| Volume 51 Number 1 |
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The People’s Lawyer’s Tip of the Day
Are you still dealing with Hurricane Ike problems? The statute of limitations for most claims will run in just a few months, so now if the time to review your legal rights. If you have legal questions, contact the Hurricane Assistance Program at the Texas Consumer Complaint Center, Click here for more.
7,500 Consumers Sold Their Souls
Over seven thousand consumers have accidentally signed away rights to their souls. A British computer game retailer, GameStation, included an "immortal soul clause" in its online agreements earlier this month. Accordingly, after conducting an online transaction subject to the agreement, the consumer granted GameStation the right to claim the consumer's soul. Although the clause was a gag, it was used to demonstrate an important and scary fact - consumers don't read online terms and conditions of shopping. Click here for more.
Class Challenges Failures at Transocean
BP has dominated the news recently, explaining and apologizing for the largest oil spill in United States history. Another company involved, Transocean, is in big trouble too. A federal class actions claims Transocean misrepresented failures as "anomalies" and defrauded investors. Furthermore, the class claims Transocean knew of repeated failures that would ultimately result in the death of many individuals and loss of millions of gallons of oil to surrounding waters. What role did Transocean play? Who is included in the class action against Transocean? Click here for more.
Privacy Concerns Over Photocopiers
A new string of privacy concerns have arisen after it was discovered that many commercial copy machines retain digital copies of content sent through the machine. Specifically, when a user copies a report, picture, or other document, the machine makes digital copy on the internal hard drive. The data on the internal drive often remains on the machine long after it is sold, putting large amounts of private information at risk. Does your copy machine maintain digital copies? How can you still use the machine safely? Click here for more.
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What is your credit risk? Click here for more.
For the Lawyers
Debt collector violated federal law when it continued to contact debtor. A U.S. District Court in Florida held that a debt collector violated the FDCPA when it continued to contact a consumer after the consumer said he would discard or return unopened any further correspondence. After reviewing the language of the consumer letter to the debt collector, the court concluded, “any jury would conclude that the letter demanded that I.C. System stop contacting the Bishops.” BISHOP v. I.C. SYSTEM, INC. (M.D.Fla. 5-12-2010) Click here for more.