| Volume 103 Number 3 |
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The People’s Lawyer’s Tip of the Day
When shopping for goods or services, compare the store, the internet, and the 800 number for the best price. You never know who will offer you the best deal.
For more general information about the law, check out my website.
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How Apple Pay Can Change the Way We Buy
What if you could catalog all your credit cards into one device? What if, instead of dragging out your wallet to choose the right card to pay for groceries, dinner, clothes, or a movie, you could simply use one device and click a button to choose the card?
That's the idea behind Apple Pay.
It's not easy to get retailers to change transaction technology. Unless, of course, it's Apple doing the persuading. With more than 10 million new iPhones sold, Apple has flooded the market with technology that can double as a wallet.
With the new iPhone 6, consumers can load all their credit card numbers into the device. Then, with Apple Pay, they can leave all the credit cards at home, but still pay with the credit card information stored in their phones.
Expected to launch in a couple weeks, Apple Pay isn't without its critics. Privacy concerns surround the technology, and previous attempts at the virtual wallet have generally failed.
Will Apple Pay find success? Will your credit card information be safe?
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FCC Settles With Marriott for Blocking Wi-Fi
These days many hotels offer its customers free Wi-Fi. However, for the hotels that don't give customers free access, Wi-Fi can be quite the revenue generator. In fact, while guests can expect to pay about $20 for Internet access from their rooms, some hotels will charge hundreds of dollars to connect to the Internet from a convention room.
According to FCC allegations, a Nashville Marriott property took things too far by using Wi-Fi "jammers" to prevent visitors from using anything other than Marriott Wi-Fi. Whenever visitors attempted to create Wi-Fi hot spots using their mobile devices, Marriott allegedly used jamming technology to shut it down. As a result, the hotel made thousands of dollars from Wi-Fi fees when visitors had no other option but to use the Marriott Wi-Fi. The hotel charged between $250 and $1000 per device.
It is illegal to use jamming technology to block Wi-Fi signals. Marriott has agreed to pay a $600,000 civil penalty without admitting fault.
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GM Issues Massive Round of Recalls
General Motors has issued a directive to its dealers to stop selling 2015 Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon vehicles. According to GM, a wiring problem could prevent airbags from working when needed. The same day, GM also ordered the recall of more than half a million vehicles for a variety of flaws, including a wheel defect that can lead to crash and a hood latch that can get stuck in the "open" position.
On Thursday, GM recalled 117,000 vehicles for an electronics module issue.
Do you drive a GM vehicle? Is your vehicle safe.
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Your Money
Planning a move? Compare the cost the living!
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For the Lawyers
Filing judgment lien prior to final judgment violates Fair Debt Collection Practices Act.
Creditor filed a notice of judgment lien against consumer’s home and maintained it for approximately one month although the judgment it was based on never became final and was vacated.
Upon review, the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals held that filing and failing to release an invalid judgment lien against a debtor's home while the related state court collection action remained pending fell within the broad scope of practices prohibited by the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA).
The Court reversed the dismissal of her claims and remanded the case for further proceedings.
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