Privacy

Car Dealers Want To Evade Thumb Of New Consumer Protection Agency

October 20, 2009  ·  Consumer Watchdog

The financial meltdown led some folks - including the president - to opine that the little guy has sure taken it in the shorts these last few years, and that government must do more to protect consumers. “Loan financing represents a huge source of income for auto dealers,” says the letter to the House Financial Services Committee, signed by Consumer Watchdog, Consumers Union, the California Public Interest Group, the NAACP, and many others. “While the vehicles themselves have never been better, auto sales and financing practices have never been worse. In fact, year after year, auto sales and service complaints, typically related to predatory lending practices at dealerships, rank number 1 among consumer complaints lodged with state and local consumer protection agencies.<br />

Google Using ‘Double Talk’ On Cloud Security, Says L.A. Consumer Group

October 15, 2009  ·  John M. Simpson

A consumer advocacy group that is opposed to a <a href="http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9135975/Google_defends_Google_Apps_security">plan by the city of Los Angeles</a> to adopt Google's hosted e-mail and office applications is accusing the company of a double standard on security issues. In a letter to Bernard Parks, chairman of the Los Angeles City Council's Budget and Finance Committee, Consumer Watchdog claimed that Google was being hypocritical in marketing Google Apps to the city.<br />

Microsoft’s Sidekick Debacle Brings Much-Hyped ‘Cloud’ Back To Earth

October 14, 2009  ·  Consumer Watchdog

In a letter last week to City Councilman Bernard C. Parks, John Simpson of advocacy group Consumer Watchdog noted the stark language Google uses to describe the many things that could go wrong with its cloud-based systems.

Lobbying Said To Clip Consumer Protection Bill

October 13, 2009  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<p> The grand plan for a new federal agency that would fight for consumer rights in financial transactions has been given a hatchet job by industry groups, a consumer group charged on Monday. Carmen Balber, head of Consumer Watchdog's Washington, D.C., office, said the new agency won't be able to do its job unless it has oversight over firms like Experian, Equifax and Trans Union, which help determine consumer interest rates through credit scores, or car dealerships, which engage in complex loan transactions. </p>

Apple Board Member Resigns His Position As A Google Director

October 13, 2009  ·  Consumer Watchdog

Following the resignation of Google chief executive Eric Schmidt from the Apple board in August, Levinson has resigned his director position. Mr. Levinson, who is also chairman of biotech company Genentech, had been a Google board member since April 2004. Former US vice-president, Al Gore, is the last remaining link between the two companies as he serves on the board of Apple and is an adviser to Google. John M. Simpson, consumer advocate with Consumer Watchdog, said: “We're pleased that Arthur Levinson finally realised that serving on both Google's and Apple's boards were untenable. It took too long, but he finally did the right thing.

Genentech Chairman Resigns From Google Board

October 12, 2009  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<div id="hn-headline"> WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Genentech chairman Arthur Levinson has resigned from the board of directors of Google amid a probe by US authorities into his membership of the boards of both the Internet giant and Apple. Advocacy group Consumer Watchdog also welcomed Levinson's resignation, saying he had "acted correctly" in stepping down. "We're pleased that Arthur Levinson finally realized that serving on both Google's and Apple's boards was untenable," said John Simpson of Consumer Watchdog. "It took too long, but he finally did the right thing." </div>

Banks May Reduce High Overdraft Charges

October 9, 2009  ·  Consumer Watchdog

LOS ANGELES, CA -- The charges for overdrawing on your checking account have almost tripled in the past decade. But consumer complaints are beginning to make banks change their policies. Harvey Rosenfield of Consumer Watchdog says that the banking industry will collect as much as $38 billion this year on overdraft protection fees. That's more than they'll collect on penalties from credit cards and is nearly double what was collected in 2000, which was $19.9 billion. Overdraft charges are not covered by the Truth in Lending Act, which means that banks don't have to disclose the interest rate they can charge on those fees. In fact, a recent FDIC study shows a customer could be charged an annual percentage rate of a whopping 3,520 percent.  "There is no limit to what the banks can get away with," said Rosenfield. 

What Incentive Do Insurers Have to Cover Us When We Can’t Sue Them If They Don’t?

October 8, 2009  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<p> Santa Monica-based Consumer Watchdog sent a letter to key congressional leaders urging them to undo the ERISA ruling, and president Jamie Court said Nataline's case shows why such a move is crucial to any healthcare reform.<strong> </strong>"If the insurer decides they don't want to pay for the treatment because they can save a lot of money, there is not a dime available in damages if the person dies or is injured," Court said. "It's cheaper to kill you. If you die, you can't go to court." </p>

Assemblyman’s Campaign Fund Followed On Unusual Journeys — Anderson Donations Raising Questions

October 1, 2009  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<p> Assemblyman Joel Anderson has engaged in a series of curious campaign financial transactions as he prepares to make an expected bid for the state Senate. This pattern, dismissed as coincidental by most of the parties involved, raises questions among campaign finance experts. "I think you can draw a clear connection between contributions from San Diego businesses that were then returned to a San Diego assemblyman," said campaign finance analyst Carmen Balber, Washington director of Consumer Watchdog. </p>

Internet Users Oppose Being Tracked, Study Says

September 30, 2009  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<p> <strong>Backer of Google Critic Supports Research Showing Users Don't Want Tailored Ads</strong><br /> <br /> SAN FRANCISCO, CA -- Roughly two-thirds of Americans oppose being tracked on the Internet in exchange for receiving tailored advertising, according to a new study by scholars from the University of Pennsylvania and the University of California, Berkeley. <br /> </p>

US Judge Postpones Googlebooks Hearing

September 25, 2009  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<p> <strong>$125 Million Pact 'Raises Significant Issues' </strong><br /> <br /> "Clearly, voices such as ours had an impact on Judge Chin," says John Simpson, of the consumer watchdog known as Consumer Watchdog, one of the many organizations opposed to the deal. "There was no way the proposed settlement could go forward. Consumer Watchdog is pleased there will be a status hearing on the case on Oct. 7." Like the Open Book Alliance - a group that includes the Internet Archive, Microsoft, and Amazon - Consumer Watchdog advocates solving the ebook copyright issue with federal legislation. "We believe that will demonstrate that the proper place to solve many of the case's thorniest problems, such as that of orphan books, is in Congress," Simpson says. "Consumer Watchdog urges Congress to act expeditiously because it is important to build digital libraries." </p>

Judge Delays Google Books Hearing

September 25, 2009  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<div class="headline"> </div> <!--S mvb--> <!--S mvb--> <!--E mvb--><strong>A New York judge has put Google's vision of creating the world's biggest digital library on hold.</strong> <p> Microsoft, Amazon and Yahoo have filed objections to the settlement with the court, along with the French and German governments, privacy advocates and consumer watchdog groups. "Clearly voices such as ours had an impact on Judge Chin," wrote consumer watchdog advocate John Simpson in an email to BBC News. "There was no way the proposed settlement could go forward. We believe that the proper place to solve many of the case's thorniest problems, such as that of orphan books, is in Congress because it is important to build digital libraries." </p>