Recently, we've discussed (here and here) eBay's terrible new forced arbitration clause that prohibits its customers from going to court and bans class actions. Class actions are often the only way to hold corporations accountable when they break the law and harm their customers.
We told you that eBay is trying to give the world the impression that it is treating its customers fairly by giving them to right to opt out of its forced arbitration policy, while making it as difficult as possible to exercise the opt-out right. In reality, eBay is trying to prevent its customers from using the civil justice system.
But Public Citizen is fighting back. It is urging eBay customers to opt out so they can retain their rights to go to court and to participate in class actions. Public Citizen has created a form letter that eBay customers can use to opt out, along with instructions on how customers can exercise their opt-out rights. Consumers are also urged to sign this on-line petition:
We, the undersigned, call on eBay to remove from its terms of service
the forced arbitration clause and the ban on joining together in a
class action. EBay customers should not be required to sacrifice their
legal rights. If eBay refuses to remove these terms, the company should
at least provide an online opt-out option.
For more information, see Public Citizen's letter to eBay's CEO demanding that eBay get rid of its forced arbitration policy and class-action ban, and read Public Citizen's press release.
This same law is being used by Cablevision, Netflix, and AT&T.
I have refused to agree to losing my right to take them to court or to join a court action group. Now, ATT has me cornered, because they provide my DSL, and home phone.
This new action by all these providers makes it impossible