| Volume 84 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
Most negative information stays on your credit report for seven years, a bankruptcy for ten. The time is not extended, however, when the debt is sold or assigned to a new person such as a debt collector. If a debt collector tries to "re-age" a debt, tell the credit bureau and demand they correct the incorrect information.
For more general information about debt collection law,
Click here for more.
9 Retailers With the Worst Service
While overall customer service satisfaction is at an all-time high, several traditional retailers are still lagging behind. In a recent study of American Customer Satisfaction Index (ASCI) scores, 24/7 Wall St. identified the nine worst retailers for customer service.
Which retailers received the lowest scores and why?
Click here for more.
Man Convicted of Murder Exonerated
After spending more than eleven years in prison for murder, an Ohio man was released in 2011 after new DNA evidence and police officer misconduct was revealed. On Friday, David Ayers was awarded $13.2 million dollars for pain and suffering, effectively ending a fourteen year legal battle.
Ayers was cleared after the
Innocence Project got an appeals court to allow for DNA testing. The 6th Circuit Court of Appeals later reversed his conviction.
To read about the conviction, exoneration, and $13.2 million judgement,
Click here for more.
Google Nears $7M Settlement Over Wi-Fi Nab
In 2010, Google Street View mapping cars inadvertently nabbed passwords and personal information from nearby wireless networks across thirty countries. According to reports, a group of thirty states in the United States, led by the Connecticut Attorney General, are nearing a $7 million settlement to be shared among the participating states.
What happened to the data? Should consumers be concerned?
Click here for more.
Bumble Bee Recalls 51K Cases of Tuna
Be careful with that tuna! According to Bumble Bee, its 5oz canned tuna products could become contaminated and spoil due to a problem with the cans' seals. As a result, the company has issued a recall for 51,000 cases of tuna. Each case contains 24 to 48 cans of tuna.
To read about the recall,
Click here for more.
Your Money
Planning to buy a new or used car? How much will it cost you to finance the deal?
Try this car loan rate comparison calculator!
Click here for more.
For the Lawyers
Arbitration clause in debt adjuster’s agreement is unenforceable. The Washington Supreme Court held that a debt adjuster could not enforce a binding arbitration clause in its service contract when sued by a customer for violating state consumer protection law. The court concluded that the clause was unconscionable based on a “loser pays” provision, a 30-day time limit for requesting arbitration, and a provision designating Orange County, Calif. as the sole venue for arbitration. The court also found that its decision was consistent with the decision in AT&T Mobility v. Concepcion, 131 S. Ct. 1740) and not preempted by the FAA. In discussing why there was no preemption, the court explained that the defendant’s arbitration clause “contained numerous unconscionable provisions based on the specific facts at issue in the current case. Concepcion provides no basis for preempting our relevant case law nor does it require the enforcement of [the defendant’s] arbitration clause.”
Click here for more.