by Carol Thompson Astroturfing– the business of bogus business reviews is a growing problem for businesses large and small. Fake reviews, both positive and negative are wreaking havoc on legitimate business owners who don’t know how to fight back. Websites...
by Carol Thompson The Supreme Court of Alabama recently reversed an arbitration award after it found that one of the arbitrators had failed to disclose a potential conflict of interest. The case involved a dispute between a not-for-profit corporation administering a...
by Carol Thompson In the late 1980s Internet users adopted the word “troll” to describe someone who intentionally disrupts online communities. Today, not only are trolls those who disrupt online communities, but those who cyberstalk and harass as well. Trolls...
by Carol Thompson Rep. Bob Goodlatte has introduced H.R. 1927 – a bill titled Fairness in Class Action Litigation Act of 2015 – which would make it near impossible for Americans to join together in bringing class action lawsuits for nearly any illegal act a...
by Carol Thompson Yesterday U.S. Senator Al Franken (D-Minn) and Rep. Hank Johnson (D-Ga) reintroduced a bill Wednesday that would block companies and institutions from preemptively forcing employees, customers and others to arbitrate antitrust suits, civil rights...
by Carol Thompson Before seeking medical care, it’s easy to check online for disciplinary actions against a doctor, physician’s assistant or nurse. But when it comes to pets, it’s not quite as easy. While some states, such as Texas, provide a...
by Carol Thompson There have been numerous complaints about consumers learning after-the-fact that the arbitrator deciding their case had a conflict-of-interest. The consumer bears the responsibility of vetting an arbitrator prior to a hearing, and it’s rare for...
Will Congress cut the agency’s budget? by Carol Thompson The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) has been making great strides in protecting the consumer from unscrupulous creditors, mortgage lenders, and non-bank service providers and recently issued a...
by Carol Thompson Washington’s relatively new agency, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, has been aggressively cracking down on those who have been taking advantage of consumers (see related story). The most recent action taken by the agency is...
by Carol Thompson What started as a blender purchase has become a mishmash of allegations against Internet giant Amazon. In court papers filed April 15, Andrea Fagerstrom and Allen Wiseley allege that Amazon should not be allowed to hold customers to its...
