Nearly five years after swallowing the rancid slab of meat that was Countrywide Financial, Bank of America is still vomiting up hundreds of millions of dollars to settle lawsuits tied to that failed company’s misdeeds. The latest is a $500 million class-action settlement with groups that invested in Countrywide’s radioactive mortgages. [More]
well that’s settled
Google To Pay States $7 Million For Privacy Violations Related To Street View
By 3.12.13
Remember way back in 2010 when people were up in arms about Google collecting and storing data — including e-mails, texts, browsing histories, and other fun, private stuff — while tooling around taking photos for Google Street View? Well, the multi-state lawsuit over that mess has finally been settled. [More]
Wells Fargo Receives $175 Million Slap On Wrist Over Discriminatory Loan Allegations
By 7.12.12
Three years after it began looking into allegations that Wells Fargo had systematically discriminated against minority loan applicants by pushing them into risky, high-cost subprime loans — regardless of their qualifications — the U.S. Dept. of Justice has come to a $175 million settlement with the bank. [More]
FTC Settles With RockYou Over Breach That Exposed 32 Million E-Mail Addresses & Passwords
By 3.27.12
More than two years after a breach at RockYou — the folks behind a number of popular Facebook apps and other online games like Zoo World — exposed the personal information of 32 million users to hackers, the company has finally reached a settlement with the Federal Trade Commission. [More]
AT&T Writes Check To Victor In Small Claims Court Suit
By 3.19.12
Even though AT&T had seemed quite intent on either appealing or coming to a different settlement with the California man who won a small claims court lawsuit against the company for throttling his so-called unlimited data plan, it now looks like the Death Star forces have retreated from this battle. [More]
DOJ, 49 States Reach $25 Billion Settlement With Five Largest Lenders Over Robosigning
By 2.9.12
More than a year after several of the nation’s largest mortgage lenders temporarily suspended foreclosures after it was revealed that they had been using untrained, unqualified “robosigners” to process foreclosure documents, the U.S. Justice Dept. and the attorneys general of 49 states have announced a $25 billion settlement that will result in mortgage reductions to some homeowners. [More]
Almost All States Sign On To Massive Mortgage Settlement
By 2.7.12
Last night was the deadline for the attorneys general of each state to sign onto a massive settlement with the nation’s five largest mortgage lenders, and more than 40 of the states opted to join in the pot-sharing. [More]
DOJ Settles With BofA For $335 Million Over Countrywide Pushing Minorities Into Subprime Loans
By 12.21.11
Nearly four years ago, we first reported on allegations that Countrywide Financial, the failed lender that was bought by Bank of America after it collapsed, had their system set up so that non-white loan applicants were steered toward subprime loans, even if they could have qualified for a standard mortgage. Well, the wheels of justice turn remarkably slowly in Washington, DC, but today the Justice Dept. finally announced a settlement with BofA for $335 million over these allegations. [More]
Bank Of America Settles For $315 Million Over Bad Merrill Lynch Investments
By 12.6.11
Another day, another settlement for reigning Worst Company In America runner-up Bank of America. This time, BofA has agreed to pay $315 to plaintiffs in a class-action suit over mortgage-backed investments sold by Merrill Lynch, the once-great financial institution that BofA swooped in to save when it collapsed in 2008. [More]
Reebok To Fork Over $25 Million In Refunds For Deceptive EasyTone Ads
By 9.28.11
As we reported yesterday, the Federal Trade Commission was going to announce a huge settlement, involving millions in refunds to consumers, with some big name shoe company over deceptive advertising claims. And today it was revealed that it’s sneaker biggie Reebok that has agreed to fork over $25 million in refunds to buyers of its EasyTone shoes. [More]
Starbucks Pays $75,000 To Settle EEOC Lawsuit Over Barista With Dwarfism
By 8.18.11
Here’s an update to a story we brought you in May about a lawsuit brought against Starbucks by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission on behalf of a former barista with dwarfism who claimed she was fired during her training period after she requested the use of a step-stool or stepladder because of her small stature. Starbucks announced today that it has agreed to pay $75,000 to settle the issue. [More]
Wells Fargo To Pay $590 Million Over Wachovia "Pick-a-Pay" Loans
By 8.5.11
Nearly three years later, Wells Fargo is still feeling the stomach ache from its decision to gobble up the expired scraps of Wachovia. It was revealed today that the Fargo folks have agreed to shell out $590 million to settle the class-action lawsuit over Wachovia’s “Pick-a-Pay” loans. [More]
FTC Sends Out $108 Million In Refund Checks To Overcharged Countrywide Customers
By 7.20.11
Earlier today, the Federal Trade Commission announced it is mailing out refund checks to the nearly half million American homeowners who were charged excessive fees on their mortgages by former Worst Company In America champ Countrywide Home Loans. [More]
Procter & Gamble Agrees To Settle Lawsuit Over Pampers Dry Max Diapers
By 6.10.11
Last spring, the internet was lit up with reports that Pampers Dry Max diapers cause rashes, burns, sores, and boils on the babies who wear them. And though at least one study could find no link between the nappies and the babies’ blemishes, Pampers parent company Procter & Gamble has agreed to settle a class-action suit involving the product. [More]
Johnson & Johnson Settles With SEC & DOJ For $70 Million For Bribing Doctors Overseas, Paying Kickbacks To Iraq
By 4.8.11
Johnson & Johnson may have been eliminated from the Worst Company In America tournament, but the company’s craptastic year continues, as J&J has settled with the Securities and Exchange Commission and Dept. of Justice over allegations that it violated the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act by illegally bribing doctors in Europe and paying kickbacks to Iraq… At least it wasn’t another product recall. [More]
Walmart To Pay $775K To NJ For Selling Expired Baby Formula
By 10.20.10
In 2008, the state of New Jersey filed a lawsuit against Walmart, Target and Drug Fair, alleging that the stores sold infant formula and over-the-counter drugs that had expired. Target settled with the state a year ago for $375,000 and Drug Fair went out business. But it wasn’t until yesterday that Walmart finally reached an agreement to the tune of $775,000. [More]
