| Volume 99 Number 6 |
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The People’s Lawyer’s Tip of the Day
Do not open email attachments you do not expect or do not recognize. If you receive a notice about your account, or your order, or your bill, and you think it is an error or you may have a problem, go directly to the company's website or call them. If you get an email without a company name, ignore it.
For more general information about the law, check out my website.
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Recalls Becoming Background Noise
According to a transportation economist from the University of Richmond, there have been so many automobile recalls that consumers will likely start ignoring them. That is, if every recall is covered, it is no longer an unusual event and simply becomes background noise for consumers.
This year alone, General Motors is outpacing the past decade industry average of 21 million cars and trucks. Simply, that's a lot for consumers to take in.
Will consumers ignore vehicle recalls?
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Facebook Now Sharing Browsing History
Are you one of the 1.28 billion Facebook users across the globe? If so, you might want to be careful about how you use Facebook moving forward. That's because Facebook now intends to use your Internet browsing history to more precisely target you with advertisements it thinks you might like.
Facebook has already been in numerous public battles over how it handles user privacy. The use of user browsing history likely won't do much to ease tensions with existing users.
So what can you do? Try this step-by-step guide for opting out.
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Airlines Reduce Allowable Carry-On Size
When you fly, there are many benefits to traveling with just a carry-on bag. First of all, it's free on most airlines. Second, it's much more difficult for an airline to lose a bag in your control, and you don't have to wait at baggage claim when you arrive at your destination.
For years, luggage companies have been making carry-on bags with dimensions of 22 by 15 by 9 inches. Nearly every airline allowed consumers to carry bags that fit within those dimensions. However, that has all changed. Delta, American, and United have all cut the width limit down to 14 inches, rendering many carry-on bags obsolete.
Will you be asked to check your bag next time you board a plane? How much will it cost you?
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Your Money
How do expenses impact mutual fund returns?
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For the Lawyers
Dispute was outside scope of arbitration clause.
The Third Circuit held that a dispute over a letter sent to doctors was outside the scope of a clause requiring arbitration of disputes “regarding the performance or interpretation of the Agreement.”
The court found that “whether CIGNA performed its obligations under the Agreement has no bearing on whether it harmed the [device company] by providing physicians with misleading information” about their services. The Third Circuit also found that derivative claims were outside the scope of the Agreement’s arbitration provision. The court found that the underlying claims did not concern the “performance or interpretation of the Agreement” and therefore the claims would not have been arbitrable even if the device company brought them directly.
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