Baskin-Robbins has settled a consumer protection lawsuit with the San Diego Attorney General after it was discovered that 83% of their “hand packed pints” of ice cream were about 4 oz short of being an actual pint. Whoops.
lawsuits
Coca-Cola Settles Benzene Lawsuit
By 5.15.07
Benzene can form in soft drinks containing vitamin C, also called ascorbic acid, and either sodium benzoate or potassium benzoate. Scientists say factors such as heat or light exposure can trigger a reaction that forms benzene in the beverages.
Make Debt Collectors Prove They Own What They Say You Owe
By 5.15.07
We’ve mentioned how if you’re being pursued by a debt collector, you need to make them prove that you owe the debt. Alabama Consumer Law Blog notes the other half, that you need to make them prove that it is they they actually own the debt, what is called having “standing.”
6 Muslims Who Were Arrested On A Flight Sue Passengers For Reporting Them As Potential Terrorists
By 5.10.07
Now the 6 arrested passengers are suing their accusers. Boy, there was sure a whole lot of nasty racism going on that day. It’s hard to figure out who should sue who, isn’t it? Psst, the airline probably has more money. —MEGHANN MARCO
KFC Claims Trademark Infringement Over Tiny English Pub's "Family Feast"
By 5.10.07
Do not be so bold as to name a menu item “Family Feast,” even if you sell the item once a year on Christmas and you own a tiny pub on top of a remote mountain in England. What? Didn’t you know that KFC’s trademark applies to people who live on top of mountains and own pubs and have their picture taken with sheep wandering around? Tracy Daly is such a person, and she has received a very serious legal threat from KFC over an item on her menu called, “Family Feast.”
Best Buy Employee Confesses To Scams Similar To Ones Outlined In Racketeering Lawsuit
By 5.9.07
We thought the scam mentioned in the racketeering lawsuit sounded familiar—it was. A Best Buy employee emailed us on April 4, 2007 to confess to the type of behavior mentioned in the lawsuit.
Best Buy, Microsoft Accused Of Racketeering
By 5.9.07
When you think RICO you think Al Capone, or maybe Tony Soprano if you watch too much HBO. You don’t really think of Best Buy and Microsoft, do you? James Odom does. He’s the original plaintiff in a now 4 year old class action lawsuit that just won’t go away for Best Buy and Microsoft, one that now includes racketeering charges.
$50k For Injury Sustained Holding Open The Door Of A Pizza Hut?
By 5.3.07
Amanda Verett is asking a judge to enter a default judgment in her civil lawsuit againt Pizza Hut and the Pizza Hut customer she was holding the door open for. The co-defendant Clarence Jackson, has not responded to Verett’s lawsuit in the required 30 days.
Why Does American Airlines Need To Examine The Gynecological Records Of Crash Victim's Daughter?
By 5.1.07
This has to be the weirdest press release we’ve ever read, and that’s really saying something.
Bankers Join The Class Action Fun Against TJX
By 4.28.07
TJX, the parent company of TJ Maxx and Marshall’s, is facing a class action lawsuit from the 45 million customers whose credit card data they lost; now, bankers associations representing 300 banks in Maine, Connecticut and Massachusetts have decided to file a class action suit of their own. From InfoWorld:
Banks — especially in states like Massachusetts — were also hard hit. Why? Because under current federal law, its banks, not merchants, who have to pay to make customers whole again: forgiving fraudulent purchases on credit and debit cards and, of course, cancelling compromised cards and bank accounts, then issuing new ones to their customers. Needless to say, that’s an expensive process, especially when you’ve got to repeat it 45 million times, as banks across the country will have to do in the wake of TJX. Not surprise, then, that banks aren’t taking this sitting down.
Banks are in the process of notifying consumers, some who did not think they were affected, that they will soon receive new debit and credit cards in the mail. — CAREY GREENBERG-BERGER
Papa John's Pizza Guy Delivers Drive By Shooting Instead Of Pizza
By 4.27.07
Bad customer service stories don’t usually involve phrases like “bullet casings were recovered” and “drive-by shooting”. Alas, this one does.
RIAA 1, Badgers 0: Judge Orders University of Wisconsin-Madison To Turn Over Student IDs
By 4.26.07
On Tuesday, 16 record companies represented by the Recording Industry Association of America filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court seeking the names associated with 53 Internet connections for copyright infringement. On Wednesday, U.S. District Judge John Shabaz signed an order requiring UW-Madison to relinquish the names, addresses, telephone numbers, e-mail addresses and Media Access Control addresses for each of the 53 individuals.
UW had initially declined to forward the “settlement” letters to their students, preferring to wait for a court order. The RIAA record companies responded by filing 53 “John Doe” lawsuits against the UW students. “We had every indication that they were going to be going in this direction,” said Ken Frazier, interim chief information officer at UW-Madison. “It’s the step the RIAA would have to take to get the identity of a user of our network.” “We continue to be really concerned for students,” he said. “The prospect of being sued in federal court is a really scary one.”
Court Transcript Of "Peek Squad" Agent's No-Contest Plea
By 4.23.07
We just received the court transcript detailing former Geek Squad Agent Hao Kuo Chi “no-contest” plea in the case of his alleged setting up a cameraphone while on call in a customer’s house and recording a young woman taking a shower.
Iowa Microsoft Users Can Get Some Class Action Settlement Cash
By 4.20.07
Under the settlement, individuals and businesses that purchased certain Microsoft software between May 18, 1994 and June 30, 2006 are eligible for benefits, as well as Iowa state and local governments that purchased software between July 1, 2002 and June 30, 2006. The OSes included in the settlement range from MS-DOS all the way up through Windows NT and Windows XP, and the other applications include Word, Except, and various versions of Office.
Man Gets Brand New Laptop After Suing HP In Small Claims Court For Losing His
By 4.18.07
HP seemed to have “lost” David Barzelay’s laptop when he sent it in for repairs. After a month of no laptop, HP wouldn’t replace it or return it.
Geek Squad Peeker Plead "No Contest" To Privacy Invasion
By 4.14.07
When former Geek Squad Agent Hao Kuo Chi appeared in court on April 3rd, 2007, he plead “no contest” to one count of unlawful invasion of privacy, according to the LA County DA’s office. He received this sentence:
"Peek Squadder" Beloved By Customers, Colleagues
By 4.13.07
Though he stands accused of a disgusting act, secretly recording a customer taking a shower, Geek Squad Agent Hao Kuo Chi was held in high esteem by customers and among his fellow employees.
