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Did you know that you could get DSL service WITHOUT having to have a phone land line with the same company? Probably not since the phone company won't tell you. Check out this article for tips on how to teach the "Customer Service Reps" what and how to do it.

Banks aren't supposed to steal from customers

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California, a historically consumer-friendly state, has recently won a settlement against Citibank for over 14 million dollars in theft from its customers. They apparently used a computer program to "sweep" up positive balances due to double paid bills or merchandise returns from customers' accounts into the Citibank's general fund.

It's totally safe... come closer.

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These infomercials are pretending to be news so you'll give them far more credibility that you would if you knew it was an infomercial.

Dirty bank, dirty deals

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Now here's a state with a Attorney General worth his salt! Richard Blumenthal is suing Countrywide and Bank of America for deceptive lending and is looking for some serious monetary damages to be paid out to the victims. This single move could save thousands of people from forclosures and distress. That's some serious protecting of the innocent. Way to go!

Judge protects people from dirty traps

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Just to prove once again that California is one of the most progressive states for protecting consumers, a judge there has ruled against Sprint in a class-action lawsuit involving Early Termination Fees.

The lawsuit claimed that the fees did not offset the cost of phones and were instead used only to lock people into a contract. The judge agreed.

Go California!

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At least one person was able to challenge a foreclosure because the bank that tried to foreclose didn't actually have the legal right to do so.

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I've seen businesses do 4 and 5 so I guess next time, I'll call them on it.

1. Unsigned Cards Are Not Valid And Merchants Can And Will Refuse Them
2. The Maximum Liability For Unauthorized Use Of A Credit Card (not debit even if it's got a credit card logo) Is $50 According To Federal Law
3. Merchants Cannot Require You To Present ID, Unless Your Card Is Unsigned
4. Merchants Cannot Require A Minimum Transaction Amount
5. Merchants Cannot Charge A Surcharge For Using A Credit Card, However, They Can Offer A "Cash Discount"
6. Many Credit Cards Have Programs That Will Automatically Double The Manufacturer's Warranty And Other Excellent Benefits
7. Merchants Are Not Allowed To Make You Give Up Your Right To A Chargeback
8. Merchants Are Not Allowed To Place A Hold For The Estimated Tip
9. If Merchants Suspect You Of Fraud They Are Supposed To Call With A "Code 10"
10. If Merchants Break These Rules, You Can Report Them To The Credit Card Company

Read the details for each of these at The Consumerist.

Tags: Credit Cards

RIAA

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Some people have been sent letters to pay up or go to court that have ignored them with no consequences. I'm not actually suggesting that you simply ignore any letter you see, but perhaps be cautious about who is actually sending it, what they're suggesting, and whether or not they can prove it.

Most importantly, if the letter sounds like a scam (threatening things they can't do like taking your house and only giving you a week or two to respond), there's a good chance it is.

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While some always did this, more and more gas stations are beginning to put "holds" on your debit or credit card which could cause you to incur massive fees or bounced checks.

The point is to pre-charge you for all the gas you could possibly have so the station doesn't get ripped off, but can cause you a world of hurt. Make sure you use credit cards (rather than debit) or cash at the station or pay the clerk inside (where holds don't apply).

ID Theft is too easy to do

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Using only a photocopy of a driver's license and a social security number, James Harman bought over 3 million dollars worth of goods in his brother's name.

The most important point to this story? It wouldn't have happened in the first place if he'd had a credit freeze, but it still would have even if he'd had any kind of monitoring or insurance plan (even Lifelock).