Airline frequent flier programs can be great for consumers — free flights and free upgrades are always welcome. Unfortunately, some airlines think their frequent flier programs should give them free access to your wallet. It’s important to be vigilant to make sure that frequent flier programs aren’t using trickery or fine print to trick you… Continue Reading
Monthly Archives: October 2011
Allstate’s “Free” Roadside Assistance Program Isn’t Free
Allstate appears to be offering customers a great deal: Call to get an insurance quote and, just for making the call, you get "free" lifetime enrollment in Allstate’s roadside assistance program. Smart consumers might think that instead of paying money to enroll in AAA or another roadside assistance program, it’s cheaper to call Allstate and… Continue Reading
HHS Announces Final Rule To Incentivize Physicians And Others To Join ACOS
The proposed rule relating to Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs) was, at best, difficult to understand, and, at worst, created another concern physicians had to face in determining whether they were going to survive as businesses. So it came as no surprise that the Department of Health and Human Services ("HHS") received over 1,300 comments to… Continue Reading
Physicians Face Severe Medicare Cuts
The Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC), which is responsible for advising Congress on Medicare pay rates, has proposed a plan on October 6 recommending a 10-year payment freeze for primary care physicians and significant pay cuts to specialists. These recommendations were made purportedly as a means to eliminate the sustainable growth rate (SGR) formula that… Continue Reading
MDPCE Files Suit Against Smart Balance On Behalf Of Milk Purchases
On October 19, 2011, Meiselman, Denlea, Packman, Carton & Eberz P.C. filed a class action in Federal District court for the District of New Jersey against Smart Balance, Inc., on behalf of all consumers who purchased Smart Balance’s "Fat Free" milks containing Omega-3s. Smart Balance sells "Fat Free" milks containing Omega-3s, which purportedly taste as… Continue Reading
MDPCE Files Suit On Behalf Of Pizza Hut Delivery Drivers
On October 25, Meiselman, Denlea, Packman, Carton & Eberz P.C. filed suit against CFL Pizza, a Florida Pizza Hut franchisee on behalf of Pizza Hut delivery driver, Curtis Hanna, and thousands of other Pizza Hut delivery drivers in Florida. Although Florida law — along with federal law and the law of many other states —… Continue Reading
MDPCE Files Suit Against Energy Plus On Behalf of NY Consumers
On October 18, 2011, Meiselman, Denlea, Packman, Carton & Eberz P.C. filed a class action in the Federal District Court for the Southern District of New York on behalf of all New York consumers that purchased their retail electricity from the independent energy supplier Energy Plus Holdings LLC. Energy Plus is a company that thrives… Continue Reading
You May Not Be Getting All The SAMe For Which You Paid
SAMe (also known as SAM-e, S-adenosyl-methionine, or S-adenosyl-L-methionine) is a popular supplement. A naturally occurring amino acid, SAMe has a wide range of potential benefits. It is used as a treatment for osteoarthritis and associated joint pain, stiffness, and inflammation, and SAMe is a natural therapy for treating depression. SAMe has also been used for the treatment… Continue Reading
Is Your Credit Card Charging Improper Foreign Transaction Fees?
In the wake of the Credit Card Accountability Responsibility and Disclosure Act of 2009, banks are desperately searching for ways to replace the unfair and excessive fees they once imposed with near impunity. One such fee consumers should watch out for is the foreign transaction fee for domestic purchases. Historically, foreign transaction fees were charged on… Continue Reading
Is Your Magazine Shortening The Length Of Your Subscription?
Subscribers to Rachel Ray’s magazine Every Day with Rachel Ray recently received their November issue of the magazine along with an unwelcome surprise. Along with the issue, readers were greeted with a letter stating that the issue was a “special issue” that will count as two issues and as such the duration of each subscription would… Continue Reading
Memorylane.com & Classmates.com: Unauthorized Charges
Meiselman, Denlea, Packman, Carton & Eberz P.C. is currently investigating a potential class action against the websites Classmates.com and Memory Lane for charging unauthorized fees to customers. Many consumers claim to have been victimized by this scam. Getting in touch with old friends is fun and the Internet has made reconnecting easier than ever. Unfortunately,… Continue Reading
Sibutramine Is A Dangerous Drug
Sibutramine is a controlled substance drug known as an oral anorexiant. It is a form of medication known as an appetite suppressant, which works by acting on the appetite control centers in the brain to decrease appetite. It was previously marketed and prescribed by physicians as part of the treatment for weight loss, and was used… Continue Reading
Auto Gratuity: The “Convenience” Of Having Your Tip Included
A growing number of restaurants, hotel bars, and nightclubs are stripping the patron of all discretion in determining the appropriate tip for wait staff by automatically including a generous gratuity in the bill. While this auto gratuity, as the practice is known, has been in use by some restaurants for some time for large parties of… Continue Reading
Lipozene Growing Fat On Cancelled Orders?
You can’t fool all of the people all of the time — but you can make a fortune fooling some of the people some of the time. That, at least, is the upshot of numerous consumer complaints about Lipozene, a dietary supplement that is supposed to promote rapid weight loss without exercise. Consumers are not… Continue Reading
Medicare Fraud Convictions
Ten doctors, nurses, and staffers in South Florida recently pleaded guilty in a $25 million Medicare fraud conspiracy involving home health and therapy services. They are the latest of approximately 50 defendants convicted since federal prosecutors launched an investigation into the Miami-based scam in 2009. The scam allegedly involved two Miami home health care agencies, ABC… Continue Reading
Decorative Contact Lenses Impair Vision
If you have perfect vision, but you think it would be fun to change your eye color to match your outfit, accessorize your Halloween costume, or to support your favorite sports team, you should think twice before using fashion contact lenses. These lenses, when sold illegally by unlicensed vendors on the Internet, or at flea markets… Continue Reading
Is Your Food Really All Natural?
From cereals to salad dressings, fruit drinks to potato chips, health-conscious consumers can choose an "All Natural" version of just about anything. If you, however, like many other unsuspecting consumers, feel comforted by the words “All Natural” plastered across the labels and packaging of your food, prepare to be disillusioned, for the one thing a consumer… Continue Reading
Is Your Fat Free Milk Really Fat Free?
With obesity the number one cause of preventable death in the United States, Americans are desperate for healthy options in the supermarket aisles. Against this backdrop, with consumers demanding dairy products that fit their diet and nutritional wants and needs, Smart Balance, Inc. sells “Fat Free” milks containing Omega-3s which purportedly taste as rich and creamy… Continue Reading
MDPCE Files Suit To Protect Privacy Rights Of Military Families
Yesterday, on behalf of millions of members of our armed services and their families, Meiselman, Denlea, Packman, Carton & Eberz P.C. filed suit against TRICARE, the United States Department of Defense and the Secretary of Defense. The lawsuit, Gaffney v. Panetta was filed in federal court in Washington, D.C. TRICARE provides medical insurance to members… Continue Reading
Some “Free” Credit Reporting Websites Aren’t Free
Credit scores play a big role in today’s economy. Your credit rating determines the interest rate your will pay on loans and it can even determine whether you can buy a house or a car. It’s a very good idea to closely monitor your credit rating and to promptly deal with any credit-related issues. However,… Continue Reading
Is Your Multivitamin Shortchanging You On Vitamin A?
Vitamin A is one of the most important supplements consumers can take. Vitamin A provides retinol, which is crucial for maintaining healthy retinas and good vision. In fact, countries whose citizens suffer from vitamin A deficiencies have significant instances of night blindness and other vision issues. Vitamin A is also a good source for antioxidants,… Continue Reading
Wen Hair Care Takes Unwanted Payments & Won’t Return Them
Celebrity hairstylist Chaz Dean markets his Wen hair care products on a late night infomercial, using pitch-women who have included recognizable, long-haired women celebrities including Little House on the Prairie’s Melissa Gilbert and Beverly Hills 90210′s Jennie Garth. But scores of consumers have reported that California-based, Guthy-Renker, LLC, the company behind Wen Hair Care System,… Continue Reading
Are Discover Card And United Marketing Goup Deceiving Small Businesses?
Previously, we reported on potentially deceptive behavior by United Marketing Group in connection with clandestine Internet and telemarketing “sales” to consumers following a purchase from an otherwise legitimate retailer. However, it appears that United Marketing Group may have teamed up with Discover to deceptively charge small businesses for unwanted “Merchant Technical Solutions.” A number of small… Continue Reading
Massachusetts Medicaid Fraud Scams
Indictments of 10 individuals from four private health care providers were handed down in late September 2011 by three Massachusetts grand juries arising from a series of Medicaid fraud schemes that cost Massachusetts tax payers nearly $10 million. The indictments allege that the Massachusetts Medicaid system, MassHealth, was improperly billed for care supposedly provided to… Continue Reading