The Pennsylvania woman who makes a hobby out of taking retailers to court over pricing errors has struck again. This time Walmart was ordered to pay Mary Bach $100 for repeatedly failing to correct a $2 error.
Government Policy
By 11.6.08
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The attorney who won a verdict against Sprint in California has filed a $1.2 billion class action lawsuit, claiming that early termination fees are not legal. [Information Week]
Pro-Consumer Regulation Needs Real Teeth So You Can Sue The Jerks
By 11.3.08
If the recent economic meltdown has a bright spot, it is the possibility that smart regulation may return. There will always be those who will cheat if they can, putting both consumers and the market at risk. It cannot function properly without regulation to prevent cheating and ensure consumers are getting a fair deal. But without a private right of action and attorney fees, consumer protection regulations are nearly worthless. A “private right of action” means…
CPSC Issues Warning For Carter's Tagless Babyclothes Causing Rashes
By 11.2.08
The CPSC has issued a warning about Carter’s “tagless” clothes causing rashes. The warning was made on Oct 24, Consumerist first told you about it on September 5th. Carter’s tagless clothes’ claim to fame is that instead of an irritating flappy label, they use a flat label embedded in these clothes. It’s this very label that’s causing the rashes. The warning only applies to the Carter’s Fall 2007 line which has a raised surface with a solid, instead of a stenciled, background.
Consumer Reports: Why Are Companies Lying About Putting Nanoparticles In Your Sunscreen?
By 10.31.08
Little is known about how nanoparticles — ultra-small particles that are so teeny that they can have different physical properties than “macro” sized particles. For example, says Consumer Reports, carbon becomes 100 times stronger than steel, aluminum turns highly explosive, and gold melts at room temperature. What do titanium dioxide or zinc oxide do? Well, whatever it is — it may be in your sunscreen without your knowledge.
Batteries From Dell, Toshiba, and HP Laptops Recalled
By 10.31.08
35,000 laptop batteries from laptops sold from 2004-2006 have been recalled for fire and burn hazards. There have been 17 fires and 2 burns associated with these batteries, so if you’ve got one, make sure you take care of this issue.
Powerful People Want To Hear Your Arbitration Horror Stories
By 10.30.08
If you’ve been screwed by arbitration, our consumer and public interest friends in DC would like to hear your story for something special they’re cooking up. Arbitration agreements are clauses inside many contracts between companies and yourself that, in the event of a dispute, prohibit you from suing the company in a court of law. Instead, you have to take your case to a special arbitration firm. Arbitration bills itself as a speedy and fair way to resolve legal disputes, but it’s come under heavy fire recently for being heavily weighted in favor of companies. If you’ve gotten the short end of the stick, send your story to arbitration.stories@gmail.com.
Man Jailed After Letting His Girlfriend Eat Off Of His Plate
By 10.30.08 — Updated: 3.26.13
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution says that a man was jailed for two days after letting his girlfriend eat from his plate — and then refusing to pay for two $7 buffet meals.
Target Pays $3.1 Million For Falsely Accusing Customer, Via Bulk Email, Of Passing Funny Money
By 10.27.08
A jury awarded Rita Cantrell $100,000 in actual damage and hit Target with $3 million in punitive damages after a Target employee sent a group email falsely accusing her of passing counterfeit bills. Rita was trying to buy stuff with a 1974 $100 bill which the store employees didn’t recognize and thought was a fake. A loss-prevention employee then sent around a group email containing her picture and the false allegation to 31 different local, state and federal law enforcement offices, malls, department stores, home-improvement stores and grocery stores. The email result in the Secret Service interrogating Rita at her work place, but they were able to check out the bill and determine it was genuine. “Every aspect of Rita’s life was harmed by Target,” said Cantrell’s attorney.
J&J Has Paid Over $68.7 Million In Ortho Evra Lawsuits
By 10.24.08
Johnson & Johnson has paid out over $68.7 million in private settlements in Ortho Evra birth-control related claims. The Public Citizen’s Health Research Group is petitioning the FDA to take it off the market. The most common complaints among users of the contraceptive patch that adheres to the skin are blood clots in the legs, blood clots in the lungs, and hearts attacks/strokes. But hey, at least you don’t have a baby. [Bloomberg]
Did Turkish Police Beat Information Out Of A Suspect In The TJ Maxx Credit Card Case?
By 10.24.08
Christopher Soghoian over at Cnet is reporting that Turkish police may have used violence to get the encryption keys of one of primary ringleaders in the TJ Maxx credit card theft investigation. The suspect, Maksym Yastremskiy, is apparently a “major figure in the international sale of stolen credit card information.”
Shipping Delays For Dell's New Mini Laptop?
By 10.23.08
Reader Steven wrote in to let us know that his Dell Mini’s ship date keeps getting pushed back and he’s starting to become annoyed.
The FTC Will Never Ask You For Money Because You Won The Lottery. We Promise.
By 10.23.08
Apparently, some group of geniuses has been calling people and pretending that they are from the FTC. They start out with some nonsense like “Hi, I’m calling from the Federal Trade Commission to tell you that you have won $250,000…”
Scam: Prepaid Phone Cards Deliver About Half The Minutes Promised
By 10.23.08
MSNBC says that a recent study by the FTC showed that on average, prepaid long distance phone cards only delivered about half of the minutes advertised.
Fail: Giant Metaphor For Digital TV Transition Performs As Expected
By 10.21.08
The Federal Communications Commission and its benevolent overlord, Mr. Kevin Martin, recently spent $350,000 to sponsor a NASCAR team for 3 races. The “Digital TV Transition Ford” sponsored by the Federal Communications Commission crashed during its inaugural NASCAR race Sunday afternoon, says the WSJ.
1,585,000 Cribs Recalled Due To Entrapment And Suffocation Hazards
By 10.21.08
If you own a crib made by Delta, you’ll want to check the model number to see if it is included in two massive recalls announced by the CPSC today. None of the cribs are currently being sold in stores, but were available from major retailers including Walmart, Kmart and Target.com from January 1995 through September 2007 for about $100.
Woman Says TSA Made Her Take Brace Off, Stand On Sprained Ankle
By 10.21.08
A Washington woman says the TSA made her take off her ankle brace before passing through security. Now her sprained ankle is fractured. “Then she made me lift up each foot individually and put all the weight on it. It was incredibly painful,” said Lona Dunlap. According to the TSA website, TSA agents don’t make you take off your brace. Rather, they’re supposed to swab the brace and look for trace explosive elements. The TSA is reviewing video footage and says it takes the allegation very seriously.
Fun With Scammers: Golden Retriever Receives Check For $150,000
By 10.16.08
Congratulations! Your dog is rich! Oh wait, no. It’s a scam. Meet Bruce Gadansky of the Louisville BBB. He got an email from some internet scammers and decided to reply — as his dog. The email was from a “company” looking for help cashing a check.
