Sprint will relinquish unlock codes to departing customers in good standing as part of proposed class action settlement.The class was formed last year by California consumers who argued that the locked phones bound them to Sprint by making it more expensive to switch carriers. Sprint claimed that releasing the codes was unnecessary since the service contract clearly informed consumers that phones would only work on Sprint’s network.
Government Policy
Should ISPs Be Required To Forward Email?
By 10.28.07
The government is weighing whether ISPs should be required to forward email after customers switch providers. Freelance writer Gail Mortenson filed a petition with the FCC claiming that she lost business because AOL and Time Warner refused to forward her emails for six months. The FCC doesn’t seem overly interested in the petition, but Chairman Henry Waxman (D-CA) of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee is watching closely to see how the FCC proceeds.
Damning Proof Comcast Contracted To Sandvine
By 10.27.07
Comcast told its employees to not comment when customers ask about recent reports in an AP article that it contracted BitTorrent sabotaging to a company called Sandvine, or to even discuss that a relationship exists between the two companies. Too bad that Barron’s financial magazine reported back in April that the two are in bed together:
Recalled Simplicity Crib Owners: Your Repair Kits Are Ready
By 10.27.07
If you have one of the Simplicity cribs that was recalled due to a design flaw that made it easy to assemble incorrectly and dangerous to use, your repair kits are ready.
FBI Investigating Rockies Ticketing Meltdown
By 10.27.07
The FBI is investigating after the Colorado Rockies blamed an “external, malicious attack” for the meltdown that prevented fans from buying World Series tickets.
CPSC Chair Thinks Senate Bill Would Overwhelm The Agency
By 10.26.07
Nancy Nord thinks a new Senate bill that would increase the budget and power of the CPSC would overwhelm the agency and “put the American people at greater risk,” according to the Washington Post.
Credit Card Companies Say TJ Maxx Breach Affected 94 Million Accounts
By 10.26.07
According to new court papers, Visa and Mastercard are saying that the TJ Maxx security breach actually affected 94 million accounts—more than double the amount that TJ Maxx reported.
By 10.26.07
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Blue Ribbons Meats in Florida is recalling over 8,000 pounds of “seasoned beef and meatloaf” frozen patties due to suspected E.coli contamination, although no illnesses have been reported yet. The patties were shipped to a Florida correctional institution and the U.S. Virgin Islands. This is the fifth E.coli-related recall this month. [Reuters]
Unlicensed Dentist Dumps Ill Patient On Brooklyn Street
By 10.26.07
The New York Daily News is reporting that a phony dentist dumped an ill patient on the curb after botched oral surgery. The patient, Colette Villemin, is on life support after suffering what may have been an allergic reaction during surgery. She’s suffered heart and brain damage and may not survive.
Comcast BitTorrent Meddling Draws The Attention Of Congress
By 10.26.07
Comcast’s meddling with BitTorrent has prompted a member of congress to say something nice about file sharing. Aww!
TSA Breaks Your Laptop, Threatens You With Arrest
By 10.26.07
Reader Jake says a TSA agent dropped his laptop, smashing it in several places, then threatened him with arrest when he asked about filing a damage claim.
By 10.26.07
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Man thinks he wins $1.6 mil at the slots, but then the casino takes him to a backroom and says they’re not going to pay because it was a computer error. Because the casino is an Indian one, he might not have recourse through the courts. [ABC]
Bumbo Baby Seats Recalled After 3 Children Sustain Skull Fractures
By 10.25.07
Here’s some very tense video from Good Morning America.
By 10.25.07
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Bumbo “Baby Sitter” Seats (severe head injuries), Repair Kits Ready To Be Sent To Parents and Caregivers With Recalled Simplicity Cribs (entrapment and suffocation), Family Dollar Purple Halloween Pails with Witch Decorations (lead), DecoPac Football Bobble Head Cake Decorations (lead), Jo-Ann Fabric Stores Toy Garden Tools (lead), Fisher Price Go Diego Go Boat Toys (lead), Dollar Tree Beary Cute, Expressions, and Sassy & Chic Children’s Metal Jewelry (lead), WeGlow Children’s Metal Jewelry (lead), Blastrac BG 250 Series Concrete Grinders (injury from ejected parts), Kawasaki Power Tool Kits Battery Chargers (burn, laceration), Blue Ribbon Meats Beef Patties (E. coli).
Biz Columnist Changes His Mind, Now Says "Carriers Need Regulation"
By 10.25.07
You know telecoms are behaving badly when a business columnist who just a year ago argued for a hands-off government approach has reversed his opinion. “I’ve changed my mind,” he writes. “The behavior of the top telecommunications companies, especially Verizon Communications and AT&T, has convinced me that more government involvement is needed to keep communications free of corporate interference.”
Class-Action Suit Filed Against Systemax (aka TigerDirect) Over Unfulfilled Rebates
By 10.25.07
Last Thursday, a Texan filed a class-action suit against Systemax Inc. in federal court, alleging the company and its subsidiaries TigerDirect and OnRebate conspire to delay or reject rebates in order to sweeten profits. Systemax says no way, we pay our rebates on time; according to its chief financial officer, “All consumers who properly complete the rebate application and submit the required paperwork have their rebates paid, period.” But that’s not what the Texan says happened to him.
A Bunch Of Groups Compromise On State Meat Inspections
By 10.25.07
From the “boring but important” category of meat-related news, the Consumer Federation of America has joined with other advocacy groups as well as union and labor groups, under the assistance of men and women in Congress, to work out a compromise in response to July’s ill-conceived attempt by Minnesota Rep. Collin Peterson to do away with the federal inspections requirement for interstate meat sales. The new plan augments Peterson’s measure in a way that ensures state-inspection procedures meet or exceed federal ones.
