According to a study by the Christian Science Monitor, the top 10 most used arbitrators ruled for consumers only 1.6% of the time, as opposed to 38% for those who were not dependent on arbitration fees.
arbitration
CA Judges Issues Opinions That Tmobile's Mandatory Arbitration Agreements Are "Unconscionable" And "Not Enforceable"
By 6.28.07
A California judge issued an opinion that Tmobile’s contract terms forcing customers to go into arbitration instead of being able to sue were, “unconscionable and therefore not enforceable,” reports BoingBoing.
Opt Out Of Comcast's Arbitration Agreement
By 5.21.07
If you’re a Comcast customer and in the event of a dispute, want to retain your right to sue Comcast in a court of law in a trial by judge or jury, a right afforded to you by the Constitution, rather than go by the decision of an arbitration company Comcast hires to mediate your dispute, fill out this opt-out form.
Verizon's Mediation Process
By 3.11.07
A tipster recommends Verizon’s mediation process for untangling especially messy problems. Verizon charged our tipster $300 per month for overages beyond 450 minutes, despite assurances she was on a plan with 1,000 minutes. Though Verizon promised to resolve the problem, our tipster’s service was disconnected while she was traveling on business. When further calls failed to resolve the situation, our customer invoked Verizon’s mediation process. According to Verizon’s FAQs:
Mediation is an alternative dispute resolution process in which a neutral third person (a mediator) aids the parties in jointly resolving their dispute. Unlike arbitration, a mediator does not decide the dispute for the parties. Instead, he or she helps the parties resolve it themselves (usually in a form that will be final and binding). Nothing said in the mediation can be used in a later arbitration or lawsuit.
Our tipster and Verizon jointly resolve their dispute, after the jump…
