| Volume 68 Number 6 |
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The People’s Lawyer’s Tip of the Day
With holidays around the corner, many of us will be buying gift cards. Under a new federal law, gifts cards cannot expire in a less than a year, and fees for not using the card may not be imposed during the first year. But up-front charges are not regulated. Shop around for your gift cards. Fees to purchase them differ, and many businesses charge less than face value or add “bonus” cards to your purchase. Click here for more.
Facebook & FTC Near Settlement
According to a report by the New York Times, Facebook and the Federal Trade Commission are nearing a settlement for two petitions filed with agency over Facebook's privacy settings. As part of the settlement, Facebook will need to get permission to publicly use something a user posts privately. Furthermore, Facebook is expected to face privacy audits for the next twenty years. Facebook will not be required to have users "opt in" to the sites other sharing features. Should more have been done? Or, is the punishment too harsh? Click here for more.
Fire Leads to Probe on Electric Vehicles
A fire to a Chevrolet Volt at the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration testing center has regulators examining the safety of lithium-ion batteries. Lithium-ion batteries are used to power all plug-in electric vehicles, including those made by GM, Nissan, and Ford. Are electric vehicles safe? Click here for more.
Layaway May Cost More Than Credit Cards
Layaway is back! Good news? Well, probably not. Layaway plans can be so expensive that some United States Senators are taking notice and asking retail associations to clearly post layaway fees for consumers to read. Why would you be better off using a credit card? Click here for more.
Your Money
Are you retired? Find out how long your savings will last. Click here for more.
For the Lawyers
State credit card claims are not preempted. The Montana Supreme Court held that Federal law does not preempt state tort claims against Citibank for taking steps to collect a credit card debt that the company allegedly knew to be due to unauthorized charges. Click here for more.