| Volume 3 Number 8 |
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The People’s Lawyer’s Tip of the Day
Are you paying more than you should for cell phone service? Thousands of employers have arranged for discounts for their employees, but many employees don't know it. Check your cell phone provider's website to see if you are entitled to a discount. Here is the link for Cingular. Click here for more.
Houston Debt Collectors Agree to Settle With FTC
A debt collection agency that allegedly used lies and threats to collect debts has agreed to settle Federal Trade Commission charges that its tactics violated federal laws. Under the court settlement, the company agreed to a $150,000 judgment and to refrain from illegal practices when collecting debts, including "time-barred debts" debts so old they are no longer legally enforceable. Click here for more.
Ditching Your Cell Contract
Most cell service contracts are for two years and carry a hefty $175 penalty for early termination. If it feels more like a two year sentence, there is now a way to escape cheaply. Most cell companies allow you out of your contract if (1) they implement a change in terms or impose a new charge during the contract. Read your agreement to check. Or (2) for others who want out, there is a new service that helps you find someone to take over the rest of the term of your contract. Think of it like subletting your apartment, except you can get out of liability completely if the replacement you find signs a new contract. Click here for more.
Cell Phone Service Bills, Long-Term Contracts, and Complaints
Consumer complaints about cell phone service often involve billing issues. In fact, Federal Communications Commission (FCC) data reveal that customers filed 25,942 complaints about wireless telecommunications in 2005 and that more than half of these complaints were billing and rate-related. According to the CBBB, nearly two-thirds of cell phone complaints include billing problems. Click here for more.
New Laptops Can Burst Into Flames
The most recent reported laptop fire took place in Osaka, Japan, where people at a boardroom meeting shielded their faces as a notebook exploded on a table. The laptop reportedly was a Dell machine . No one was injured in the incident, and Dell is investigating. Click here for more.
Your Money
What bond price achieves my target rate of return? Click here for more.
For the Lawyers
Court finds "check" was deceptive. The back of the check and invoice contained small-print disclosures revealing that cashing or depositing the check would constitute agreement to pay a monthly fee for internet access, but the front of the check and the invoice contained no such disclosures. Click here for more.