Several years ago a small New Hampshire coffee roaster won a legal victory (twice) against coffee giant Starbucks over its name “Charbucks.” Things didn’t go so well for a Michigan cafe that must retire its name “Blue Caribou Cafe” after losing a trademark lawsuit filed by Caribou Coffee. [More]
victory
One Complaint To CFPB Fixes Mortgage Snafu That 9 Months Of Dealing With The Bank Couldn’t
By 3.12.13
As Consumer Financial Protection Bureau director Richard Cordray pointed out in his testimony before the Senate Banking Committee this morning, more than 130,000 American consumers have used the agency’s numerous complaint portals to help resolve their problems with financial institutions. Consumerist reader Charles is just one of those people who still has a house because the CFPB was able to accomplish in a few days what no one else could in almost a year. [More]
Staples Makes Me Play Foolish Games To Get Advertised Deal
By 11.29.10
Jason is not a man. He’s a piece of iron. And that’s why he finally got Staples to honor an advertised computer discount program, despite several attempts by employees to derail him. [More]
JP Morgan Chase Yanks Mandatory Binding Arbitration Clause From Credit Card Contracts
By 11.20.09
In response to legal and political pressure, JP Morgan Chase is removing the mandatory binding arbitration clause from its credit card contracts. Customers will receive a new member agreement reflecting the change first quarter 2010.
Bank Of America Reaches Out To Angry YouTube Star
By 9.24.09
While we don’t recommend doing this on a large scale, one woman’s YouTube debt revolt has succeeded. Ann MInch, a YouTube sensation and then-unemployed credit card rebel, has been offered a lower interest rate on her card.
Customer Bills Phone Company For Time Wasted, Gets Paid
By 1.9.09
It’s the dream of every angry customer — sending a bill to the company that wasted your time. Well, it’s finally happened.
New Rules Kill Credit Card Industry's Most Abusive Practices
By 12.18.08
Fed regulators adopted new rules for the credit card industry that will curtail some of their most anti-consumer practices. Unfortunately, they don’t take effect until July, 2010. Here’s what they are:
Customer Sues Delta For Bogus Weather Cancellation, Wins
By 9.5.08
Meet Mitchell Berns. Delta slapped him with a bogus weather cancellation and, rather than sit down and take it, he booked himself and his family on another flight — then sued Delta in small claims court and won a default judgment. Berns is a lawyer, but he didn’t do anything that you couldn’t do.
Filing A Police Report On Craigslist Scammer Leads To His Arrest
By 1.11.08
Awhile back, I sold a ton of video games on Craigslist here in San Francisco. A buyer contacted me and agreed to purchase them and I was delighted. I didn’t have the time to post everything on eBay separately and I wanted to get the transaction over as quickly as possible. A week later, I received a Wal-mart money order in the mail and shipped off the packages.
NFL Surrenders: Giants-Patriots Game To Be Simulcast On NBC, CBS
By 12.27.07
After threats from US Senators and general hue and cry from sports fans, the NFL has caved and will allow NBC and CBS to simulcast the upcoming Giants-Patriots game in which Tom Brady and the boys may become the first team to go undefeated since the Miami Dolphins first did it in 1972, and the first team to go 16-0 in the regular season. The game will be available nationwide.
