Last week, Volkswagen agreed to pay at least $15 billion to settle federal allegations that it used so-called “defeat devices” in nearly 500,000 diesel-engine vehicles in the U.S. to skirt emissions standards behind it. While the settlement is a first step for VW, the second step came this week when the carmaker agreed to pay an additional $86 million to settle similar charges in California. [More]
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Supplement Maker Must Stop Claiming “Elimidrol” Can Relieve Opiate Withdrawal
By 7.6.16 — Updated: 1.11.17
Last year, Sunrise Nutraceuticals was one of more than 100 supplement companies sued by the Federal Trade Commission for allegedly making unfounded health or disease-treatment claims. To settle that suit, Sunrise has agreed to suspend allegedly false claims that its Elimidrol dietary supplement can alleviate the symptoms of opiate withdrawal. [More]
Volkswagen To Pay At Least $15B To Settle Federal Allegations In Dirty Diesel Scandal
By 6.28.16
Nine months after the Environmental Protection Agency and California Air Resources Board revealed that Volkswagen had used so-called “defeat devices” in nearly 500,000 diesel-engine vehicles in the U.S. to skirt emissions standards, the carmaker has finally reached a partial settlement package with the agencies, along with the Department of Justice and the Federal Trade Comission, to the tune of $15 billion. [More]
Report: VW To Pay $10.2B To Settle Emissions Issues
By 6.23.16
It doesn’t pay to cheat. That’s the lesson Volkswagen will likely learn next Tuesday, when the (extended) deadline expires for filing a final settlement agreement to resolve its use of emissions-cheating “defeat devices” in more than 500,000 vehicles in the U.S. According to one report, VW’s “clean diesel” debacle will cost the carmaker $10.2 billion. [More]
Apple To Begin Issuing Refunds In E-Book Settlement Case June 22
By 6.20.16
Three months after the Supreme Court left Apple on the hook for $450 million in the settlement of a 2012 antitrust case against the company and five major book publishers, the tech giant is poised to begin handing out payments to customers starting tomorrow. [More]
Telemarketer Tricked People Into Believing They Were Buying Cleaning Products To Help Disabled
By 6.9.16
Research has shown that shoppers may be more likely to purchase a particular product if they know that some of their money is going to a worthy cause, and some folks will take advantage of this tendency to trick people into purchasing thousands of dollars in household cleaning products under the guise of helping the disabled. [More]
Macy’s To Pay $15M Over Escalator That Mangled Girl’s Foot
By 5.20.16
In 2013, a young New Jersey girl’s leg became trapped in a Macy’s escalator while on a shopping trip with her family. Nearly three years later, the family, the retailer, and the company tasked with maintaining the escalator are ready to put the ordeal behind them, agreeing to a $15 million settlement. [More]
RushCard To Pay $19M To Customers After Weeks-Long Glitch Last year
By 5.13.16
Last October, thousands of unbanked consumers who rely on prepaid RushCards were unable to access their funds because of a technical glitch. After toying with the idea of creating a compensation fund for those customers, RushCard announced Thursday that it will pay at least $19 million to card users affected by the weeks-long outage. [More]
BlueHippo Must Pay $14M For Continuing To Rip Off Customers
By 5.2.16
Seven years after federal regulators charged shady “no credit check” computer seller BlueHippo with contempt for allegedly violating a 2008 order by continuing to take money from customers without providing promised computers, the company has been ordered to pay $13.4 million. [More]
Uber, Blind Passengers Reach Settlement In Lawsuit Over Service Animals
By 5.2.16
More than a year after the National Federation of the Blind of California filed a lawsuit accusing Uber drivers of discriminating against passengers waiting for rides with service animals, the two sides announced they’ve reached a settlement. [More]
Wells Fargo To Pay $8M To Settle West Virginia Lawsuit Against Company It Acquired in 2001
By 4.26.16
Eleven years ago, West Virginia accused an insurance broker called Acordia of improperly pocketing millions of dollars in commissions. Acordia is now doing business under the Wells Fargo banner, and the big bank has agreed to pay $8 million to settle this decade-old lawsuit. [More]
Uber Drivers Are Independent Contractors, Will Receive Up To $100M In Settlement
By 4.22.16
For the better part of three years, Uber drivers have sparred with the ride-sharing company over the status of their employment: are they independent contractor or actual employees? Today, Uber has agreed to settle two lawsuits over the issue, paying up to $100 million to the drivers who will remain independent contractors. [More]
Volkswagen Offers To Buy Back Emissions-Cheating “Clean Diesel” Cars
By 4.21.16
Owners of one of Volkswagen’s 500,000 diesel vehicles equipped with “defeat devices” designed to cheat emission standards will have two options when it comes to fixing their vehicles: allow the carmaker to buy it back or have it modified to meet emissions standards. [More]
Would $5,000 Make You Forget That Your VW Car Exceeds Emission Standards?
By 4.20.16
With only one day to go before Volkswagen is supposed to present a workable fix for more than 500,000 diesel vehicles equipped with “defeat devices” designed to cheat emission standards, the carmaker has reportedly reached a deal with U.S. regulators that includes the company paying billions of dollars to compensate owners. [More]
Companies Agree To Stop Promoting Beauty Products With Synthetic Ingredients As “All Natural”
By 4.12.16
One would assume when buying a product marketed as “all-natural” or “100% natural” that said product wouldn’t contain synthetic ingredients like phenoxyethanol or polyethylene, right? Wrong. At least, that’s the cases for five companies facing action by federal regulators for allegedly making false claims about their products’ ingredients.
Goldman Sachs To Pay $5B To Settle Charges Of Selling Troubled Mortgages Ahead Of The Financial Crisis
By 4.11.16
Federal and state prosecutors are closing yet another chapter in its investigation related to banks’ roles in the financial crisis. To that end, Goldman Sachs has agreed to pay $5.06 billion to settle claims it misled mortgage bond investors during the period leading up to the crisis. [More]
Uber To Pay $25M To Settle Allegations It Misled Passengers On Drivers’ Safety, Fees
By 4.8.16
Less than two months after Uber agreed to pay $28.5 million to settle a class-action lawsuit accusing the company of misleading consumers about its “industry leading” safety procedures, the ride-hailing company is ready to put another case behind it. The company will pay $25 million to settle a civil lawsuit with the district attorneys in Los Angeles and San Francisco over nearly identical allegations. [More]
Cancer Charities That Scammed $75M From Donors Must Shut Down, Issue Refunds
By 3.30.16
Last May, an investigation involving federal regulators and prosecutors from all 50 states led to four national cancer charities being charged with swindling consumers out of $187 million in charitable donations. Today, two of those bogus charities — responsible for $75 million in bilked donations — have agreed to close up shop and provide refunds to donors.
