tagged w/ Consumer Rights
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Nowadays many consumer issues are connected with warranty guarantee. Very often it happens that products we buy do not correspond to the conditions of the WG. Willing to return the purchase or, at least, get a refund, we face pure violation of consumer rights. Salesmen find hundreds of ways to make customers guilty even in cases when there is no buyer's fault. If you want to avoid such misunderstandings and be able to protect your rights, this article is exactly what you need.
When you know everything about warranty guaranty, how it works and what rights you have, you easily can get everything you want.
Don't ever be afraid of protecting your rights. Besides, you are a customer, and you pay. And at least this reason is a good ground to demand high quality products and services.
Remember that frauds have become very sophisticated, so do not let yourself swallow their bait.
Read more here: http://goarticles.com/article/Something-you-should-know-about-warranty-guarantee/5217529/Nowadays many consumer issues are connected with warranty guarantee. Very often it... more
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Consumer rights victory as US ends opposition to GM labeling guidelines
*Twenty year struggle within global food safety body ends with 'consumer rights milestone'
*Move clears way for greater monitoring of the effects of GM organisms
Consumers International (CI)i and its member organisations celebrated victory today as regulators from more than 100 countries agreed on long overdue guidance on the labelling of genetically modified (GM) food.
The Codex Alimentarius Commissionii, made up of the world's food safety regulatory agencies, has been labouring for two decades to come up with consensus guidance on this topic.
In a striking reversal of their previous position, on Tuesday, during the annual Codex summit in Geneva, the US delegation dropped its opposition to the GM labelling guidance document, allowing it to move forward and become an official Codex text.
The new Codex agreement means that any country wishing to adopt GM food labelling will no longer face the threat of a legal challenge from the World Trade Organization (WTO). This is because national measures based on Codex guidance or standards cannot be challenged as a barrier to trade.
This will have immediate implications for consumers. Edita Vilcapoma of the Peruvian consumer group ASPEC, representing Consumers International at the Codex meeting in Geneva, said:
"Peru's recent introduction of GM food labelling faced the threat of a legal challenge from the WTO. This new Codex agreement now means that this threat has gone and the consumer right to be informed has been secured. This is major victory for the global consumer movement."
The agreement also recognises the enormous health monitoring benefits of giving consumers transparent information about the presence of GM foods. Consumers International's lead delegate at Codex, and a senior scientist at Consumers Union of the United States, Dr Michael Hansen, stated:
"We are particularly pleased that the new guidance recognises that GM labelling is justified as a tool for post market monitoring. This is one of the key reasons we want all GM foods to be required to be labelled - so that if consumers eat modified foods, they will be able to know and report to regulators if they have an allergic or other adverse reaction."
The labelling milestone is particularly welcomed by CI member organisations in Africa, who have been fighting on behalf of their consumers for the right to be informed about GM food. Samuel Ochieng, President Emeritus of Consumers International and CEO of the Kenyan Consumer Information Network said:
"While the agreement falls short of the consumer movement's long-held demand for endorsement of mandatory GM food labelling, this is still a significant milestone for consumer rights. We congratulate Codex on agreeing on this guidance, which has been sought by consumers and regulators in African countries for nearly twenty years. This guidance is extremely good news for the worlds’ consumers who want to know what is in the foods on their plates".
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Note to Editors
i Consumers International (CI) is the only independent global campaigning voice for consumers. With over 220 member organisations in 115 countries, we are building a powerful international consumer movement to help protect and empower consumers everywhere. For more information, visit www.consumersinternational.org
ii The Codex Alimentarius Commission was created in 1963 by FAO and WHO to develop food standards, guidelines and related texts such as codes of practice under the Joint FAO/WHO Food Standards Programme: http://www.codexalimentarius.net/web/index_en.jsp
http://foodfreedom.files.wordpress.com/2011/04/gmo-tell-us1.jpg?w=274&h=180Consumer rights victory as US ends opposition to GM labeling guidelines
*Twenty... more
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The Kerala Agriculture-Environmental Collective has called for a State-wide Fast on Martyrs Day January 30th 2010, with the message of Remembering the Mahatma, Stopping Bt brinjal and Protecting Food and National Sovereignty.
The Call for the Fast was given today at a Press Conference by the Minister for Agriculture, Sri Mullakara Rathnakaran, Smt Sugathakumari, Poet and Environmentalist and Dr V S Vijayan, Chairman, Kerala State Biodiversity Board. Members of the Collective also attended the meeting. A notice of the fast and a poster was also distributed to the media persons.
The Minister asked "people from all walks of life to join the fast. The main venue will be the Martyrs Square in trivandrum, and there will be venues in other districts as well. But those who cannot make it to the venue should take this call and undertake the fast, wherever they are". He also added that "kerala and many other states, following kerala's position have not decided not to allow Bt Brinjal. This vindicates Kerala's stand.". Welcoming the move by the Agriculture Ministry to join the fast Smt Sugathakumari said "that it is time to re-think on all these technologies that for years have enslaved and poisoned us, now they want to capture all our rights over the food, and keep us poisoned for ever. How can we allow these MNCs to decide the future of our food". Dr V S Vijayan explained in detail how the MNCs are trying to mislead the Governments and the common public by their propaganda. "If Bt Cotton was such a success, then why did farmers in Bt Cotton areas suicide ?" he asked. He also talked about the total genetic diversity loss that can happen when GM crops are introduced.
Sugathakumari, who had earlier talked to Prof M S Swaminathan, before attending the press conference, shared what the Father of Green revolution wanted her to share with the media. He had said that Bt Brinjal should not be introduced for three reasons - that an independent government owned testing facility has not done the tests, and it was based on only privately generated data ( he reminded Sugathakumari of his own recommendations in 2004 of setting up an internationally qualified lab for this purpose), secondly he said that consumption of thoroughly untested Bt Brinjal is like the case of tobacco - a chronic dosage issue, and thirdly, he said this should not be introduced in any agro-biodiversity hotspots, as it will destroy the indigenous varieties. He also shared that he has spoken about this to the Minister of Environment and Forests , Sri Jairam Ramesh on this matter.
Sri Mullakara Rathnakaran finally asked the support of the media to reach out the message to all, so as to ensure wide participation and success. Members of the Collective, S Usha and Sridhar R were also present in the press conference.The Kerala Agriculture-Environmental Collective has called for a State-wide Fast on... more
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Christmas shopping, it has been travel that has raised the stress levels during the festive period.
From the threat of strike action by BA cabin crew to the breakdowns on Eurostar, many passengers have been trying to rearrange travel plans to see family and friends this Christmas.
Driving conditions have been hazardous with freezing temperatures causing problems for motorists.
So, if your travel plans have been disrupted what rights do you have to compensation or refunds?Christmas shopping, it has been travel that has raised the stress levels during the... more
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Jackie Ramos, a former "customer advocate" from the collections department at Bank of America (BAC), posted a video on YouTube in which she offered an inside glimpse into what happens on the other end of the phone. While Ramos notes that her former employer encouraged her to "do the right thing for the customer," she says she soon came to realize that her job was actually to squeeze as much money as possible from the company's cardholders.
In her video, Ramos describes the strategies that Bank of America used to maximize its profitability. From charging a $15 "convenience fee" for payments over the phone to tacking on $39 late fees and $39 overlimit fees, Ramos says her bosses encouraged her to nickel-and-dime customers, drawing out every penny possible.
Source: http://www.dailyfinance.com/2009/12/07/former-bank-of-america-employee-offers-inside-look-at-banks-col/print/Jackie Ramos, a former "customer advocate" from the collections department... more
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KSirys
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Last week the Amsterdam Court issued a default judgment in favor of BREIN versus The Pirate Bay, ordering the site to be blocked in The Netherlands because the defendants didn’t show up. In a response to this verdict, The Dutch Consumers Union says it is disappointed that the judge ruled in favor of the anti-piracy outfit without looking into the content of their demands.Last week the Amsterdam Court issued a default judgment in favor of BREIN versus The... more
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Here's some sweet news for honey lovers:
Researchers in France are reporting development of a simple test for distinguishing 100 percent natural honeys from adulterated or impure versions that they say are increasingly being foisted off on consumers.
Bernard Herbreteau and colleagues point out that the high price of honey and its limited supply has led some beekeepers and food processors to fraudulently make and sell impure honey doped with inexpensive sweeteners, such as corn syrup. These knock-offs are almost physically and chemically indistinguishable from the real thing.
this isn't just going on in france, this is a worldwide issue... protect your honey rights. BEWARE!Here's some sweet news for honey lovers:
Researchers in France are reporting... more
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The government must begin a "major and urgent" effort to assess the safety of nanomaterials, the tiny particles commonly used in products as varied as sun creams, sports clothing and medicine, leading experts warn today.
Hundreds of consumer products made with nanoparticles, which can be 100 times smaller than a virus, are already on the market, despite an almost complete lack of knowledge of the dangers they may pose to human health and the environment, according to a report by the royal commission on environmental pollution.
Nanoparticles have been embraced as a wonder ingredient across manufacturing industry. Cosmetic companies add titanium dioxide nanoparticles to sun creams to make them transparent instead of white. Sports clothing firms have introduced odour-free garments containing nanosilver particles that are twice as toxic to bacteria as bleach. The motor industry has added carbon nanofibres to car tires and body panels to strengthen them. Many nanomaterials are so poorly understood that scientists are unable to predict how they will behave, and are unclear even how to check their safety, the report says.
Sir John Lawton, who chairs the commission, said the lack of tests and environmental monitoring for nanoparticles meant it was impossible to know if the materials were already a cause for concern. "Would we know if nanomaterials were causing harm? The answer is, no we wouldn't. We have no evidence that they cause harm, but a lot of that is because of a lack of evidence," he said.
Our consumer rights should not just be sacrificed because of the profitability of nanoparticle applications. These particles can pose significant health and safety risks to the general populous that are not apparent immediately.The government must begin a "major and urgent" effort to assess the safety... more
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A Supreme Court ruling may reinterpret a statute that now allows consumers to sue drug makers over serious side effects.[more]A Supreme Court ruling may reinterpret a statute that now allows consumers to sue drug... more
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Yahoo is now making a promise to compensate customers who bought music from Yahoo Music that can no longer be easily played as a result of the company shutting down its online music store.Yahoo is now making a promise to compensate customers who bought music from Yahoo... more
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According to a group of concerned citizens, food coloring may cause hyperactivity in some children. "Controlled studies conducted over three decades have shown that children's behavior can be worsened by some artificial dyes, says the Center for Science in the Public Interest."
Not surprisingly, the FDA disagrees with the consumers sighting different research that comes to another conclusion.
Unfortunately consumer trust in the FDA is diminished because of obvious revolving door issues that usually lead to conflicts of interest that benefit the corporations over the consumer.
The colorings the center seeks to ban are: Yellow 5, Red 40, Blue 1, Blue 2, Green 3, Orange B, Red 3, and Yellow 6.According to a group of concerned citizens, food coloring may cause hyperactivity in... more
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What is Amazon.com hiding?
Promoting their own propaganda that the Kindle e-book reader is a success to fool the public into thinking that this device is revolutionary and will replace a paper-back book? No Way!
Decent research, timeline, and information provided in this article that show that this just doesn't make sense.
Amazon - STOP FOOLING THE PUBLIC!What is Amazon.com hiding?
Promoting their own propaganda that the Kindle e-book... more
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Not a fan of the trendy frozen yogurt at all, but always fascinated by 'hidden' ingredients, wow what an article about your 'natural' trend. Not surpised at all if what most the stuff we consumed everyday has some invisible small print. interesting.
Here are some excerpts from the NYtimes frozen information.
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"After a class-action lawsuit was filed last year accusing the company of deceptive marketing, Pinkberry posted ingredients on its Web site. But that got little notice until the case was settled two weeks ago. (The company said the lawsuit had nothing to do with the posting.)"
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"The ingredients list for Original Pinkberry has 23 items. Skim milk and nonfat yogurt are listed first, then three kinds of sugar: sucrose, fructose and dextrose. Fructose and maltodextrin, another ingredient, are both laboratory-produced ingredients extracted from corn syrup"
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The list includes at least five additives defined by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization as emulsifiers (propylene glycol esters, lactoglycerides, sodium acid pyrophosphate, mono- and diglycerides); four acidifiers (magnesium oxide, calcium fumarate, citric acid, sodium citrate); tocopherol, a natural preservative; and two ingredients — starch and maltodextrin — that were characterized as fillers by Dr. Gary A. Reineccius, a professor in the department of food science and nutrition at the University of Minnesota and an expert in food additives.
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Pinkberry announced its certification two weeks ago, just as a preliminary settlement was reached in the class action suit. While saying it had done nothing wrong, Pinkberry agreed to donate $750,000 to hunger and children’s charities, and to pay the plaintiff’s legal costs.
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“Personally, I would have preferred that the money go toward consumer advocacy against misleading food marketers,” said Ray Gallo, a lawyer for the plaintiff. Not a fan of the trendy frozen yogurt at all, but always fascinated by... more
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A similar thing happened to me about a month ago. My husband and I have three accounts with our bank, two personal and one business. I've have a relationship with our bank for over ten years, and during that time none of the accounts I've managed had ever gone into the red. With a longtime track record of being a model customer, I was therefore very upset when the bank chose to penalize me when a snafu occurred.
One of our checks was accidentally deposited into the wrong account, which caused it to go overdrawn when checks we had written cleared. Even though we had more than enough money to cover the checks over the three accounts we had with the bank, the bank decided to return three checks, which, if they had cleared would have created an overdraft of less than $250. The bank then charged us $36 per check for the privilege of refusing to honor them. In addition, we faced check return and late payment fees from our car insurance, phone and credit card companies because of the bank's actions.
I was particularly upset that the bank hadn't bothered to call me (which they did regularly to confirm other transactions), or taken my highly responsible banking record into account before they decided to bounce the checks. Had they called, the situation could have been resolved instantly with a transfer between accounts. Instead, it seems to me, the bank saw an opportunity to make a quick buck ($108 actually) and took it, charging me fees, and putting my good credit, and car insurance policy, at risk in the process.
My initial complaints fell on officious and intransigent ears. The bank refused to refund the charges, insisting that they "couldn't" rather then "wouldn't" do it. Luckily for me, they'd erroneously mailed someone else's overdraft notice in the same envelope as mine, so with this as leverage, I agreed to do the right thing and hand over "John Doe's" letter on condition that the bank did the right thing and rescinded my fees.
But the episode left a very bitter taste in my mouth, and got me thinking about those less fortunate than myself, for whom the system is particularly unfair. Just one of the three fees the bank had taken from my account, without my permission, was the equivalent to the best part of a day's pay for someone on minimum wage. Put the three together and it's well over half a week's salary for the hard working poor. How can that be fair?
With such sharp practices these banks are no better than loan sharks. And with the economy in crisis, such money generating policies are likely to increase as the banks desperately try to claw back the funds they've been forced to write off due to the mortgage fiasco we're in the midst of right now. Once again the consumer is paying (dearly) for the mistakes fat cat, big business has made.
So what can we do? Certainly it's all our responsibilities to refuse to take such treatment lying down. The banks are only able to charge such outrageous fees because on some level we allow them to get away with it. Next time you get an unfair charge, call the bank on it. You may be able to afford to eat it, but the person standing in line behind you might not, and, as a society, we stand or fall together. If one employee refuses to help, refuse to be brushed off. Ask to see their superior, and if they can't help, ask to see theirs. Threaten to close your account down and take your business elsewhere, and DO IT if they fail to offer an acceptable resolution.
If all else fails, take a leaf out of Hatch's playbook, and take your bank to small claims court. As Ralph Nader says, "If a million consumers filed a million small claims court actions a year against the banks, the banks would either try to abolish the small claims court or try to improve their performance." Perhaps it's our responsibility to put that theory to the test. Once we've knocked the banks into shape, my next raison d'être will be local councils and the parking fines they charge. Try paying those on a minimum wage!A similar thing happened to me about a month ago. My husband and I have three accounts... more
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Earlier this week, EFF filed an amicus brief with the U.S. Supreme Court in Quanta v. LG Electronics, a case that asks whether patent owners can impose restrictions on what you can do with a product after you buy it. The brief, filed on behalf of EFF, Consumers Union, and Public Knowledge, makes a simple point: when a consumer buys a patented product from an authorized seller, the patent owner is not entitled to use patent law to restrict the purchaser's subsequent ability to use, repair, or resell the product.
In other words, you bought it, you own it. Earlier this week, EFF filed an amicus brief with the U.S. Supreme Court in Quanta v.... more
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