There’s an unfortunate ongoing problem in our mostly unregulated free marketplace whereby a vendor promises something to a customer, but in the sales contract there’s a disclaimer stating that the company can change the agreement at any time without notice to the customer. In other words, the customer is agreeing to a binding agreement that… Continue reading Buyer Beware: Purchase Contracts Changing Without Notice – Kia Motors Canada
Tag: consumer defense
Celebrating 13 Years of Consumer Advocacy
In the summer of 2003, I launched the Consumer Defense Resource Group, with a mission of public interest consumer advocacy. It was in response to what I felt was a misleading advertising campaign by Apple. On 28 April 2003, Apple launched their iTunes Music Store with a global advertising campaign promising downloadable songs for 99… Continue reading Celebrating 13 Years of Consumer Advocacy
KIND Nut Bars Win Award for Most Nutritious Healthy Snack and Transparency in Labeling – Despite FDA Warning @KINDSnacks
Iowa City, 14 April 2015 — Today the Health Resource Group concluded an extensive study of snack foods and nutrition bars. KIND Snacks natural food bars were selected as the winner of our Most Healthy Nutritious Snack Bar Award for 2015. KIND has a wide variety of bars, but for this study, we focused on the Dark… Continue reading KIND Nut Bars Win Award for Most Nutritious Healthy Snack and Transparency in Labeling – Despite FDA Warning @KINDSnacks
Advanced Tech Support Computer Service Remote Assistance Scam Fraud 800-978-4501 or 212-021-6652
Introduction In recent years, as a computer support consultant, I’ve occasionally had people tell me about a paid support program offered by Microsoft. For a certain fee, a person from Microsoft will remotely access their computer and fix problems. Most of these turn out to be scams. Someone recently told me they were charged over… Continue reading Advanced Tech Support Computer Service Remote Assistance Scam Fraud 800-978-4501 or 212-021-6652
The Correlation Between Nutrition Label Readability and Nutritiousness of Food Products
We’re all familiar with the tricks that some food manufacturers play in attempting to deceive consumers. For example, with products that are high in calories, the nutrition label will list “calories per serving” with unrealistically small portion sizes being considered a serving. Only recently have we begun to see labels stating, “calories per bottle” or… Continue reading The Correlation Between Nutrition Label Readability and Nutritiousness of Food Products
SCAM: Timeshare Victims Compensation Fund
Consumer Defense Resource Group Summary. There is a scam currently being perpetrated against people who have lost money through timeshare frauds. The perpetrators apparently have obtained a list of names and contact information for people who lost money. So, when the unsuspecting victim receives a phone call, they assume it must be legitimate since the… Continue reading SCAM: Timeshare Victims Compensation Fund
Toshiba – Leading in Innovation and Leading in Misleading Advertising Designed to Look LIke News Reporting
Earlier this year, we reported on the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) action against advertising that’s embedded with news stories so as to appear to be factual. Apparently nobody at Toshiba got the memo from the FTC. If you purchase a new Toshiba computer, it will come configured to automatically load the Official Toshiba Start Page… Continue reading Toshiba – Leading in Innovation and Leading in Misleading Advertising Designed to Look LIke News Reporting
Horrible Experience with an Immigration Attorney
Consumer Defense Below is an anonymous story that offers an example of what can happen if an unqualified lawyer is used for immigration services. This story emphasizes the importance of finding a quality lawyer early on. Prior to choosing an immigration attorney, read the document Guidelines for Finding a Qualified Immigration Attorney for Obtaining an… Continue reading Horrible Experience with an Immigration Attorney
Fake YouTube Email – Your Video Has Been Approved
Consumer Defense Alert. Beware of emails from known legitimate sources that look authentic but are not. Below is an example received today. The image shown is a bit fuzzy, but the original is crisp and high quality. The best way to identify the authenticity of emails and their internal links is to hover your mouse… Continue reading Fake YouTube Email – Your Video Has Been Approved
Alert: Beware My Verizon Bill is Fake Malicious Email
Consumer Alert | Technology Summary. There is a fake email circulating supposedly from Verizon about a bill being due. The links in the email, however, don’t go to Verizon’s website. They go (presumably) to a malicious site that will attempt to get your personal information or infect your computer with viruses. As long as you don’t… Continue reading Alert: Beware My Verizon Bill is Fake Malicious Email
Email Spam Fraud and Hoax From Hijacked Accounts to Send Fake Plea for Help
Consumer Defense Summary. You may receive an email that is a desperate plea for help from a friend, colleague, family member, or acquaintance. Before replying, you may want to compare it with the samples below that we’ve received. Many similar emails are sent out from hijacked user accounts of people with email service through AOL,… Continue reading Email Spam Fraud and Hoax From Hijacked Accounts to Send Fake Plea for Help
Apple and Ethics
Introduction. Among the hundreds of companies producing and selling consumer electronics, Apple is frequently criticized for partnering with factories in China that are engaged in unethical and inhumane labor practices. [More…] * * * 21 April 2022 The article previously posted here has been upgraded to a page on this site. Click here to view the article now.… Continue reading Apple and Ethics