Florida’s Attorney General scored a victory for consumers last week, when AT&T Mobility agreed to refund fees that third-party vendors snuck onto thousands of accounts under the guise of “free” ringtones, wallpapers, and text content. They also agreed to hand over $2.5 million to help fund the state’s recently-created CyberFraud Task Force, to spend $500,000 for “consumer education on safe Internet use,” and to start policing third-party vendors better and make sure all billed items are clearly described.
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Update: Zombie Utility Bill Uprising Defeated!
By 2.27.08
Mike, the subject of the post “When Zombie Utility Bills Attack!,” has an update for us:
Johnny Rockets Automatically Adds 15% Gratuity To Takeout Orders
By 2.24.08
She writes:
When I went to pay for the order, I noticed a gratuity already included on the bill. I told the waiter, “this is take out gratuity is not included.”
Mom Upset Over "Death Threat" Elmo
By 2.22.08
Little James here loves Elmo. In fact, his entire house is filled with every Elmo toy you could possibly imagine and even a few you can’t. One of these beloved Elmos is a model that you can program with your computer to say your kids name. Recently, James’ mother replaced the batteries in “Elmo Knows Your Name” and is now convinced that the doll is homicidal.
Two Georgia Gas Stations Closed For Shorting Customers
By 2.19.08
Georgia state inspectors closed two large Cisco gas stations just across the state line from Florida last week in what the Georgia Commissioner of Agriculture described as “one of the worst cases of shorting gas customers he’s seen since he took office back in 1969.” (Why Ag? Why not?) An inspector found that a five gallon test pump turned up over a quart short at the Cisco Travel Plaza off Interstate 95’s Exit 6, and a similar test revealed a suspiciously similar shortage at another Cisco Travel Plaza off Exit 1.
Pokemon Valentine's Day Lollipops Should Not Contain Razor Blades
By 2.17.08
A 10-year-old elementary school student found a razor blade in the Pokemon lollipop he was about to hand to his sister. Dollar General, which sold the lollipop for $1, immediately recalled the remaining Pokemon Valentine Cards and Pops from its 8,300 stores, but they are concerned that “most of this candy has already been purchased.”
Stephen Colbert Weighs In On McDonald's Sponsored Report Cards
By 2.16.08
Stephen Colbert interviewed Susan Pagan, a mother offended by McDonalds’ sponsorship of her daughter’s elementary school report card, for his segment “People Destroying America.”
Follow Up: Woman Tasered Last November At Best Buy Will Not Have Charges Filed Against Her
By 2.12.08
On November 26th, a 35-year-old woman was shopping at Best Buy in Daytona Beach, Florida when there was some sort of communication breakdown, and a police officer who was at the store tasered her. We wrote about it here, and it turns out there’s a video of the event here. At the time there were few details, but the full story has since been pieced together and resolved, and last week the Florida state attorney said “charges won’t be pursued because there is no evidence that Beeland committed a crime.”
When Zombie Utility Bills Attack! 4 Years Later, You Owe $696.51
By 2.11.08
Here’s one for all the Florida lawyers out there who read this blog. (We know you exist!) When reader Matt moved 4 years ago, he transferred the utilities at his college apartment to one of his roommates. Now, 4 years later, the utility company says that the account was never transferred and that Matt owes $696.51 because his deadbeat roommates never paid the bill after he left.
Thief Pretends To Work At Target, Steals $17k Worth Of iPods
By 2.8.08
The North Miami police are looking for Antonio McKenzie, a “fake Target clerk” suspected of stealing numerous iPod Touches from Target Department Stores in South Florida.
Centura Bank Manager Steals $82,000 From Elderly Customer's Account
By 2.5.08
A Centura bank manager was arresetd on suspicion of defrauding an 86-year old man out of $82,000 from his bank account. Milton Hagelberger helped the old man set up his checkbook, then set up a second account under the old man’s name and made himself an ATM card. The manager had the account statements mailed to an empty lot across the street from the bank so the man wouldn’t see the missing money. The victim only found out about the fraud after he tried to cash a check and found he had insufficient funds. We’re often worried about outside identity thieves stealing our moneys over the internet, but sometimes identity theft happens in the flesh, right in front of our face.
Harbor Freight Sure Knows How To Have A Blow-Out Sale
By 2.5.08
I saw this last week in the Harbor Freight store in Casselberry, Florida. I wasn’t sure if I could pass up such an amazing deal but, somehow, I was able to exercise restraint.
You’re a strong man, Kyle.
BrightHouse Cable Disconnects Your Service After Too Many "Unsubstantiated Complaints"
By 2.1.08
Reader Jeffrey used to be a customer of Bright House cable. Not anymore. The company disconnected his cable today for “unsubstantiated complaints.” For 15 months, Jeffrey had been trying to get Bright House to fix whatever was wrong with his internet connection. At first they were apologetic, but when tech after tech couldn’t figure out what was wrong, things got tense.
Woman Finds Thumbtack In Snack Wrap, McDonald's "Takes It Very Seriously"
By 1.30.08
THE QUOTE: “Nothing is more important than the safety of our customers,” said Paul Van Sickle, director of operations for McDonald’s Florida Region. “This was an isolated incident which we take very seriously. We always strive to give our customers an enjoyable and pleasant restaurant experience in a clean and safe environment.”
$60 Million Shoplifting Ring Busted In Florida
By 1.25.08
Holy crap! A “multiagency” investigation that started with a single shoplifting incident has lead to the arrest of an 18 person crime ring in Florida, says The Ledger.
By 1.24.08
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“Hi, you’re not going to believe this,” the caller said “but I am calling from Fort Worth, Texas, and I accidentally picked up your husband’s luggage. When I opened the luggage, a cat jumped out.” [NY Daily News]
By 1.19.08
../../../..//2008/01/19/allstate-can-once-again-sell/
Allstate can once again sell auto insurance in Florida, now that an appellate court has stayed a ban from the Florida Insurance Commissioner. Commissioner McCarty is peeved over Allstate’s continuing refusal to comply with a subpoena for documents that might prove that the insurer flooded consumers in hurricane-prone areas with higher rates. [Chicago Tribune]
Bus Radio Advertises To School-Bound Kids
By 1.19.08
The school district that approved McDonald’s-sponsored report cards has a hot new partnership with Bus Radio, a friendly company that advertises to kids as they ride to school!
