Consumer Affairs

Consumer Affairs with Sheryl Harris - cleveland.com

• Hollywood Video rises from grave to pursue late fees: Plain Dealing
  Hollywood Video has risen from bankruptcy to lurch after millions of consumers nationwide that it says owe late fees. Consumers are protesting in droves. If you rented DVDs but didn't get a notice, you're not necessarily off the hook. Collectors are still working through massive lists of debtors.
  
  
• Skechers to pay $45 million over misleading toning shoe claims, FTC says
  The studies Skechers cited were not only flawed, they misreported findings, the FTC said in its suit. One reported that consumers who wore the shoes lost weight when they actually gained.
  
  
• FTC stops collector from going after debts from bogus magazine sales: Plain Dealing
  The FTC's been busy. The agency stops a collector from dunning consumers for bogus magazine subscriptions...on the heels of freezing the assets of a company that sold web sites to consumers.
  
  
• Ohio attorney general sues Fix My Mortgage Problem
  The suit says K&R Marketing LLC and its owner, Chris Bray of Norwalk, charged homeowners $500 to $1,000 up front for help getting their loans modified but failed to provide the promised help or refunds.
  
  
• Ohio sues telemarketer that sold trading software: Plain Dealing
  Attorney General Mike DeWine's suit accused California-based CTI Group LLC of misleading consumers about how much they could make using the company's "automated robot trading software" or "Victory S&P E-Mini Trading Programs."
  
  
• Averting prom and wedding dress disasters: Plain Dealing
  A prom-bound girl and a Columbus dress shop wind up in a stand-off over static. Tips on averting prom and wedding dress disasters.
  
  
• Asset Acceptance faces class-action suit over time-barred debts: Plain Dealing
  An appeals court's ruling means debt buyer Asset Acceptance faces a class-action suit over whether it violated the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act by pursuing judgments against Ohio consumers for time-barred credit card debts.
  
  
• FTC says company helped 'serial crammer' put bogus charges on phone bills: Plain Dealing
  The Federal Trade Commission is seeking a $52.6 million civil contempt order against a billing aggregator that it says ignored complaints that the charges it helped cram onto consumers' phone bills were bogus.
  
  
• Consumer groups challenge payday loan prepaid cards
  Consumer groups asked the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency to stop a Florida-based bank from teaming up with CheckSmart to offer prepaid cards -- a move that comes as CheckSmart's parent is preparing for a public stock offering.
  
  
• CEI may change the tricky contracts it offers to landlords: Plain Dealing
  Landlords complained Cleveland Electric Illuminating Co. used the contracts to try to bully them into paying electric bills that tenants accrued long ago – in some cases, even after they had sold their rental properties.
  
  
• How to protect against spam, malware and privacy intrusions on your phone: Plain Dealing
  Scammers who once stuck to email inboxes are making the leap to mobile phones – meaning if you haven't received a text message yet offering you a payday loan or phony Walmart gift card, your day is coming.
  
  
• FTC funeral shoppers find 4 of 16 Cleveland homes violated rule: Plain Dealing
  A quarter of the Cleveland funeral homes visited by FTC shoppers failed to show prospective clients an itemized price list as quickly as required by the Funeral Rule. But good luck finding out who the violators are.
  
  
• Closing a credit card account when your credit is bad: Plain Dealing
  Consumers sometimes hesitate to close credit card accounts for fear of how it will impact their scores. It's not that clear cut. Here are factors to weigh when you want to get rid of a credit card that's no longer working for you.
  
  
• InfoCision to pay $75,000 after Ohio alleges charity call violations
  Akron-based telemarketer InfoCision agreed to send advance copies of scripts to the state to ward off court action by the Ohio attorney general. The attorney general contends the company failed to identify itself as a paid solicitor when it asked consumers for donations for its nonprofit clients.
  
  
• Ohio sues septic supply seller FBK over sales calls: Plain Dealing
  Attorney General sues FBK Products for telemarketing calls to Ohioans, but that's the least of the company's worries.
  
  
• ID thieves find a new way to make money -- your tax return
  Tax returns linked to identity theft have more than doubled in the past three years. E-filing makes it easy for tax thieves to grab the dough and go.
  
  
• Attorney general sues online investment company: Plain Dealer
  Ohio's attorney general sued Steven Sigman of Company Express, saying he failed to provide Hungarian investors promised returns. He maintains he is the victim of an international fraud.
  
  
• Bill could cut the time collectors have to sue over debts: Plain Dealing
  Ohio's 15-year statute of limitations for suing over written contracts is longer than any other state except Kentucky. A bill to pare the statute to six years could benefit consumers and businesses.
  
  
• Put a home emergency kit together -- just in case: Plain Dealing
  When the lights go out, don't be caught fumbling for a flashlight. Rounding up a simple emergency kit now can help you weather any type of disaster better.
  
  
• Kasich signs HB 275 - Ohio's consumer law now among nation's worst: Plain Dealing
  Let's be clear about who's to blame for gutting Ohio's consumer law. It's the Ohio politicians who supported HB 275. These officials were elected to act on behalf of the public good. They are the ones who so miserably failed to do so.