The FCC held hearings today to discuss early termination fees (ETF) for wireless carriers, the ~$175 charged if a customer exits contract before the contract is up. FCC Chairman Kevin “Golden Child” Martin’s proposals largely mirrored those offered by the carriers themselves last month. Here’s what he said today:
Government Policy
"Free Software" Scammers To Pay $2.2 Million
By 6.12.08
The company Think All Publishing has reached a settlement with the FTC in which the “free-software” scamming company will pay $2.2 million for consumer reimbursement, according to NetworkWorld. The scammers offered free software CDs and then billed unsuspecting customers for a continuity program which was unwittingly ordered by checking a “terms of use” box. Details, inside…
Another Tomato Attack! "Topsy Turvy" Tomato Stand Recalled After 155 Injuries
By 6.11.08
QVC has recalled the “Topsy Turvy Tomato Tree” after 155 consumers reported injuries including lacerations, broken toes and bruises. The CPSC says there have been 347 reports of the planters collapsing! First the salmonella outbreak, then a “outbreak of raw tomatoes” at BW3… and now this?
Despite Class Action Lawsuit, U-Haul's $50 Reservation Guarantee Is Still Completely Meaningless
By 6.11.08
Reader Greg wants to warn all of you not to expect too much from U-Haul and their so-called $50 guarantee. When he showed up to collect his reserved truck, he found himself waiting in line with another customer who’d reserved the same type of truck. When he overheard the employee telling her they were out of trucks, he knew that his day was going to go rapidly downhill.
Judge Orders Mental Exam For Man Who Kidnapped Comcast Technician
By 6.11.08
On Monday, John Weatherly, age 60, appeared in court to face kidnapping charges stemming from an incident in March, 2007 when he allegedly detained a Comacst technician, The Tennessean reports. According to the police affidavit, Weatherly deadbolted his door and threatened the technician with a German Shephard and would not allow the tech to leave until he fixed his television. The judge ordered a mental evaluation for Weatherly. More, inside…
Gas Thieves Are Drilling Into Vehicle Tanks
By 6.11.08
Perhaps you thought an old-fashioned siphon was the only way to steal gasoline from a vehicle, but thieves have other ways of accessing your gas tank. Heidi Perkins of Waxahachie, TX. spent $90 filling up her Dodge pickup. Yet, only a few days later her gauge was reading below empty, according to the Star-Telegram. She went to the gas station to refill and noticed the gasoline escaping from a freshly drilled hole in her gas tank. More, inside…
Do You Have Any Naked Pictures Of Your Mother? The TSA Does
By 6.11.08
The TSA recently announced that airport security scanners which can see under clothing are being installed at 10 U.S. airports, according to the AFP. Travelers will enter glass booths while a 3-dimensional full-body image is rendered using “millimeter waves.” Because the image gives a clear representation of travelers’ bodies and genitalia, it has some people concerned about their privacy. More, inside…
By 6.9.08
../../../..//2008/06/09/t-mobile-is-suing-starbucks-for/
T-Mobile is suing Starbucks for allowing AT&T to supply in-store customers with free wireless Internet access using T-Mobile’s lines and equipment. [NYT via Racked]
By 6.9.08
../../../..//2008/06/09/costa-mesa-may-follow-las/
Costa Mesa may follow L.A.’s lead and sue Time Warner Cable for shoddy service, too. [Broadcast Newsroom]
Third-Party Debt Collectors Misusing Courts To Increase Profits
By 6.9.08
The Chicago Tribune writes that “More than 119,000 civil lawsuits against alleged debtors are clogging [Chicago] courtrooms,” but since collection agencies make money off of volume business, the suits filed are based on too little information. The result: cases based on mistaken identities, or for debts already settled, or against debtors who have made good-faith efforts to work out repayment plans. “The system is out of control,” one attorney tells the paper.
FDA: If You Use The Foot Ulcer Cream Regranex, You May Die From Cancer
By 6.7.08
Bad news from the FDA: people who treat their foot and leg ulcers with the cream Regranex are five-times more likely to die from cancer.
Crocs + Escalator = Yet Another Mangled Foot
By 6.6.08
Another small child’s foot has been mangled by the combination of the especially-grippy Crocs clogs and a moving escalator, according to WSBTV:
Lawsuit: Comcast Leaked Customer's Banking Info After She Sent Check For "My Right Arm"
By 6.6.08
A woman who sent a sarcastic payment to the “Comcast Vampires” for “My Right Arm” is suing because she says Comcast employees posted a copy of her unredacted check on the internet. She says she was alerted to the security breach by a stranger from Colorado who received the check in an email that said: “This is too funny not to pass on. This is an actual payment we received via yesterdays mail.”
Crazy Multi-million Dollar Shoplifting Ring Busted In California
By 6.6.08
The San Jose police have busted a multi-million dollar shoplifting ring that was paying gangs of shoplifters to collect razor blades, Oil of Olay, Pepcid AC and other products that they would then repackage and sell all over the US — and in some cases the products ended up being sold right back to the chains from which they were shoplifted.
Class Action Certified In Suit Against Citibank Over IPod Mini Promotion
By 6.5.08
When Citibank offered free 4 GB iPod Minis to new customers in 2004 and 2005, the product was retailing for $249, and Citibank indirectly acknowledged the value of the product by saying they’d substitute an mp3 player of “equal or greater value” if there were fulfillment problems. There weren’t, but by the time Citibank got around to passing out the iPod Mini, it had dropped in price and a new 6 GB version was now on the market for $249. Citibank chose to take the savings and distribute the now cheaper 4-gig versions. Now there’s a class action lawsuit against Citibank in California, where it seems all class actions are born. You can read the ruling for the certification here (PDF).
Los Angeles To Sue Time Warner Cable For Sucking
By 6.5.08
Today, the city of Los Angeles plans to give a little gift to Time Warner Cable—a lawsuit! From the LA Times:
Possible Class Action Against HP Over Cruddy Pavilion Notebooks
By 6.4.08
If you own an HP Pavilion Notebook and you’ve had problems with it—specifically overheating, problems with the power supply, and an inability to update the BIOS—then you might want to contact this law firm and tell them your story. We know class actions rarely help the individual consumer, but they do succeed in punishing the offending company occasionally, and we can’t think of a computer company more in need of a good class action smackdown than HP.
Want To Spy On Comcast Subscribers? Comcast Has The Job For You!
By 6.4.08
If you’d like to help Comcast eavesdrop on its own subscribers, you’re in luck: Comcast has posted a job listing for an “intercept engineer” on a headhunter site, according to Wired. Want ad for position of The Man, inside.
