| Volume 100 Number 1 |
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The People’s Lawyer’s Tip of the Day
You probably carefully review your credit card bill each month for fraudulent charges, but do you review your phone bill? If you don't you could be paying for something you never requested and don't want. Many phone-related companies place charges on a phone bill for a service you didn't request and don't want. You must catch it and complain. Most phone service providers promptly remove the charge once you make it clear you never authorized it.
For more general information about the law, check out my website.
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T-Mobile Added Bogus Charges to Bills
From 2009 to at least December 2013, T-Mobile added unauthorized third-party charges to customers' mobile phone bills. Many consumers probably never noticed the charges. Some of those who did notice the charges brought them to the attention of federal authorities.
On Tuesday, the Federal Trade Commission filed suit in United States District Court charging T-Mobile with "cramming." The FTC says that the majority of charges were related to dating tips, celebrity gossip, or daily horoscopes amounting to about $10 a month. The charges total hundreds of millions of dollars across consumer accounts. Typically, T-Mobile would receive 30% - 40% of the fees with the rest going to the merchant. According to the FTC, T-Mobile allowed charges to continue after it was clear the charges were fraudulent.
T-Mobile claims the charges are without merit and that it ended such programs last year. Additionally, T-Mobile claims it already launched a program to reimburse consumers who believe they were wrongly charged. Furthermore, T-Mobile representatives say the company has procedures in place to protect consumers against unauthorized charges.
Were you billed for a service you didn't want? How did T-Mobile do it?
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Supreme Court Rules in Hobby Lobby Case
In a 5-4 vote, the United States Supreme Court issued a ruling allowing Hobby Lobby to deny contraceptive coverage for its employees on religious grounds. The ruling essentially grants closely-held corporations the same rights as religious institutions to deny coverage on religious grounds.
Over 70 lawsuits were filed nationwide challenging the contraception mandate. Even though the ruling just came out, many businesses are already cutting back on benefits.
What else can companies deny employees on religious grounds? What does this case mean for you?
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Your Money
Should you pay discount points for a lower interest rate?
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For the Lawyers
Payday loan is substantively and procedurally unconscionable.
The New Mexico Supreme Court held that notwithstanding the fact that the interest charged did not violate other state lending laws, the payday lenders loan was unconscionable. The court stated, “We hold that loans bearing interest rates of 1,147.14 to 1,500 percent contravene the public policy of the State of New Mexico, and the interest rate term in Defendants’ signature loans is substantively unconscionable and invalid.”
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