policies

Mike Mozart

Burger King, Tim Hortons Vow To Cut Back On Antibiotics In Chicken

Amid growing concerns about the overuse of antibiotics in farm animals, Burger King has joined the list of fast food chains that will scale back on the use of drugs that are medically important to human beings.
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Rdog Xtreme

How Does Trump Cuba Policy Change Affect Travelers & Airlines?

Just a month after lawmakers introduced a bipartisan bill that would open up Cuba to tourist travel following the 2016 decision to end the all-out travel ban, the Trump administration has outlined a proposal that would restrict the small amount of tourist travel currently allowed, potentially throwing a wrench in airlines’ business in the country. [More]

frankieleon

New Law Would Ban Airlines From Bumping Passengers Involuntarily

United Airlines’ decision to forcibly remove a paying passenger to make room for an airline employee has led to increased pressure for carriers to change their policies. A new piece of legislation wants to stop make it illegal for airlines to bump a passenger without their permission. [More]

Michael Kappel

Just When You Thought It Was Dead, ACA Repeal Talks Are Back

After the Republican effort to repeal core elements of the 2010 Affordable Care Act (ACA) was pulled minutes before it was to be considered for a vote by the House of Representatives, both President Trump and Speaker of the House Paul Ryan indicated that the ACA was the “law of the land” for the time-being, and that there likely wouldn’t be another repeal attempt this year. But now, Ryan and other lawmakers are already indicating that they may work together to target the ACA again sooner than expected.
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Dave Seidman

L.L. Bean Reportedly Thinking Of Ditching Free Returns

As retailers increasingly shifted toward more restrictive return policies, L.L. Bean’s generous approach to accepting returns has stood out. However, that could soon change as the Bean looks to shave costs. [More]

CFPB Says TCF Bank Made Millions From Misleading Overdraft Practices

CFPB Says TCF Bank Made Millions From Misleading Overdraft Practices

Fifteen months after Minnesota-based TCF Financial revealed it could face legal action from federal regulators related to alleged unfair and deceptive overdraft practices, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has finally taken legal action against the bank. [More]

David Stabler

Following Richard Marx Heroics, Airline Eases Restrictions On Using Tasers On Unruly Passengers

A week after singer Richard Marx criticized Korean Air crew members as being “ill-equipped” to deal with unruly passengers after he helped subdue a fellow traveler on a flight from Vietnam to South Korea, the carrier says it will better train employees and allow them to use stun guns to manage in-flight disturbances.  [More]

Alan Rappa

Amazon Angers Smaller Sellers With Suspensions

The pages of Amazon are full of third-party sellers using the e-tail giant as a storefront, but a number of small-scale sellers say there’s a growing rift between themselves and Amazon over accounts that the sellers claim are being suspended with little notice and few options for recourse. [More]

EFFIE YANG

Airbnb Enlists Former U.S. Attorney General To Address Discrimination

Airbnb has a zero tolerance policy for discrimination of any kind, but that hasn’t stopped some hosts from refusing to rent their homes to consumers based on race or sexual orientation. In order to address these issues, Airbnb has now begun to review its policies, enlisting the help of former U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder.  [More]

Mike Mozart

Santander Bank To Pay $10M Fine Over Alleged Illegal Overdraft Practices

Santander Bank has agreed to pay $10 million to settle federal regulatory allegations that it illegally charged overdraft fees to customers who didn’t affirmatively opt in to the bank’s overdraft policies.
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Zach Egolf

Amazon Stops Price-Matching Everything But TVs, So Here’s Your Guide To Other Retailers’ Policies

No one likes to pay more for something than they have to. For that reason, several retailers offer pricing guarantees that allow customers to receive refunds if the cost of an item changes within a certain amount of time. Amazon is no longer one of the companies offering this protection.  [More]

Mike Mozart

Chipotle Temporarily Closes Restaurant After Someone Inside Becomes Ill

Following very public bouts with E. coli and norovirus outbreaks at its restaurants in recent months, Chipotle revamped its safety protocols, mandating that stores be temporarily shut down if someone inside becomes sick. That plan was put into motion Tuesday when a Virginia restaurant closed around lunchtime.  [More]

Mike Mozart

Wells Fargo Must Pay $203M To Customers After Supreme Court Rejection

Nearly six years after a federal court ordered Wells Fargo to pay $203 million in refunds to customers victimized by the bank’s overdraft policies — and after years of bouncing back and forth through the appeals process — the U.S. Supreme Court has decided to let that judgment stand. [More]

yooperann

American Airlines Ditching Confusing 24-Hour Hold Policy For 24-Hour Cancellation Option

Federal airline regulations require that carriers must either give most passengers a 24-hour window to cancel tickets without penalty, or allow travelers to put tickets on hold for 24 hours before being charged the airfare. Of all major U.S. carriers, American Airlines is the only one that doesn’t offer the cancellation option, resulting in costly confusion for some travelers. But AA says it is ditching that policy and will begin offering the 24-hour cancellation window instead. [More]

afagen

Spirit Airlines Drops Some Baggage Fees For Active Duty Military Personnel

Spirit Airlines has long been known as the airline that charges a fee for nearly everything: checked bags, carry-on bags, seat selection, and water, just to name a few. In a change of pace, the budget carrier recently announced it would no longer charge active duty military members fees on some of their bags.  [More]

(Alan Rappa)

Denying Travelers Compensation For Damaged Bags Won’t Fly With The DOT Starting Jan. 9

Some airlines aren’t living up to their obligation to compensate passengers for damage to their luggage, recent inspections by the Department of Transportation found. Now, the agency is warning carriers that if their policies and trainings don’t fall in line with federal regulations by Jan. 9, they could face fines and other enforcement action.  [More]

Walmart Employee Says He Was Fired For Waiting 30 Minutes To Turn In $350 He Found In Parking Lot

Walmart Employee Says He Was Fired For Waiting 30 Minutes To Turn In $350 He Found In Parking Lot

A maintenance employee for Walmart thought he was doing the right thing by handing over a stack of bills totaling $350 that he found discarded in the store’s parking lot. But instead of being thanked for his honesty, the man says he was fired because he waited 30 minutes before handing over the cash.  [More]

Man Who Sued Costco After Altercation Led To Broken Leg Loses Case

Man Who Sued Costco After Altercation Led To Broken Leg Loses Case

Last September, a man in Oregon filed a $670,000 lawsuit against Costco claiming that a receipt-checking dispute left him with a broken leg. This week, a jury refused to award the man damages in the case.  [More]