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Consumers Union Wants You to Share Your Story

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the tell-it-like-it-is dept.

dcgirl20006 writes "Consumers Union, publisher of Consumer Reports launched a new site to help consumers across the country who are dealing with phone bills, cell phone contracts, cable packages and Internet scams. Consumers experiencing problems are not alone. The site is searchable and consumers can find one that most closely matches the situation in which they are in. We don't have all the answers to every problem consumers may face, but some consumers have shared solutions and suggestions."

6 of 174 comments (clear)

  1. Great Use of the Web by Shadow+Wrought · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Its sites like this that really illustrate just how powerful and useful the Web can be. That and Slashdot of course.

    --
    If brevity is the soul of wit, then how does one explain Twitter?
  2. Re:If it's so new... by rootofevil · · Score: 3, Insightful

    being that the site is slashdotted, i cant RTFS.

    however id surmise that complaints would date to 2004 because things sometimes happen in the past. just a guess though.

    --
    turn up the jukebox and tell me a lie
  3. Re:If it's so new... by 91degrees · · Score: 2, Insightful

    I dunno.

    Would it be so unreasonalbe for the companies to make the fine print a bit bigger? Or to make sure that the terms are so reasonable that there isn't anything that you wouldn't expect in the fine print?

    So the companies involved are technically in the right. They still make a lot of profit from people who aren't fully aware of the terms, that they know are not fully aware of the terms.

    If I treated people like this, then I'd rightfully be considered a complete bastard. Companies are alllowed tyo get away with it though.

  4. Re:If it's so new... by Ruie · · Score: 2, Insightful
    Also, the few I read seemed to me like more of cases where people failed to read the fine print and then got upset when the other party enforced their contract rights.

    While caveat emptor is a time tested principle, it is not perfect for all situations.

    In particular, here are a few issues:

    • Licenses are hard to analyze - they are not formulated in the language friendly to casual reading. Hence, you are unlikely to fully absorb all the implications if the transaction is casual. And you do many casual transactions.
      Example: when was the last time you read the license *before* purchasing a DVD ?
    • The licenses are often written to include as much as possible under assumption that it is the intersection with the law that has actual legal standing. If you are not current with the current practice you cannot understand the license without lawyers help.
    • It is often the case that there are a few sellers and the license terms are non-negotiable.
      Example: try to change the license applied to your cell phone contract.
    • Post your own examples below..
  5. Re:If it's so new... by Ruie · · Score: 2, Insightful
    In general, you cannot change the licenses terms on your cell phone contract. You can, if its that important to you, review and select the provider with the least offensive terms, or, if your risk associated with non-compliance is too great, do without a cell phone.

    There is an important exemption to this - one could try to change the license terms through collective bargaining, PR, or just if many people ask for it. This is where websites can be very helpful.

  6. Eh.... by SeaFox · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Not much to this site. Mostly a great place to bitch and make businesses look bad. One thing I do notice is there is no way to reply to a story, which is awfully convienent because leafing through what's posted I realize lots of the stories are:

    * People who didn't read the fine print on contractual agreements.

    * Customer's who don't understand economics of scale (i.e. one person having troubles with cell phone reception in a given area of town does not justify the cost to put in a new tower for the company).

    * People who are blaming the wrong person
    (i.e. a la carte cable)

    Don't blame Comcast because you can't buy channels one at a time. Comcast can't buy their stations from Viacom, ect like that, that is why they don't offer it to you. If you hate this arrangement, talk to TimeWarner (Entertainmant) or NBC Universal, not Comcast.