| Volume 31 Number 7 |
Subscribe to the Newsletter
Forward this news alert to your family and friends
Helpful Links
Texas Consumer Complaint Center
Credit Reports and Identity Theft
Your Guide to Small Claims Court
Contact Us
1-713-743-2168
The People’s Lawyer’s Tip of the Day
Have you been bothered by a door-to-door salesman? Under the law, you have three days to change your mind whenever you sign a contract negotiated in your home by a salesperson. The best advice is don't talk to any salesperson who shows up at you door. But if you make a mistake and get talked into a bad deal, the law gives you three days to cancel. Click here for more.
FDIC's New Mortgage Plan
The FDIC unveiled details of a plan to have the government help delinquent homeowners. First, housing payments for delinquent borrowers two months or more late would be reduced to 31% of gross monthly income. Second, to encourage servicers and investors to participate, the government would share up to 50% of the losses for defaults. How will the plan be received? Click here for more.
Gift Cards May Be Worthless
If you purchase a gift card from a store that has filed for Chapter 11, you may be in trouble. In the event the card doesn't pay out, you're considered an unsecured creditor, which means you would have a long line of creditors in front of you with claims. The Sharper Image, Bombay, Circuit City, and other mega stores are all in bankruptcy. Plan your last minute gifts to ensure you don't lose your money. Click here for more.
Sears Brings Back Layaway
For the first time since 1989, Sears has brought back the layaway program. Consumers will start with a down payment of $15 and complete payments by December 23. Is this layaway program right for you? Click here for more.
GM Trouble Could Spell Domino Effect
If General Motors really does run out of money by the end of the year, the impact could be felt across the entire economy. Hundreds of suppliers, rival automakers, and dealers across the nation would all be in trouble. GM shares suppliers with several other auto companies. If GM goes under, and the suppliers lose a huge chunk of business, they would be under similar financial pressures. Ultimately, it may leave other automotive companies with fewer key suppliers, and without the parts to make their cars. Click here for more.
Your Money
How can you maximize your CD returns? Click here for more.
For the Lawyers
Disclaimer contained in “clickwrap agreement” is ineffective against implied warranty claims. A Texas court of appeals has held that a “clickwrap agreement” that the plaintiff had to digitally accept before it could download and install the software at issue—was ineffective against plaintiff’s implied warranty claims because the disclaimer was not “conspicuous” as a matter of law Click here for more.