Urban Outfitters is no stranger to accusations that it’s ripped off designs belonging to others, or offended an entire culture with its clothing, but it can now put one more of those claims behind it after settling a lawsuit brought by the Navajo Nation in 2012. [More]
lawsuits
Charter/Time Warner Cable Tries To Defend “Broadcast TV” Fee; Says It’s All About Transparency
By 11.16.16
Last week, a Time Warner Cable customer sued the cable-TV and its parent, Charter Communications over fees that significantly increase subscribers’ bills and allegedly imply that they are surcharges required by the government. Now Charter is commenting on the fees, claiming that this confusing fee is part of the company’s “simple to understand” strategy. [More]
Why IMDb May Soon Have To Delete Actors’ Ages From Website
By 11.14.16
The Internet Movie Database has long been the public’s go-to site for generally accurate information about movies, TV shows, and the people who make them. Many celebrity profiles have their ages and dates of birth listed on IMDb, but that may soon come to an end if a new California law is allowed to stand. [More]
Man Takes Down Anti-Santander Billboards After Bank Sues For False Advertising, Defamation, Trademark Infringement
By 11.14.16
A Philadelphia man who is upset with Santander Bank wanted to voice his opinion in a pair of recently posted billboards in the city. His message was short-lived, however, after the bank responded by filing a lawsuit against him in federal court. [More]
Amazon Must Issue Refunds, Not Gift Cards, To Parents Unfairly Billed For Kids’ In-App Purchases
By 11.11.16
Back in April, a federal court ruled that Amazon had not done enough to alert Kindle Fire owners — and users of Amazon’s Android appstore — that “Free” apps could still allow kids to make costly in-app transactions, but the ruling left unresolved exactly how much Amazon would need to pay to make customers whole again. Yesterday, the judge in the case determined that wronged Amazon customers must need to actively claim their refund, and that Amazon could not pay the refund in site credit or gift cards. [More]
Customer Sues Charter, Time Warner Cable Over “Broadcast TV” Fees; Doesn’t Seek Monetary Damages
By 11.11.16
Last month, Comcast customers accused the cable company of illegally using its “Broadcast TV” and “Regional Sports” fees to raise customers’ bills by as much as $10/month. Now a customer of the recently merged Time Warner Cable and Charter Communications is accusing the providers of breaking the law by using similar fees to hide rate hikes while implying to subscribers that these surcharges are required by the government. [More]
Feds Accuse NetSpend Of Misleading Customers About Prepaid Debit Cards
By 11.10.16
NetSpend, one of the nation’s largest providers of prepaid debit cards, has been accused of violating federal law for allegedly misleading users into believing that funds loaded onto these cards will be available immediately, while some users say they had to wait weeks or were never able to access their funds. [More]
You Could Be Eligible For These Class Actions And Not Even Know It
By 11.7.16 — Updated: 11.8.16
The class action system is slow, profitable for lawyers, and flawed, but for now it’s the best tool that ordinary consumers have for holding companies that have wronged a lot of people responsible with a relatively small financial impact. Not all suits are well publicized, though, and you might not know that you’re eligible. Did you buy a computer between 2003 and 2008? How about “natural” cleaning products or lavender-scented baby products? [More]
Lawsuit Claims Leaky Glade Air Fresheners Can Burn Through Car Dashboards
By 11.4.16
Another week, another lawsuit over allegedly defective fragrance products doing damage to vehicles: some consumers who bought Glade air fresheners for their cars say the items ended up leaking all over the place, and in some cases, burning holes through car dashboards. [More]
Mrs. Fields, Interbake Duking It Out In Court Over Cookie Deal Gone Bad
By 11.4.16
Like any good thriller, the story of cookie biggies Mrs. Fields and Interbake Foods is full of alleged deceit, theft, and betrayal. Now the two companies are headed to the courtroom to air their grievances over a relationship that crumbled like stale cookies. [More]
Popeyes Customer Dropping Lawsuit Over Lack Of Knife With Fried Chicken Order
By 11.4.16
Well, that was quick: only a few days after filing a lawsuit against Popeyes claiming that the lack of a knife in his order caused him to choke on his fried chicken, a Mississippi lawyers is dropping his complaint. [More]
Court Says Ballot Selfies Are Illegal In New York, At Least For This Election
By 11.4.16
Weeks after one federal appeals court ruled that New Hampshire’s ban on photos inside the voting booth is unconstitutional, a federal district court judge in New York state has come to a different conclusion about that state’s prohibition against sharing photos of your ballot. [More]
Popeyes Customer Sues Over Lack Of Knife In His Order After Choking On Chicken
By 11.3.16
A man who claims he choked on a piece of Popeyes fried chicken has sued the fast food chain, claiming that his pain and suffering from the incident could’ve been avoided if a plastic knife had come with his order. [More]
Judge Gives Initial Approval To $26M Settlement For Claims That WEN Products Caused Hair Loss
By 11.2.16
In July, we heard that the Food and Drug Administration was investigating reports of hair loss, balding, itching, and rash associated with using celebrity stylist Chaz Dean’s hair care products, sold by a company called WEN. Now, a federal judge in Los Angeles has given preliminary approval to a $25 million settlement that resulted from a class-action lawsuit more than 200 customers filed against the company. [More]
DOJ Sues DirecTV Over Blackout Of SportsNet LA
By 11.2.16
The Justice Department has filed a lawsuit against DirecTV, alleging that the nation’s largest satellite TV provider illegally shared non-public information with other pay-TV companies about their negotiations to carry SportsNet LA, the only cable channel in Los Angeles to air most Dodgers games. [More]
Feds Go After “Massive, Illegal” Debt-Collection Operation
By and 11.2.16 — Updated: 11.4.16
A large, nationwide debt-collection operation that allegedly brought in tens of millions of dollars through illegal means — like impersonating law-enforcement officers, or threatening arrest for non-payment — is the target of a joint legal action by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and the New York state attorney general. [More]
More Amazon Drivers Accuse Company Of Not Paying Required Overtime Wages
By 11.2.16
As Amazon shifts more of its logistics workload away from traditional parcel services like FedEx and UPS and toward contractors who deliver orders in Amazon’s name, the e-commerce giant continues to face legal challenges over the way those contracted workers are being treated. The latest example comes out of Illinois, where former delivery drivers are accusing Amazon of not paying them required overtime wages. [More]
Judge: Airbnb Can Force Users’ Racial Discrimination Claims Out Of Courtroom
By 11.1.16
A large — and growing — number of companies use arbitration clauses in their overlong, legalese-stuffed customer agreements to prevent customers from bringing lawsuits and joining together in class actions, but can that arbitration agreement be used to avoid legal liability for possible violations of federal civil rights law? According to one federal judge, yes. [More]
