| Volume 80 Number 4 |
Subscribe to the Newsletter
Forward this news alert to your family and friends
Helpful Links
Texas Consumer Complaint Center
Credit Reports and Identity Theft
Your Guide to Small Claims Court
Contact Us
1-713-743-2168
The People’s Lawyer’s Tip of the Day
Under the law, a store may charge no more than $30 for a bounced check. There is no limit for how much a bank may charge. Shop around for a bank that charges a reasonable fee, and get "overdraft protection" to avoid high fees for a bounced check.
For more general information about the law, check out my website. Click here for more.
AT&T Settles FTC Charges Over Data Plans
You might want to check your latest phone bill. If you are an AT&T customer and have been grandfathered in to the company's unlimited data plan, AT&T may have moved you to a monthly tiered plan without your knowledge. After receiving complaints, the FTC found that consumers who replaced their phones under warranty or insurance were moved to the tiered plans without consent. On Tuesday, AT&T agreed to pay the government a $700,000 fine and offer refunds to affected consumers.
Did AT&T switch your data plan without authorization? Click here for more.
Two States Legalize Sale & Use of Marijuana
Tuesday's election wasn't just about electing the next President. Residents in two states voted to legalize the possession and sale of recreational marijuana. Once certified, marijuana will be regulated and taxed in Washington state and Colorado.
Despite legalizing recreational marijuana at a state level, marijuana remains classified as a Schedule I drug. According to the Controlled Substances Act of 1970, Schedule I drugs have a high potential for abuse and no legitimate medical uses. As long as marijuana is listed as a Schedule I controlled substance, it will remain illegal, at least in the eyes of the federal government.
As a result, Colorado officials are asking the federal government to articulate its official position on the drug. Will the Drug Enforcement Agency crack down once the states begin to implement the laws? Is a state-federal showdown over marijuana looming?
Click here for more.
Your Money
What is the true cost of paying the minimum on your credit card? Click here for more.
For the Lawyers
The Ninth Circuit held that Best Buy violated federal consumer protection law by placing automated, prerecorded calls notifying a customer of the status of his membership in a store “rewards” program. The plaintiff alleged that, after buying a computer from Best Buy, he began to receive prerecorded calls from the retailer, even though he was registered on the national do-not-call list and later added to the retailer’s do-not-call list. The plaintiff filed a class action under the Telephone Consumer Protection Act after he received an automated call notifying him of changes in the terms of his membership in a store rewards program. Best Buy argued that its calls were purely informational courtesy calls permitted under the Act. The court disagreed. Click here for more.