In an effort to gain approval for their $6.3 billion proposed marriage to Staples, Office Depot announced last month it would close about 400 stores. While that move could certainly help the merger process, it appears that federal regulators are less worried about retail sales at physical stores, and more concerned about their contracts to provide supplies to large corporations and businesses. [More]
lawsuit
Antitrust Concerns For Staples, Office Depot Merger Now Center On Corporate Supply Contracts
By 9.10.15
Lawsuit Says Jessica Alba’s Honest Company Products Are Dishonest About “Natural” Claims
By 9.4.15
The Honest Company, co-founded by actress Jessica Alba, built its billion-dollar reputation on the fact that its products are created using natural, nontoxic elements. But a newly filed class-action lawsuit claims the company hasn’t been as honest as its name would lead one to believe, accusing the organization of deceiving consumers by selling items that actually contain unnatural and ineffective ingredients. [More]
West Coast Grocery Chain Haggen Sues Albertsons For $1B Over Misrepresentations In Acquired Stores
By 9.3.15
Nine months ago, when Albertsons and Safeway had to sell off a bunch of stores to make their $9.2 billion merger more palatable, the Washington-based Haggen supermarket chain agreed to snap up nearly 150 of those locations. Now Haggen, in a $1 billion lawsuit, says the sale of these stores was really a calculated effort on Albertsons’ part to eliminate competition. [More]
Safeway To Refund Customers $30.9M For Online Ordering Overcharges
By 9.1.15
Nearly nine months ago, a federal court in California ruled that Safeway must refund customers the amount of money they were overcharged when the company broke its own terms and conditions by marking up prices of items ordered online. We finally know how much the supermarket chain will hand over: about $30.9 million. [More]
Bank Of America Reportedly Settles Overtime Lawsuit For $36 Million
By 8.28.15
When working a few extra hours, you have a reasonable expectation to be compensated for that time. Unfortunately, that doesn’t always happen, which was the case for nearly 400 employees of Bank of America who sued the company alleging it failed to pay them overtime. Now, the company has agreed to settle the case, providing $36 million to the wronged employees. [More]
Man Charged With Operating Debt Collection Scheme That Targeted, Defrauded Spanish-Speaking Consumers
By 8.28.15
Deceiving consumers is a trademark for most unscrupulous operations attempting to collect debts that aren’t actually owed. Shady collectors have been known to lie about debts, misrepresent themselves as officers of the law, threaten lawsuits and, in the case of one operator, threaten Spanish-speaking residents with deportation. [More]
Regulators Halt Alleged Energy Drink Pyramid Scheme That Targeted College Students, Other Young Adults
By 8.27.15
Federal regulators continued their crackdown on supposedly deceptive dietary supplement companies this week by temporarily shutting down an Arizona-based company that allegedly ran a pyramid scheme promising college students they would rake in the big bucks by selling energy drinks. [More]
Class-Action Lawsuit Claims 10 Automakers Hid Keyless Ignition Carbon Monoxide Dangers That Led To 13 Deaths
By 8.27.15
At least 13 people have died because 10 major automakers concealed the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning in more than five million vehicles equipped with keyless ignitions, a new class-action lawsuit claims. [More]
Sallie Mae Spinoff Navient Could Face CFPB Lawsuit Over Student Loans
By 8.25.15
In the short time since Navient – the nation’s largest student loan servicing company – spun off from Sallie Mae, the company has come under scrutiny for it allegedly unfair practices of overcharging and imposing excessive fees on consumers’ loans. While those practices resulted in a $97 million settlement with the Depts. of Education and Justice, and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp, they could soon lead to a lawsuit from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. [More]
Former Airline Catering Employee Sues American Airlines After Cargo Box Falls On Him
By 8.25.15
Depending on your job, going to work each day might entail putting yourself in harm’s way. However, most of us probably don’t envision going about our daily tasks and having a nearly 700-pound cargo box fall on us. But that’s exactly what happened to a Houston man, and now he’s suing American Airlines. [More]
Family Sues American Airlines After Father With Alzheimer’s Goes Missing From Airport
By 8.24.15
It’s not uncommon for an airline to lose a piece of luggage for one reason or another during any particular trip from point A to point B; that’s just the risk we take when we hand over a $25 fee and our belongings. While material items can generally be replaced, people can’t be. So, when American Airlines somehow lost track of a passenger with Alzheimer’s earlier this year, his family was worried, and angry with the airline. Thankfully, the man was eventually found, and now his family is filing a lawsuit accusing the carrier of negligence. [More]
Regulators Sue Pension Advance Companies Over Deceptive Marketing Of Loans
By 8.20.15
Five months after the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau warned that pension advance loans could be the new payday loan – leaving consumers who are already struggling to make ends meet in dire financial situations – the agency announced it had teamed up with the state of New York to shut down two companies that allegedly deceived retirees about the risks and costs associated with the loan products. [More]
Lawsuit Alleges Uber Is Spamming Consumers With Illegal Texts
By 8.11.15
The concept of ride-sharing service Uber is built around consumers’ use of mobile phones: the company sends text messages confirming the creation of an account, users hail a cab through the company’s app, and the company routinely informs customers their ride is on the way via text. While this may be convenient for Uber customers, a new lawsuit claims Uber is violating federal law by sending unsolicited texts to people who want nothing to do with the service. [More]
Investors Sue American Express After Loss Of Costco Agreement
By 7.31.15
Five months after American Express and Costco announced they would go their separate ways and end their exclusive relationship – essentially allowing members of the warehouse club to use other cards – shareholders for the credit card company have filed a lawsuit claiming it blindsided investors with the loss of the contract. [More]
Woman Sues Starbucks For $2 Million Over Drink Allegedly Tainted With Chemicals
By 7.31.15
A Utah woman has filed a $2 million lawsuit against Starbucks and several employees claiming she was given a drink that contained a cleaning solution. [More]
Owners Of Nike+FuelBands Eligible For $15 Check Or $25 Gift Card Under Class-Action Settlement
By 7.27.15
Owners of Nike+Fuelband fitness trackers are eligible for a partial refund after Nike and Apple agreed to settle a class-action lawsuit that claimed the companies misled consumers about the accuracy of the wearable device. [More]
Time Warner Cable Must Pay Nearly $230,000 For 153 Robocalls To The Wrong Person
By 7.8.15
We can all agree that automated robocalls are an annoying interruption. But you know what’s worse? Receiving those automated calls meant for someone else, telling the company to place you on the Do Not Call list and then continuing to receive a total of 153 prerecorded messages. [More]
Amazon Must Face Trademark Lawsuit Over Wristwatch Search Results
By 7.7.15
If Amazon doesn’t sell a specific product I’m looking for, should it simply tell me “Sorry, nothing here” or should it bring up a slate of other, possibly similar, competing products? To one high-end watchmaker that’s been involved in a four-year legal battle with Amazon, these questionable search results aren’t just an annoyance but constitute trademark infringement. And yesterday, a federal appeals panel said Amazon must face this trademark complaint in court. [More]
