A new class action suit filed in California takes issue with how the iPad shuts off automatically if it overheats. In particular, however, the suit claims that the marketing phrase “reading on the iPad is just like reading a book” is misleading, and that Apple is therefore engaging in fraud and misleading consumers. This is great news for me, because I was thinking of suing Apple for not providing dustjackets for iBookstore titles but my friends told me I shouldn’t. [More]
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Vitaminwater Isn't Healthy, Rules Federal Judge
By 7.24.10
A federal judge ruled this week that Vitaminwater will not, as its labels promise, keep you “healthy as a horse.” Nor will it bring about a “healthy state of physical or mental being”. Instead, Vitaminwater is really just a sugary snack food; non-carbonated fruit coke disguised as a sports drink. Because it’s composed mostly of sugar and not vitamin-laden water, judge John Gleeson held that Vitaminwater’s absurd marketing claims were likely to mislead consumers. [More]
Johnson & Johnson Hit With Fraud And Racketeering Lawsuits Over Tylenol Recalls
By 7.12.10
The only thing more certain than stinky Tylenol this year is that there would be a lawsuit from consumers at some point, and now it’s happened. Five times, in fact. They’ve been filed against Johnson & Johnson’s McNeil Consumer Healthcare unit and seek class action status, and accuse J&J/McNeil of failing to properly recall the bad drugs and of failing to adequately compensate consumers. [More]
Man Says Yoo-hoo's 'Good For You' Promise Is False Advertising
By 7.6.10
A Brooklyn man is suing the makers of Yoo-hoo, the weird chocolate-flavored drink that’s been around for 90 years, over their claims that the drink is as healthy as it is delicious. Although actually, if the company would change its description to “as healthy as it is delicious,” they’d probably be able to avoid all lawsuits: “Look, we told you it wasn’t healthy.” [More]
Class Action Brewing For iPhone 4 "Death Grip" Issue?
By 6.29.10
Valleywag says the same firm that sued sued Facebook and Zynga over “scammy gaming ads” is looking to take the fight to Apple over its iPhone 4 antenna problems. [More]
To Settle Lawsuit, AT&T Lets You Unlock Anything That's Not An iPhone
By 5.24.10
AT&T has settled a class action suit by providing codes that unlock any phones that were bound to AT&T. That includes any phones but that pesky iPhone, which is bound by an exclusivity agreement that lasts til 2012 but may or may not have already been renegotiated. [More]
Google Buzz Subject Of Class Action Lawsuit
By 2.18.10
We had a feeling it would come to this. Lawyers in San Francisco and Washington, D.C., have filed a class action lawsuit against Google for, among other allegations, violating the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act with its recently launched Google Buzz social networking tool. [More]
Judge Censured, Barred For Ordering Lawyer To Be Paid In Gift Certificates
By 2.5.10
A judicial commission for California judges censured and barred the recently retired judge Brett C. Klein for showing bias, abusing authority, and grandstanding to the press. At issue was his January 2009 alteration of a class action settlement, where he ordered everyone, including the attorneys, to be paid the same way: via $10 gift vouchers from a woman’s clothing store. [More]
AT&T Announces Proposed Settlement Over ETF Class Action Lawsuit
By 1.15.10
Chris wrote in to us this afternoon, “I found this gem in my AT&T wireless inbox [today]. I received no notification it was there, just happened to notice that I had a new message from AT&T online.” It’s an announcement that AT&T Mobility has arranged a proposed settlement over a class-action lawsuit concerning early termination fees. If it’s approved, there’ll be a settlement fund created from which AT&T customers “may receive monetary or other benefits.” [More]
24 Hour Fitness Sued For Charging Ex-Customers Fees
By 10.23.09
The gym chain made famous on NBC’s “Biggest Loser” is being sued for continuing to debit the bank accounts of customers who have canceled their memberships. The US Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit, has given the green light to a class action lawsuit that says the chain is violating both the RICO Act and the Electronic Funds Transfer Act by keeping these zombie memberships active.
Man Sues Coors Over Invalid Contest Codes
By 10.9.09
An Illinois man has filed a class-action lawsuit against MillerCoors because the “Silver Ticket Sweepstakes” code on the case of beer he recently bought turned out to be invalid. The man says he tried entering the code online and over the phone, but it was rejected each time—not because it wasn’t a winning code, but because it wasn’t a legitimate sweepstakes entry code to begin with.
Chicago Impounds Your Car As Part Of "Investigation," Holds It Hostage
By 9.29.09
A class action lawsuit has been filed against the City of Chicago on behalf of people whose cars were impounded as part of a police investigation — and then charged outrageous fees to get their vehicles back. The lawsuit covers 15,000 people whose cars were impounded by the city over a five year period.
Class Action Suit Against Apple And AT&T For Lack Of MMS On iPhones
By 8.21.09
No matter how awesome the iPhone is at multimedia, gaming, or taking money out of your wallet and mailing it to AT&T and Apple, it still doesn’t let you use multimedia messaging service (MMS)—you know, that thing where you send a photo to a friend over text message. Earlier this year AT&T finally said it would happen by the end of summer, but now a group of customers in Louisiana are tired of waiting.
Trade Walgreens Hippie Cold/Flu Remedy For Actual Flu Shot
By 8.4.09
First, there was Airborne. Then there was Rite-Aid’s house brand version of Airborne. Now, the Walgreens brand of homeopathic cold and flu remedy was also the subject of a class action lawsuit, and the settlement is at hand.
By 7.24.09
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If you’re an E*TRADE customer who lives in California, Florida, Maryland, Massachusetts, Nevada, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania, or Washington, you may be eligible for a class action settlement regarding the undisclosed recording of phone calls. The deadline to file your claim form is September 25, 2009. [Settlement site]
Judge Greenlights Class Action Against DirecTV
By 7.16.09
A California Superior Court judge has just been given the go ahead to a class action lawsuit against DirecTV over their practice of charging early termination fees.
Man Sues Match.com For Teasing Him With Non-Active Profiles
By 6.11.09
The Daily News says that one Brooklyn man is fed up with writing emails to potential dates on Match.com and never getting a response. It’s not that he has a “bad personality” — it’s that the profiles are of people who have canceled.
