AT&T CEO Randall Stephenson told the Atlanta Journal Constitution that his customer just aren’t interested in ultra-cheap internet service. AT&T is required to offer $10 DSL throughout 22 states, a concession made to the FTC as part of a deal to acquire BellSouth. AT&T has been accused of hiding the $10 DSL option, which, apparently, they did for the sake of their customers. From the Atlanta Journal Constitution:
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Getting Off Mailing Lists Is Fun
By 7.16.07
We sat down to try to get our name off six mailing lists today. It’s really annoying to have all this crap clutter our mailbox. When we get it, we literally walk from the mailbox to the recycling bin. Dump. Nice marketing, guys.
Whole Foods CEO Caught Bashing Wild Oats Stock On Yahoo Forums
By 7.12.07
Back in 2005, when the (currently being opposed by the FTC) Whole Foods/Wild Oats merger was just a glint in the Whole Foods CEO’s eye… John “Anonymous Troll” Mackey was on Yahoo! forums bashing Wild Oats stock.
AT&T Giving Consumers The Runaround Over Secret $10 DSL
By 6.20.07
AT&T is required to offer a $10 DSL option to those consumers who are in AT&T’s 22 state coverage area and who have not previously subscribed to AT&T DSL. This requirement is part of concessions made to the FTC so that AT&T could merge with BellSouth and take over Cingular.
Ask The Consumerists: What Do I Do About Credit Cards I Never Requested?
By 6.12.07
I’ve gotten two of these unwanted cards in the last 12 months after signing up with two different financial institutions for two different reasons. The first was a mortgage I signed, the second for a business checking account where I was the primary account user. I’ve worked hard all my life to maintain good credit, and I don’t want these things to affect my excellent rating. What should I do now?
Read Beau’s letter and our advice, inside.
FTC: Wild Oats Whole Foods Buyout Bad For Consumers
By 6.11.07
The FTC thinks that Whole Food’s buyout of competitor Wild Oats would lead to increased prices and decreased quality according to a statement issued on June 5. They’re planning to block the buyout. “Whole Foods and Wild Oats are each other’s closest competitors in premium natural and organic supermarkets, and are engaged in intense head-to-head competition in markets across the country,” said Jeffrey Schmidt, Director of the FTC’s Bureau of Competition. “If Whole Foods is allowed to devour Wild Oats, it will mean higher prices, reduced quality, and fewer choices for consumers.”
House Passes Two Anti-Spyware Measures
By 6.9.07
The House has passed not one, but two cleverly-named measures targeting the miscreants who make and promote spyware. Though the FTC, Justice Department, and several state attorneys general are already empowered to prosecute spyware manufacturers, the two measures would extend existing laws by subjecting spyware makers to jail terms and multimillion-dollar fines.
Be Your Own Credit Repair Service
By 6.3.07
Ever wonder how credit repair services work? According to the FTC, they take your money, often illegally, and then perform services that are available to any and all consumers. The shops start by charging an initial registration fee from $20 to $100. This is against federal law, which prohibits payment until the repair has been performed. The shops then charge a fee to obtain your credit report, even though you can access one free copy of your report each year at AnnualCreditReport.com.
FTC To Investigate Deceptive Youth-Oriented Advertising Practices, Like KFC's "21st Century Dinner Bell," Audible Only To Kids
By 5.22.07
A report damning the coercive and deceptive practices used by food marketers to reach kids has been submitted to the FTC. The Commission plans to investigate how the food industry markets to children and adolescents; information requests, Commission-speak for subpoenas, have been sent to 44 companies that manufacture, market, and distribute foods and beverages.
Can't Advertise Milk As Weight-Loss Aid, FTC Says
By 5.14.07
In response to FTC pressure, milk makers say they will stop advertising that drinking milk leads to weight loss.
Get A Free Mother's Day Card From The Federal Trade Commission
By 5.12.07
Keep your card in a safe place at home – not in your wallet or purse.
Should Spyware Distributors Be Locked Up?
By 4.11.07
“Many of most serious wrongdoers we observed in this area, I believe, are only going to be deterred if their freedom is withdrawn,” so it’s important for the FTC to collaborate on its cases with criminal law enforcement authorities, Kovacic said.
What do you guys think? Lock ’em up? —MEGHANN MARCO
How Effective Is The Do Not Call Registry?
By 4.8.07
A report recently released by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) hails the Do Not Call registry as “an effective consumer protection initiative.” Since its inception in 2003, the registry has grown to include 132 million numbers.
The agency said the program’s primary goal of reducing unwanted telemarketing calls is succeeding, largely due to a “high degree of compliance by telemarketers.” The report notes that while roughly 1.15 million complaints were received in fiscal 2006 from 374,937 registered phone numbers, that was the equivalent of only about one-quarter of 1 percent of the numbers in the database.
Telemarketers are required to pay an annual fee to access the list so they know whose dinner not to interrupt. Still, the FTC put down its fork and left the table to fine 28 companies, including DirecTV, for calling people on the Do Not Call registry.
FTC Cracks Down on Monthly Maintenance Fees on Gift Cards
By 3.26.07
Retailers love gift cards. They get your money up front, so they can earn interest on your “deposit.” Cards bring customers into the store, where they often spend more than gift card value. Other consumers will forget they have the card, and the retailer keeps the money without selling anything. Nice margins!
To Whom Do You Complain About The FTC's Broken Complaint Form?
By 3.12.07
The FTC runs a web app that is supposed to allow consumers to complain to the FTC and clue them into stuff they might want to investigate, with the link to it on the page at http://www.ftc.gov/ftc/consumer.htm
Identity Thieves Steal For Peanuts… Literally
By 2.18.07
In some twisted way, it makes sense when a criminal steals your identity to rip you off for thousands of dollars. You might call that normal crook behavior. But these days identity thieves, who now range from far-flung organized crime rings to local drug addicts, are also using your identity for the basics, such as groceries.
FTC Asks Court to Order Permanent Halt To Pretexting
By 2.16.07
The FTC asked a district court to announce a forever ban against businesses using false pretenses, or “pretexting,” to acquire customers phone records and then sell them to third parties.
Avoid Counterfeit Check Scams
By 2.13.07
Unwitting consumers are falling for a new twist on the old “advance fee scam.” In this variation, a consumer receives what looks like a legitimate check in the mail, either as “foreign lottery proceeds,” “prize money,” or even payment for goods via classifieds (which includes Craigslist and eBay).
