| Volume 74 Number 2 |
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The People’s Lawyer’s Tip of the Day
Writing a check when you do not have enough money in the bank is criminal and criminal charges may be filed. Stopping payment on a check because you are dissatisfied with the goods or services purchased is not, provided the money would have been available to pay it if payment had not been stopped.
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United Airlines Suffering Post-Merger
United Airlines passengers are not happy with the airline. Two years after the merger with Continental Airlines was announced, United Airlines is behind all legacy airlines (Delta, US Airways, etc.) in every meaningful, measurable category. Fractured employee groups, failures in its computer systems, and finishing last in on-time performance have pushed some to fight back against the world's largest airline. Just take a look at the company's Facebook page and you'll find that United's passengers are not pleased. United is among the most expensive airlines, yet still posted a $286 million loss in the first quarter of the year. Despite its existing problems, United is also fighting Southwest Airlines over the right to international flights in and out of Houston. Will a post-merger United Airlines eventually work out the kinks? Or, is the airline destined for failure?
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Facebook Privacy Problems on the Rise
Do you use Facebook? If you do, Consumer Reports wants you to know that you're susceptible to data leaks, ID thefts, phishing schemes, security breaches, hacks, and other scams. According to the report, Facebook users may be partially to blame for the startling findings. For example, 4.8 million users have posted on Facebook to let users know they're not going to be home on a certain day and time. Find out how to better protect yourself on Facebook! Click here for more.
Your Money
Should you buy or rent your next home? Click here for more.
For the Lawyers
Credit card receipt did not violate FACTA. The Seventh Circuit held that Shell Oil did not "willfully" violate the Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act by printing the last four digits of a customer's "account number" on a gas pump receipt. The FACTA requires the truncation of credit-card numbers on electronically printed receipts. The case presented the question whether the terms “card number” and “primary account number” are interchangeable. Under the Act, the receipt must not display “more than the last 5 digits of the card number.” The statute does not define the phrase “card number.” The court found it did not have to define “card number,” stating, “because we can’t see why anyone should care how the term is defined. A precise definition does not matter as long as the receipt contains too few digits to allow identity theft. The Act does its work by limiting the number of exposed digits, and Shell Oil printed one fewer digit than the Act allows.” Click here for more.