| Volume 68 Number 9 |
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The People’s Lawyer’s Tip of the Day
Have you been the victim of identity theft? You may want to consider putting a security freeze on your credit information, prohibiting access without express consent. A security freeze effectively prevents further identity theft by requiring that the consumer expressly consent to dissemination of information in his or her credit report. Any consumer filing a Security Freeze will be provided with a Personal Identification Number that must be provided to the credit bureau each time an application for credit is made. If you think you might need a security freeze, Click here for more.
Black Friday Do's & Don'ts
This Friday is Black Friday. Traditionally the biggest shopping day of the year, the day after Thanksgiving offers consumers big deals on electronics, appliances, clothing, and specialty items. With so many sales to choose from, how do you know which direction to go? Can you get a better price online? What about sales that start on Thanksgiving day (Thursday)? Are you better off waiting until Cyber Monday? To read some tips on how to navigate this year's sales, Click here for more.
Settlement: Netflix Users Offered $27.5M
Do you have a membership for Netflix's online DVD rental service? If so, you may be part of a class action settlement resulting from a lawsuit over a 2005 pact between Wal-mart and Netflix. According to court documents, Netflix agreed to promote Wal-mart's DVD sales business, while Wal-mart agreed to eliminate its DVD-by-mail rental service and promote Netflix's rental services. Last year, a California Judge certified a class action lawsuit, bringing all Netflix consumers into the lawsuit. Although Netflix will continue to defend the lawsuit, Wal-mart has agreed to settle for $27.25 million in cash and gift cards. What can you do to get a part of the settlement? How much should you expect to receive? Click here for more.
Report: Deficit Supercommittee Gridlocked
Republicans and Democrats took turns over the weekend blaming each other for the impending failure of the "deficit supercommittee." The "deficit supercommittee" was setup to establish a plan to cut the federal deficit by at least $1.2 trillion over the next decade. According to reports coming out of the meetings, Democrats want the wealthiest American's to pay their fair share of taxes, while Republicans want to focus exclusively on cutting entitlement programs. What does this mean for the American people? Click here for more.
Your Money
How much retirement income may your 401(k) provide? Click here for more.
For the Lawyers
Amended complaint revives right to enforce arbitration clause that had been waived. The Eleventh Circuit held that a consumer fraud plaintiff's filing of an amended complaint revived a bank's right to enforce an arbitration clause containing a class action waiver. The court noted that the plaintiff’s filing of the amended complaint nullified the bank’s waiver of its arbitration rights. It held that “when a plaintiff files an amended pleading that unexpectedly changes the shape of the case, the case may be ‘so alter[ed] … that the [defendant] should be relieved from its waiver.’” Click here for more.