Money has always been an unseemly part of politics, and the Supreme Court’s 2010 decision in Citizen’s United v. Federal Election Commission opened the floodgates to corporate political spending. The Citizen’s United decision allows corporations and unions to make unlimited political expenditures. Leaving aside the way in which money can distort our democracy, Citizen’s United… Continue Reading
Monthly Archives: February 2012
Smart Meters Health Concerns
Smart electric meters “(Smart Meters”) are electronic devices that track and record a customer’s electric use. Electric utilities have been replacing old, analog meters that are read manually once a month with new, digital smart meters that automatically capture information about electricity consumption and transmit it back to electric companies. The electric companies claim that… Continue Reading
Unpaid Overtime Wages: Are You Being Victimized?
As we have previously written, far too many employers pad their profits by wrongly denying employees’ payment for overtime work. Annette Bernhardt, policy co-director of the National Employment Law Project, explained that, “When unscrupulous employers break [overtime] law[s], they’re robbing families of money to put food on the table, they’re robbing communities of spending power… Continue Reading
Birth Control Recall
Last month Pfizer recalled nearly one million packages of faulty birth control pills Lo/Ovral®-28 as well as its generic version, Norgestrel and Ethinyl Estradiol, due to inexact tablet counts or out of sequence tablets. The affected packets have expiration dates ranging between July 31, 2013, and March 31, 2014, and the lot numbers of the… Continue Reading
Battery-Operated Toothbrushes Can Cause Injuries
A popular brand of battery-operated electric toothbrush, the Spinbrush, has been the cause of numerous injuries. Some Spinbrush users have been injured by the detachment of the removable toothbrush during brushing. Others were hurt when parts of the toothbrush broke off while the brush was spinning. Reports from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the… Continue Reading
Hotels.Com’s Price Match Guarantee
Hotels.com promises that after you book with Hotels.com, if you find a lower publicly available rate on line for the same dates, hotel, and room category, it will match the price and refund you the difference. However, instead of fulfilling its promise under its price match guarantee, Hotels.com places an undisclosed limit on the refunds… Continue Reading
Be On The Lookout For Data Charges On Your Cell Phone Bill
Many consumers use their cell phones to surf the Internet and check email. If you use your cell phone for one of these purposes, you may expect to pay extra for data charges. But, if you don’t access the Internet via your phones, you should not pay for data usage. Unfortunately, we have recently been… Continue Reading
Be Careful To Use Your Airline Tickets Before They Expire
Every time we fly, it seems like the airlines are trying to reach into our pockets to pad their profits. After years of suffering from increasing flight prices, baggage fees (the airlines collected over $6 billion in baggage fees last year!), headset fees and the like, most fliers have learned to be careful. But one… Continue Reading
Beware Of Phone Offers To Lower Credit Card Interest
You may have received this call just once or several times, often in the evening or on the weekend. A female recorded voice instructs you to press the number “1” if you want to lower your credit card interest. Following her instructions connects you with a live operator who offers to reduce your interest rate… Continue Reading
United Workers’ Credit Services Is Deceptive
Many consumers have been posting complaints about being deceived by United Workers’ Credit Services. This company offers its members a card with a $10,000 “credit limit.” Unfortunately, this is not a traditional credit card with a $10,000 limit, but is instead a card that can only be used to purchase items listed in the company’s… Continue Reading
Justanswer.com: Questionable Answers And Unauthorized Charges
Justanswer.com, the online answer website that connects consumers with purportedly verified experts, is the subject of numerous complaints from dissatisfied visitors. According to the website, visitors ask a question, authorize a deposit, receive an answer, and accept the answer to pay the expert. Refunds are promised if the visitor is unhappy with the answer. Could… Continue Reading
Saint Joseph Hospital Data Breach
Identity theft is a multi-billion dollar problem. Many companies have responded to this threat by upgrading their security procedures. However, some companies continue to put their customers and patients at risk. Saint Joseph Health, a major healthcare provider in California, may have wrongly disclosed the personal heath information of over 30,000 patients. Victims of the… Continue Reading
Your Rights During A Layoff
The recent economic downturn has caused too many people to lose jobs. However, employers that are cutting jobs still have responsibilities to their employees. Under the federal Worker Adjustment Retraining and Notification Act, more commonly known as the WARN Act, employers of more than 100 people must provide 60 days advance notice before mass-layoffs, such… Continue Reading
Your Retirement Account May Be At Risk If Your Employer Goes Bankrupt
If your employer declares bankruptcy, how might that affect your 401(k) and profit sharing retirement plans? In a Chapter 11 reorganization, the company stays in business and your pension should be safe. The Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) requires that companies keep pension assets separate from the corporate assets to protect them… Continue Reading
Union Retirees Feel The Pain Of Improper Health Care Reductions
Retired union members traditionally enjoy health care benefits that were included under the labor contract that was in place at the time of their retirement. Recently, some union retirees have experienced a reduction in benefits, along with increased costs for policy premiums, co-pays, yearly deductibles, prescription drugs, and out-of-pocket expenses. As companies look for ways… Continue Reading
Failure To Follow Background Check Laws Can Harm Employees
Today’s job market is challenging enough without the added stress of background checks and their ramifications. Potential and current employers often order background checks to help them make decisions on hiring and continuation of employment. In doing so, they are required to comply with certain laws that are part of the Fair Credit Reporting Act: Include… Continue Reading
Unpaid Internships May Violate Labor Laws
In this economy, many people have to take unpaid internships to build experience so that they can get a job. When the internships are truly learning experiences that benefit the interns, this is a perfectly legal and appropriate practice. However, federal and state law forbids for-profit companies from labeling people as “interns,” and then treating… Continue Reading