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THE RED TAPE CHRONICLES

Technology has hidden side effects -- we reveal them here

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Gotchas / Consumer

Comcast sued over controversial hotspot ‘sharing’ — and consumers can’t seem to avoid it

December 10, 2014 Bob Sullivan 0

You might think it’s weird that Comcast is planning to turn your home into a public WiFi hotspot, but two plaintiffs in California think it’s illegal.  A lawsuit filed in a California federal court seeks class-action status, claiming Comcast is costing consumers electricity and bandwidth, and creating security risks, with [Keep reading]

The Restless Project

Supreme Court to Amazon: It’s OK to force employees to stay at work without pay. You might be next

December 10, 2014 Bob Sullivan 0

In case you had any doubt about how hostile America is to workers right now, the U.S. Supreme Court has cleared that up. Unanimously. In a twisted ruling that only a corporation could love, the court yesterday ruled that Amazon (via its contractor) does not have to pay warehouse workers [Keep reading]

Gotchas / Consumer

‘This has gone beyond being funny’ — Drive-by orders, and how Comcast made me an offer I just couldn’t refuse

December 9, 2014 Bob Sullivan 4

When a company like Comcast sends you mail promising that it is going to give you something for free, I hope your first reaction is the same as mine. “Uh-oh. What will this cost?” And when a customer service rep *promises* you that something will or won’t happen, I hope [Keep reading]

The Restless Project

She lives in a ‘sane circle’ — a 70-mile commute, but life in rural Wisconsin isn’t restless

December 8, 2014 Bob Sullivan 0

“I’m right in one of those sane circles,” Dawn Dinegan wrote to me from her four-bedroom home an hour north of Madison, Wis. “Lots of decent housing for $100K … good schools and low crime.” Those “sane circles” are on a map I published recently listing 100 U.S. communities with jobs, affordable [Keep reading]

Gotchas / Consumer

The AT&T bill that wouldn’t die; why would the telco giant send 3 collection firms after $70?

December 8, 2014 Bob Sullivan 0

When you have a dispute over a bill with a company, sometimes it’s not enough to respond to a collections notice with evidence that the bill has been paid. Sadly, even if the collections firm appears to drop the matter it can still come up again, and again, and again. [Keep reading]

The Restless Project

The $200 Starbucks ‘silver’ card, which doesn’t even really work, is sold out online. Sigh.

December 5, 2014 Bob Sullivan 2

I write a lot about struggling Americans, and there are a lot of them. Some folks persistently complain that I am merely supporting the whining class. You know the refrain:  Americans have it a lot better than they ever have, that all the lines of people carrying huge TVs out [Keep reading]

Gotchas / Consumer

Sirius XM nabbed for playing the automatic renewal game; file to get your refund, now!

December 4, 2014 Bob Sullivan 1

Last year, I reported on Sirius XM’s gotcha-laden business practices for tricking consumers into paying for their service (thanks for publishing it, Credit.com). In my case, the firm simply refused to allow me to sign up without agreeing to automatic renewal, which I hate. I had experienced surprise renewals from [Keep reading]

Cybercrime / Privacy

Comcast modem upgrade acts like a computer virus email; some complain about surprise fees

December 3, 2014 Bob Sullivan 1

While Comcast is pushing new modem/router gadgets at subscribers around the country, some consumers are complaining that they are being tricked into ordering new modem/routers that come with a monthly fee.  Also, in many cases, customers who simply click on a link in an email to learn more information about [Keep reading]

Cybercrime / Privacy

Pinners panic as Pinterest boards disappear, then reappear scrambled

December 2, 2014 Bob Sullivan 0

Some Pinterest users around the web are complaining that the massive sharing site is malfunctioning, leading to a lot of anxiety among pinners. “Wow! A disaster on ‪#‎Pinterest‬. It’s having a nervous breakdown,” wrote one. “No ones pins are in the right place. All the boards are totally mixed up. A [Keep reading]

Personal

Black Friday has retailers seeing red; Can Cyber Monday save them?

December 1, 2014 Bob Sullivan 0

Has Black Friday jumped the shark?  And it if has, is that a bad thing?  Some $7  billion went missing this weekend, according to early estimates from the National Retail Federation.  (Sales for the four-day weekend dropped from $57.4 billion last year to $50.9 billion this year). Mayday!  The golden [Keep reading]

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About me

BOB SULLIVAN is a veteran journalist and the author of four books, including the 2008 New York Times Best-Seller, Gotcha Capitalism, and the 2010 New York Times Best Seller, Stop Getting Ripped Off! His latest, The Plateau Effect, was published in 2013, and as a paperback, called Getting Unstuck in 2014. He has won the Society of Professional Journalists prestigious Public Service award, a Peabody award, and The Consumer Federation of America Betty Furness award, and been given Consumer Action’s Consumer Excellence Award.

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