than Graco had anticipated, because there’s now a long wait for replacement buckles. [More]
8 Tips To Get The Best Bargains On Your Next Outlet Shopping Trip
By 3.21.14
Everyone loves scoring a great deal, right? Outlet malls are the perfect place to do just that. With warmer weather on the way, it’s the perfect time for a wardrobe or living room update. But how do you know you’re getting the best bargain possible? [More]
Google Beefs Up Gmail Security In Attempt To Keep Out Any Prying Eyes (Cough, NSA, Cough)
By 3.21.14
In a move that’s likely to make mass-surveillance of its email customers a whole lot harder to pull off, Google announced that it’s just beefed up security for Gmail by only using an encrypted HTTPS connection for all incoming and outgoing messages. [More]
Not A Joke: Comcast Says No One Is More Dedicated To Net Neutrality Than It Is
By 3.20.14
A month ago, Comcast and Netflix seemed to be buddy-buddy when the streaming video service agreed to pay a price to end Comcast’s passive-aggressive efforts to make sure its customers had cruddy access to Netflix. Then today, Netflix CEO Reed Hastings had a not-so-nice word or two about his new paid-peering partner. [More]
Most Debt Collector Complaints Made By Consumers Being Hounded For Money They Don’t Owe
By 3.20.14
We’re not sure how many times we’ve said it, but it’s worth repeating: Debt collectors are the worst. It’s not just that they’re often rude and occasionally violate the law. What really puts collection agencies at the bottom of the barrel is the fact that they consistently go after debt that consumers simply don’t owe. [More]
8,200 Stuffed Grumpy Cats Recalled, Are Unhappy About It
By 3.20.14
If you aren’t familiar with the perpetually-frowning, totally adorable Grumpy Cat, we feel very sorry for you. Obviously, you need to spend more time looking at cute pictures of animals on the Internet. Grumpy Cat started as a cute kitty who always looks like she’s frowning, and somehow spawned an entire industry of apps, merchandise, and beverages, and became a Friskies spokescat. One of those pieces of merchandise has been recalled. [More]
IKEA Recalling 3 Million Baby Bed Canopies Because Sleep Strangulation Is Far From Dreamy
By 3.20.14
If you’ve purchased a baby bed canopy in the last 18 years from IKEA, the company says you should remove it and return it to the store, as it’s now recalling some three million of the products worldwide over a potential danger of strangulation. [More]
Predictive Models, Secret Scores: How Computers Decide Who You Are & What To Sell You
By 3.20.14
Savvy consumers all know that their lifetime debt history ends up in their credit score, and that lenders use that score to try to predict if someone is a good bet for a big loan like a mortgage. But even the most-connected consumer may not realize how many hundreds of other scores we all now trail in our wakes too, thanks to the advent of big data. Do you know, to the last decimal, how likely are you to buy jewelry? To sign up for cable? To have a kid in the next year? Someone, somewhere, is tallying all of that information about almost everyone. But good luck finding out what’s out there, who’s scoring it, and if your numbers are even actually about you at all. [More]
Fitbit Sued Over Itch-And-Rash-Inducing Wristbands
By 3.20.14
Nearly a month after Fitbit voluntarily recalled its Fitbit Force bracelets over complaints from thousands of users who developed itchy rashes while wearing the devices, and weeks after the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission made the recall official, comes the first of what will likely be many lawsuits against the company. [More]
Infomercial Shill Kevin Trudeau Sentenced To 10 Years For Repeatedly Defrauding Consumers
By 3.18.14
Back in November, TV pitchman, bestselling author and repeat offender Kevin Trudeau was found guilty of criminal contempt after continuing to make fraudulent weight-loss claims in the marketing of his book The Weight Loss Cure “They” Don’t Want You to Know About. Yesterday, they had their final say in the matter, sentencing the fraudster to a decade behind bars. [More]
