| Volume 72 Number 9 |
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The People’s Lawyer’s Tip of the Day
If you are receiving emails that appear to be from Paypal a bank or a credit card company telling you about "a recent charge to your account," ignore them. Do not click on any link to verify your account or dispute the charge. If you want to check with your credit card company, the phone number is on your card. If you think the notice may be real, wait until you receive your credit card bill and then dispute it. These are scams designed to get your private information. Click here for more.
How Facebook Friends Can Spy on You
Do you use Facebook? Did you know that you can deactivate your account, but relaunch it whenever you want without alerting your Facebook friends? According to research out of London, Facebook users can deactivate their accounts, only to appear undetected at later times to spy on their "friends."
Not surprisingly, debt collectors are taking advantage of another Facebook loophole to setup fake profiles to spy on debtors. The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, passed in 1978, did not account for debt collection in the social media generation. As a result, courts are only now starting to determine the role social media in debt collection.
With concerns about spy accounts and fake accounts, what can Facebook do to protect its users? Click here for more.
Problems With the New iPad
Before you run out to buy the new Apple iPad, take a moment to read the latest reviews. After only a week on the market, consumers are already complaining about overheating and Wi-Fi reception problems. According to reports, the new iPad runs 13 degrees hotter than the iPad 2 when playing a game. Furthermore, previous generations of the iPad have two to three times the Wi-Fi range of the latest generation. In fact, some tests out of Denmark show that the Wi-Fi connectivity speeds of the new iPad are 1/10th to 1/2 of iPad 2. Is the new iPad defective? Click here for more.
Your Money
How much should you put down when you buy a car? Click here for more.
For the Lawyers
Arbitration clause unenforceable under state law. The Missouri Supreme Court held that an arbitration clause and class action waiver in a title loan contract was unconscionable and unenforceable. The court in an earlier decision concluded that the clause was unconscionable and unenforceable given the nominal amount the plaintiff could anticipate recovering on an individual claim. The U.S. Supreme Court vacated that decision, however, in light of AT&T Mobility v. Concepcion. Applying “traditional Missouri contract law,” the Missouri court revoked the arbitration clause in its entirety on the ground of unconscionability in the formation of the agreement. Click here for more.