| Volume 58 Number 8 |
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The People’s Lawyer’s Tip of the Day
The Texas Deceptive Trade Practices Act requires full disclosure by sellers. If a seller intentionally withholds material information, he could be responsible for three times the consumer's damages, plus court costs and attorney's fees. Click here for more.
Taco Bell Responds to Beef Claims
Last week, an Alabama attorney filed a lawsuit against Taco Bell alleging the company's meat did not meet FDA standards to qualify as "beef." According the the lawsuit, Taco Bell "beef" contains less than 35% beef. Taco Bell has since gone on the defense, claiming its product actually contains 88% beef, with the remaining 12% a combination of water, spices, oats, and other ingredients. Taco Bell issued a forceful response, placing full-page print ads in in the Wall Street Journal, USA Today, and New York Times to "set the record straight." Meanwhile, the Alabama attorney has maintained his claim. Who will win the battle over beef? Click here for more.
Credit Card Rates Reach Record High
At an average rate of 14.72%, credit card interest rates are approaching record highs. If you have bad credit, your interest rate could approach 60%. When Congress passed the CARD act, it created new rules to protect consumers from fees and require credit card companies to make new disclosures. However, the new law doesn't protect consumers from high interest rates. Although the new law prevents credit card companies from changing interest rates retroactively, there is no limit on the rates they can charge new customers. If you have a credit score below 599, you'll likely see an interest rate of 24% or higher (sometimes much higher). If your score is between 600 and 649, your interest rate will still be around 20%. Will the high rates spell the end for new credit card customers? Click here for more.
Facebook: Protecting Your Account
Are you safe on Facebook? Facebook has become fertile breeding ground for scam artists and hackers. In fact, even Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg's fan page was hacked. Facebook users have voiced privacy concerns since the site's inception. Studies show Americans spend 22.7% of their time on social networks like Facebook, while only 8.3% of their time on email. Scammers, spammers, and hackers have taken notice of the shift, directing their attention to the social networking public. A recent study found that 67% of social network users had been spammed. 40% of social network users had problems with malware. The scam artists are taking advantage of the unique opportunity that Facebook provides. If a hacker gains access to a Facebook account and posts a bad link, the user's friends could click on it without knowing, assuming it was safe. What steps will Facebook take to protect your account from hackers, scammers, and spammers? What can you do to protect yourself? Click here for more.
CultureMap
What's going on in your part of town? Want to go sight-seeing? Try a new restaurant? Visit the museum on a free day? CultureMap tracks the best of Houston arts, entertainment, and dining. Click here for more.
Your Money
What is the cost of raising a child? Click here for more.
For the Lawyers
Process server may be subject to Fair debt Collection Practices Act. The U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois held that a process server who takes on the secondary role of debt collector is not exempt from liability under the FDCPA. Click here for more.