Consumer News 1999

Rascals Come in Many Forms  Fast-close salesmen take advantage of homebound elders.

Travel Scammers Tripped Up FTC launches major assault on travel fraud.

Minuteman Press, Speedy Sign  Pay Redress Judgment Charged with misleading franchisees.

Home Depot Fencing Off Its Turf  Warns suppliers to stay out of e-retailing.

Credit Card & Y2K "Protection" Scams Shut Down FTC goes after Canadian telemarketers.

FTC Wants Tighter Regulations of Online Pharmacies  Says potential for consumer abuse is high.

Banks Charge Both Parties for Bad Checks  Banks are now slapping fees not only on those who write bad checks but also on those who cash them.

Exxon:  No Gabbing & Gassing Exxon is asking customers to turn off cell phones while fueling.

USDA Warns of Listeria Risk  A bacteria that infests ready-to-eat foods such as luncheon meats and hot dogs is a serious health threat. 

Work At Home Scheme The Federal Trade Commission has filed a lawsuit against an alleged work-at-home pyramid scam.

FTC Attacks Internet Cramming  The FTC has shut down a "cramming" operation that targets small businesses, religious organizations, charities, and foundations.

Check Look-Alikes Under Fire Congress may regulate home equity loan solicitations.

Bottled Water -- How Safe?  No one really knows because it's largely unregulated.

Movers Hold Consumers Hostage   Fraud among interstate movers is out of control, consumer officials say.

McDonald's Pays $4 Million Failed to inform government of injuries on its playgrounds.

Man Sues Gym in Wife's Death Gym prescribed ephedra, suit says.

Watch that Grill!  Safety commission warns of grill dangers.

FTC Warns of Internet Health Scams Says 800 sites are questionable.

Home HIV Tests Not Reliable  Kits tested by the FTC gave false negative results.

FTC Cracks Down on Small Business Scams Internet "cramming" is costing companies millions

Internet Coupon Fraud  FTC sends greetings to 51 sites

Suit Says Sears Defrauded Tire Customers  Damages could reach $400 million.

FTC Accuses Tiger Direct of Misleading Claims  The mail-order computer dealer is accused of misleading consumers about warranties.

Goodyear, Texaco Named in Suits Class action lawsuits charge that Goodyear and Texaco auto service centers have illegally charged consumers for disposing of used oil.

States Targeting Spam  State lawmakers, eager to get into the Internet regulation game, are finding unsolicited email -- or "spam" -- a convenient target.

Portability Charge Added to Phone Bills  Bell Atlantic has added a 23-cent monthly charge for "number portability" the latest new charge for local phone service.

Lights, Camera, Scam   The FTC charged three Washington, D.C.-area modeling agencies with misleading would-be models.

D.A. Probes Providian  The San Francisco District Attorney has opened a probe of Providian Finance after receiving "a lot of complaints," a spokesman said.

Consumers Giving up Right to Sue  Increasingly, the corporate gods are writing forced arbitration clauses into their service agreements.

Cell Phone-Cancer Links  Preliminary results show both a biological and a statistical link between cell phone usage and brain cancer.

FTC Wants Dell, Micron to Reformat Ads Inadequate disclosure of leasing costs, agency says.

Wronger Than Dirt FTC Drains Laundry Detergent Substitutes that Claim to Reduce Pollution.

FCC Requires Clearer Phone Bills  Clearer dispute process also required under new rules.

Home Shopping Network Pays $1 Million Fine  It's the second time the television retailer has been hauled before the Federal Trade Commission for making unsubstantiated advertising claims.

FTC Hits iMall for $4 Million  Company will make restitution to "investors" who bought into its Internet franchise schemes.

AltaVista Starts Selling Search Results AltaVista, under pressure to increase its revenue in preparation for an initial public offering later this year, has started selling the top spot in 500 search categories.

96% Car Loans Coming to Florida?  A Florida Senate committee ignored consumer advocates and rammed through a bill that would let car-title loan companies charge poor people up to 96 percent a year.

New SIDS Warnings  Infants under 12 months should be put to sleep in a crib with no soft bedding of any kind on top of the baby, the Consumer Protection Safety Commission warned.

Up, Up and Away  ATM surcharges are bringing in $2.1 billion for banks, with 93 percent of banks charging customers who use another bank's ATM. 

Pay in Advance, Then Pay Again  Publishers Clearing Housing gets a little carried away with its billing.

An Insider's View of Extended Warranties WW, a former Sears salesman, berates his former employer and its "protection" plans.

FTC Credit Crackdown Hits 43 Firms The FTC hit firms that help consumers illegally create new credit profiles.

USDA Approves Expanded Irradiation of Meat  Fighting a growing wave of food poisonings, the U.S. Agriculture Department is allowing meat packers and chicken pluckers to use irradiation more freely.

Imitation Auto Parts Being Forced on Consumers by Insurers   Many insurance companies are pushing shoddy and defective imitation replacement parts on car owners after a crash.

FDA Wants Recall of GBL  A "natural" supplement sold through numerous Web sites and used by body-builders and those seeking to lose weight is being blamed for one death and 54 serious illnesses.

Agencies Watching How Internet Merchants Handle Returns   Consumer protection agencies nationwide are keeping a careful eye on how well Internet-based merchants handle the thousands of post-holiday returns.

Life in ConsumerHell.Com  The holidays were not merry and bright for many online shoppers, The New York Times notes.

Cramming Overtakes Slamming  Cramming refers to placing charges for unwanted goods or services on a consumer's local telephone bill and it is rapidly spiraling out of control. 

Companies Using Credit-Card Offers to Collect Old Debts   Unscrupulous companies are offering consumers new credit cards, on the condition that uncollectable debts are added to the balance of the new card.

Small Businesses Being Ripped Off by Credit Card Merchant Account Brokers  Small business are being skinned by fast-close scam artists who are overcharging them for merchant accounts.

L.L. Bean Child Backpack Carriers Recalled A child backpack carrier that poses a strangulation risk is being recalled.

Latest Scam from Canada  A caller informs you that you are the recipient of a large cash settlement in a Canadian lawsuit and even gives you the name of the judge and perhaps the docket number.