Topics: Consumer Law - 168 results

The lousy economy has forced many of us to make compromises. We’re pinching pennies–and dollars. With increasing frequency, friends tell me that instead of moving, they’re instead choosing to remodel their existing home. Are you considering a home improvement project in 2010? If so, here are some things to consider when hiring a home contractor. Selecting a Contractor If you know other homeowners who have recently remodeled their homes, ask them about the contractor they used. Did the contractor do …

Every gift-giver has had the experience of watching someone excitedly unwrap a present, take it out of the box and discover that it’s broken. As the saying goes, the joy is in the giving. Nothing kills that joy more than realizing you’ve given a damaged or defective product, or something the recipient doesn’t need. So what can you do if Santa delivers a dud? Smart consumers will follow these rules: Save every receipt. I save all of my receipts, but …

This weekend, a lot of parents suddenly lost interest in buying one of the hottest toys of the season. Many retailers had predicted that the Zhu Zhu Pet–an animatronics hamster–would be one of the best-selling toys this Christmas. Mr. Squiggles’ popularity plummeted on Saturday when San Francisco-based GoodGuide voiced concerns over the product’s safety. GoodGuide, which rates product safety, says it found a potentially dangerous metal called antimony in the Mr. Squiggles Zhu Zhu Pet. The toy’s manufacturer, Cepia LLC, …

It’s tough to believe but there are companies out there that want to give you money. Others want to give you free stuff. You may be owed money, or free or discounted products and services as a result of a class action lawsuit. A class action lawsuit occurs when many parties (people or businesses) have identical or similar lawsuits against one or several defendants to a lawsuit. In the interest of time and money, the court may consolidate all of …

Remember the woman who sued McDonald’s because their coffee is hot? She didn’t have the common sense to put her hot coffee somewhere other than between her legs while riding in a car, then blamed McDonald’s when she was burned. It would be a classic example of a frivolous lawsuit–except for the fact that the woman actually won her case. By definition, a frivolous lawsuit is one that is based on a legal claim that has no merit. In other …