A week after directing dealers to stop selling the newest model Civic sedans after detecting a problem in the vehicles that could lead to engine failure, Honda has announced an official recall of the affected cars. [More]
Government Policy
New Student Aid Enforcement Unit Created To Address Alleged Fraud At For-Profit Colleges
By 2.9.16
With thousands of former Corinthian Colleges students waiting to find out if their federal student loan debts will be discharged because the now-defunct for-profit college allegedly deceived them with false promises related to their future careers, the Department of Education announced the creation of a special enforcement unit with the goal of being able to respond quickly to allegations that colleges are violating the law. [More]
Consumer Group Sues DOT For Failure To Create Searchable Database Of Safety Defects
By 2.8.16
More than three years ago, Congress instructed the Department of Transportation to create a publicly accessible, and easily searchable, website featuring communications between regulators, automakers, dealers, and consumers about safety defects. One safety group says this hasn’t happened, and is suing DOT Secretary Anthony Foxx in an effort to make this database a reality. [More]
More Than 100 Crashes Caused By Confusing Jeep, Chrysler, Dodge Gear Shifters
By 2.8.16
For most vehicles, shifting into “Park” seems to be a simple task. But for thousands of people who own Fiat Chrysler cars, that’s not the case. Federal regulators expanded their investigation into these vehicles after receiving more complaints about crashes and injuries because drivers say they have inadvertently left their vehicles in gear with the engine running because the electronic gear shifter is confusing. [More]
Scammy Sellers Of AF Plus, Final Trim Weight-Loss Pills Made Millions From Bogus “Risk-Free” Trials
By 2.5.16
You may have heard radio ads for weight loss supplements named AF Plus and Final Trim, promising “24 hours of fat burning power” and “maximum weight loss,” along with supposed real-world testimonials about how well these pills worked — and how you can try them now through a “risk-free” trial. Problem is, those people in the ads claiming they lost all that weight are just as fictitious as the free trial. [More]
Senators Ask Why Cable Companies Continue Charging Customers For Modems They Don’t Have
By 2.5.16
We regularly hear from readers that their cable company — often Comcast — is charging them rental fees for equipment they either never owned or have already returned. A group of six U.S. lawmakers are calling on the FCC to look into this problem of consumers who face fees for phantom modems and other devices. [More]
For-Profit Beauty School Chain Shuts Down Just Days After Losing Federal Funding
By 2.5.16
Just days after losing access to federal student financial aid because it allegedly falsified records and overcharged students, the for-profit Marinello Schools of Beauty has shuttered all of its campuses. [More]
Live The Dream: Buy Your Own Doomsday Bunker In Northern Ireland
By 2.4.16
In Northern Ireland, northeast of Belfast, the country built a massive underground bunker big enough to hold 235 people. It was meant for the country’s elite to shelter themselves in the event of nuclear war. Its existence was only made public in 2007, and the government has decided to get rid of it. There’s a problem, though: it’s easy enough to sell government surplus filing cabinets or tanks, but what’s the market for 46,363 square feet of blastproof and windowless real estate? [More]
Rite Aid Shareholders Vote To Approve $9.4B Merger With Walgreens
By 2.4.16
Walgreens’ path to bring Ride Aid under its wing passed one hurdle on Thursday, as shareholders for the latter chain of drug stores approved a $9.4 billion merger plan. [More]
IRS Computer Issues Could Delay Some Tax Returns
By 2.4.16
Consumer trying to get a jump on the tax filing and refund ball may have to wait a bit longer, as the Internal Revenue Service suffered a severe computer crash on Wednesday that prevented it from accepting any taxpayer information for several hours. [More]
Don’t Get Stuck Paying For A Flight You Can’t Take; Know Your Airline’s 24-Hour Cancellation Policy
By 2.4.16
You can spend months, and thousands of dollars, putting together a trip abroad, but no matter how much effort you take to avoid travel trouble, unforeseen circumstances can force you to change your plans. Thankfully, most airlines flying to and from the U.S. have a policy that lets passengers cancel tickets within 24 hours of booking. Note that we said “most airlines” — not all. [More]
4 Reasons Tribal Lands Lack Better Access To The Internet
By 2.4.16
According to the latest data from the FCC, more than two-thirds of people living in rural tribal lands currently lack access to decent Internet, nearly 30 percentage points higher than the rate for the rest of rural America. So what is it about these tribal lands that makes connecting so difficult? [More]
Underwriters Laboratories Will Start Testing, Certifying Hoverboards For Safety
By 2.3.16
If hoverboard manufacturers are going to slap counterfeit safety marks on their products, Underwriters Laboratories figures it might as well start testing and certifying the scooters, a function it previously did not perform. [More]
Honda Orders Stop-Sale Of 2016 Civics Over Possible Engine Failure; Recall Pending
By 2.3.16
Just months after hitting the market, Honda has ordered all 2016 Civics to remain on their dealers’ lots after finding a problem in the vehicles that could lead to engine failure. [More]
Panel: Takata Lacks Quality Control Processes, Policies For Addressing Defects
By 2.3.16
An independent review panel hired by Takata — the company behind the ongoing recall of millions of defective, potentially dangerous, airbags — found that the parts maker lacks processes to improve the quality of its products, or to adequately address problems in its devices once they are installed in vehicles.
[More]
CFPB To Banks: Offer More “No Overdraft” Checking Accounts, Provide Accurate Credit Information
By 2.3.16
Some 10 million Americans are considered “unbanked,” often because they are believed to pose too high a credit risk for a bank to offer them a standard checking account. But the federal Consumer Financial Protection Bureau believes many of these people could be brought into the fold if more banks were to offer lower-risk deposit accounts that provided the benefits of a checking account without being a risk to the financial institution. [More]
Toyota Must Pay $22M For Charging Higher Interest To Non-White Borrowers
By 2.2.16
Under the Equal Credit Opportunity Act, creditors are prohibited from discriminating against loan applicants based on race or national origin. But that was a rule Toyota’s financing unit allegedly violated, resulting in thousands of African-American, Asian and Pacific Islander borrowers paying higher interest rates than their white counterparts. Now, in an effort to resolve charges filed by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, Toyota Motor Credit Corporation must pay $21.9 million to wronged consumers. [More]
Microsoft Officially Recalls 2.25M Surface Pro Power Cords That Can Overheat, Catch On Fire
By 2.2.16
Nearly two weeks after rumors swirled that Microsoft would replace the AC power cords for older-model Surface Pro, Surface Pro 2, and Surface Pro 3 tablets sold in the U.S. and Canada before March 2015, the Consumer Product Safety Commission officially recalled the chargers. [More]
