The article, by Kashmir Hill, is headlined Your Car Is Tracking You. Abusive Partners May Be, Too. Excerpt: Modern cars have been called “smartphones with wheels” because they are internet-connected and have myriad methods of data collection, from cameras and seat weight sensors to records of how hard you brake and corner. Most drivers don’t realize […]
In an unpublished decision, the Ninth Circuit last week affirmed the district court’s dismissal of a class action against Roblox, a video game platform, based on allegations that Roblox unlawfully denies minors refunds for their purchases of Robux, a virtual currency that users buy to obtain new characters, weapons, and other in-game benefits. The court […]
Here, in the Los Angeles Lawyer (you might have to scroll to page 28). Among the topics discussed are FedNow and cryptocurrencey. Excerpt: Ominously, the introduction of consumer-facing chat-bots and other artificial intelligence devices has provided fraudsters with new and improved tools for deceiving consumers. At the same time, consumer transactions now routinely involve “click […]
Buy Now Pay Later, or BNPL, probably would never exist in its current form but for regulation. The Truth in Regulation Act does not apply to loans which are to be repaid in no more than four installments, and BNPL usually provides for repayment in exactly four installments. In other words, BNPL was created to […]
The National Consumer Law Center has released its annually updated report on predatory Installment Lending in the states. It evaluates state efforts to protect consumers from high-cost installment loans.
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau this week published two reports that show fees on financial products continue to shock consumers. Overdraft and non-sufficient funds fees still trouble vulnerable households. Excess charges from some college-marketed financial products still don’t appear to be in the best interest of students. In building on its continued research on overdraft […]
The Eleventh Circuit today weighed in on a matter involving the increasingly frequent scenario of a corporate defendant refusing to comply with the terms of the arbitration agreement it foisted upon consumers. Three consumers who had bought timeshares through Wyndham Vacation Resorts filed claims for breach of contract and fraudulent inducement with the American Arbitration […]
Earlier this month, I shared a decision sanctioning consumer lawyer Spencer Sheehan for bringing what a New York federal court concluded was a frivolous lawsuit against Starbucks based on its labeling of coffee as “100% Arabica.” I noted that Ashley Furniture, a furniture company that had been sued by Sheehan in Florida, had filed an […]
USA Today’s Daniel de Vise has an interesting article, 62% of Americans say this zero-interest payment plan should be against the law, about a form of consumer lending called deferred interest plans. Here’s an excerpt: A popular payment plan offered by America’s big-box retailers promises no interest on your purchase if you pay it off in, […]
In 1996, Congress directed the FCC to create a fund by which it ensures that Americans throughout the country have access to telecommunications services, to be funded by contributions from carriers. The FCC relies on the Universal Service Administration Company (USAC) to help administer the fund, including by calculating necessary contributions that are submitted to […]