They aren't supposed to decide they don't like the law and choose to return a 'not guilty' verdict simply because they don't support the law that the defendant is being charged with.
Sure they are. The jury is the means by which the people can overrule the legislature in a particular case.
I've seen at least one retailer/service that charges you a $100 fee if you initiate a chargeback (challenge/cancel the charge) with your credit card company.
Report them to the credit card company. That's a violation of their merchant account agreement.
BTW, I know a woman in Boston who used to work in compliance for a credit card company. Her car was towed (for service, not an impound), and when she went to pick it up, she tried to pay for the towing on her Visa card. They told her that they'd only take cash. She pointed out that they were displaying the Visa logo in their office, and quoted chapter and verse from the standard contract, which requires them to take Visa for payment if they have a merchant account. They still refused, so she paid them in cash, then drove to her office, then called their bank and got their VISA merchant account cancelled.
It's not just camera dealers. This kind of crap has been going on with many mail-order vendors for many years, and they've gotten away with it before largely because of the shortage of law enforcement manpower to follow up on the complaints, especially when they were shedding names on a regular basis.
What's new about this situation, is that the internet has made it possible to bring another, very powerful enforcement mechanism to bear, and that is easily-available customer feedback. Not every mark is going to have seen the slashdot story, and not every online-reseller scumbag is going to get this kind of exposure, but it's so easy to just type the name of the business and the word "crook" into google and see what comes up.
This actually works to the benefit of honest dealers of any size. I bought a TV a couple of months ago from a company back east that I'd never heard of, and I was willing to do so because I googled them and they came up clean.
I code best of all when I'm seeing my company's stock rising every week.
BTW, my experience in dealing with open source developers is that they're generally somewhat better-than-average coders, and very poorly led. Particularly when they're self-employed.
Slashdot Mirror
If his neighbors are going to get up in arms about negligible radiation hazards, who don't they also ban cosmic rays while they're at it?
-jcr
I'll get you, my pretty! And your little dog, too!
-jcr
Where is the energy for these tornadoes coming from?
From the heat gradient between the atmosphere at different altitudes, and the buoyancy of hot air.
-jcr
Often one or two overballed tourists get too close and die. Anything like that this time?
No, but there was this dude named "Vader" who wasn't looking well at all...
-jcr
Or burn down, fall over, and sink! ;-)
-jcr
Anyone know if pink sheets are actually shortable?
Any security can be sold short, if you can find someone to lend you the shares.
-jcr
If I was designing an AI, I would make sure it understood it's purpose in life was to get me laid...
Ergo, no free will.
-jcr
If I invent true AI you can expect to read about it instantly...
Why would true AI cooperate with you?
-jcr
[bunnies for Allah]
Isn't that the website with those totally hot girls in Burkas?
-jcr
So, they're the Scientology of spyware, then?
Sort of, but they haven't actually killed anybody yet.
-jcr
Frankly, I'm astounded that there's anyone at the Evil Empire with the ethical sense to object.
-jcr
They aren't supposed to decide they don't like the law and choose to return a 'not guilty' verdict simply because they don't support the law that the defendant is being charged with.
Sure they are. The jury is the means by which the people can overrule the legislature in a particular case.
-jcr
No, the jury is supposed to decide what the FACTS are.
A jury can always acquit, no matter what the facts are.
-jcr
No, that wouldn't make you a bad juror at all. The reason why we have juries is so that it's the people, not the government, who make these decisions.
-jcr
Jury nullification isn't a legal principle
Of course it is. It's why we have juries at all, instead of just letting judges decide cases.
-jcr
Thanks, that's good to know.
-jcr
No, you won't.
Oh, yes you will. Money talks, and thousands of units is thousands of units.
Stop bullshitting.
I have some experience as an OEM. Do you?
-jcr
Well, they have to prioritize, and they don't have unlimited resources.
-jcr
As mentioned above, a quick call to your bank or Visa will cause almost immeadiate suspension or termination of the merchants account.
The woman I mentioned worked for VISA. Enforcing the merchant account agreements was her job.
It would probably take more than one call from a member of the public to get the same result.
-jcr
If a dealer had access to the information to create drivers I would. Sadly I highly doubt this is the case.
If you can make the volume commitments for thousands of units, you'll get whatever docs you need.
-jcr
I've seen at least one retailer/service that charges you a $100 fee if you initiate a chargeback (challenge/cancel the charge) with your credit card company.
Report them to the credit card company. That's a violation of their merchant account agreement.
BTW, I know a woman in Boston who used to work in compliance for a credit card company. Her car was towed (for service, not an impound), and when she went to pick it up, she tried to pay for the towing on her Visa card. They told her that they'd only take cash. She pointed out that they were displaying the Visa logo in their office, and quoted chapter and verse from the standard contract, which requires them to take Visa for payment if they have a merchant account. They still refused, so she paid them in cash, then drove to her office, then called their bank and got their VISA merchant account cancelled.
-jcr
42nd Street Photo is a dealer with a good reputation, who's been around a long time. Sounds like somebody's trying to piggyback on their name.
-jcr
It's not just camera dealers. This kind of crap has been going on with many mail-order vendors for many years, and they've gotten away with it before largely because of the shortage of law enforcement manpower to follow up on the complaints, especially when they were shedding names on a regular basis.
What's new about this situation, is that the internet has made it possible to bring another, very powerful enforcement mechanism to bear, and that is easily-available customer feedback. Not every mark is going to have seen the slashdot story, and not every online-reseller scumbag is going to get this kind of exposure, but it's so easy to just type the name of the business and the word "crook" into google and see what comes up.
This actually works to the benefit of honest dealers of any size. I bought a TV a couple of months ago from a company back east that I'd never heard of, and I was willing to do so because I googled them and they came up clean.
-jcr
Compared to the almost zero cost of the company doing this selling a few thousand extra units should easily cover the cost.
If you really think it would move thousands of units, then become a dealer, and sell the product in question with your linux driver.
-jcr
I code best of all when I'm seeing my company's stock rising every week.
BTW, my experience in dealing with open source developers is that they're generally somewhat better-than-average coders, and very poorly led. Particularly when they're self-employed.
-jcr