Trade Commission

Visa Inc. joined the Federal Trade Commission and the Better Business Bureau in a press conference on Dec. 17, 2009 to alert consumers to online deceptive marketing practices associated with free trials with a negative option feature.

According to a Visa survey, 29 percent of American consumers have fallen victim to deceptive marketing when unscrupulous e-commerce merchants require them to cancel or opt-out of a recurring charge for future products or services.

With free trials with a negative option feature, a company takes a consumers failure to cancel as permission to begin charging. While many merchants use this billing process appropriately, others pre-check consent boxes, bury the details of the offers in the terms and conditions and make cancellations or returns difficult, catching consumers in a cycle of recurring cha

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Ron Paul advocates withdrawing U.S. participation and funding from organizations he believes override American sovereignty, such as the United Nations, the International Criminal Court, the Law of the Sea Treaty, the WTO, NATO, and the Security and Prosperity Partnership of North America. http://congressandlaw.blogspot.com/search/label/international%20trade%20and%20finance

Paul is a proponent of free trade and rejects protectionism, advocating “conducting open trade, travel, communication, and diplomacy with other nations.” He opposes many free trade agreements (FTAs), like the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), stating that “free-trade agreements are really managed trade” and serve special interests and big business, not citizens.

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chrysler bankrupt market goes up record high continuing unemployment claims market goes up record high borrowing by government market goes up swine flu market goes up US exports drop market goes up bernanke has printed so much money gas prices are about to go much higher

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Fair Isaac Corp., the company responsible for FICO credit scores, has decided that when it unveils a new version of its credit score system in September, it will close the loophole that allowed piggybacking.

Angry proponents of piggybacking say they’ll organize a grass-roots campaign to fight against the change.

With piggybacking, a consumer with poor credit is placed as authorized user on the credit card of a person with a stellar credit history. Authorized users benefit from having the payment history of the primary cardholders show up on their credit reports, thereby improving their credit scores.

Lenders have complained that it is fraud and distorts the credit score system.

Internet companies have created an industry by playing middleman — paying a small sum to those with good credit to take on those with bad credit as authorized users, then collecting healthy fees from those consumers.

Now one of those Web-based firms has threatened to organize an effort to expose problems in the credit scoring system.

“Our very existence (proves) that the FICO system is so flawed,” says John Coates, spokesman for Instant Credit Builders based in Largo, Fla.

Fair Isaac says that starting in September it will ignore authorized users as it calculates the renowned FICO credit score.

“Fair Isaac has become aware that Web-based services are using authorized trade lines to defraud lenders,” says Craig Watts, spokesman for Fair Isaac. “While we work with the financial services industry on an industry solution, we wanted to protect lenders and FICO scores.”

The FICO credit score is used by lenders to assess risk in lending money. Lenders factor this number, which can range from 300 to 850, in credit decisions. Watts says 90 percent of the largest U.S. banks base their loan decisions on FICO credit scores.

Watts says the change will prevent people from misleading lenders about their true credit risk.

Coates argues the system can’t be easily changed.

“Maybe our system can definitely show you, OK, there seems like there’s a loophole and there are flaws that increase the score. You know what? There are also a zillion flaws that decrease the people’s scores.”

He says Instant Credit Builders plans to bring to light every flaw in the credit scoring system.

“We are building a community of people that are going to stand up. We will petition against it and we are actually going to formulate plans to work together as a grassroots effort to actually create a financial revolution,” he says.

Those who rent credit histories won’t be the only ones suffering a loss. Often parents will attempt to give their children a jump-start on a good or improved credit history, and they’ll be taking a hit as well.

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Cappnonymous helps to expose ebay once again.
Links found here:

COURT SAYS EBAY IS A CRIMINAL ENTERPRISE. SERIOUSLY.
http://tinyurl.com/lonupe
http://preview.tinyurl.com/lonupe

A Cheat Sheet of eBay’s Pending Announcement
http://tinyurl.com/ngghtx
http://preview.tinyurl.com/ngghtx

Where to Complain by Ming The Merciless:
1. US Department of Justice (DoJ)
Anti Trust Division
950 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20530
E-mail: antitrust.atr@usdoj.gov

How to submit a complaint:

http://www.usdoj.gov/atr/contact/newcase.htm

2. Federal Trade Commission (FTC)
Consumer Response Center
600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20580

Mission: The Federal Trade Commission is the nation’s consumer protection agency. The FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection works For The Consumer to prevent fraud, deception, and unfair business practices in the marketplace.

The Bureau:

–Enhances consumer confidence by enforcing federal laws that protect consumers

–Empowers consumers with free information to help them exercise their rights and spot and avoid fraud and deception

–Wants to hear from consumers who want to get information or file a complaint about fraud or identity theft

To report a company for a pattern and practice of suspected fraud:

1-877-382-4357

CAUTION: The FTC doe NOT resolve individual consumer complaints. Please confine your remarks whether verbal or written to ebay/PayPal policies you believe are illegal.

Online fraud complaint form:

https://www.ftccomplaintassistant.gov/

3. Securities and Exchange Commission
SEC Complaint Center
100 F Street NE
Washington, D.C. 20549-0213

http://www.sec.gov/divisions/enforce.shtml

Above link includes information about insider trading and sending tips and complaints.

1. Insider trading: http://www.sec.gov/divisions/enforce/insider.htm
2. Tips and Complaints: http://www.sec.gov/complaint.shtml

Online complaint forms: http://www.sec.gov/complaint/selectconduct.shtml

Hypthetically, if I were filing an SEC complaint, I’d strongly consider:

–False or misleading statements about a company (including false or misleading SEC reports or financial statements)

5. Rep. Henry Waxman (D-CA)
Chairman
House Energy and Commerce Committee
2204 Rayburn
House Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20515
Telephone (202) 225-3976
Fax (202) 225-4099

LOS ANGELES OFFICE
8436 West Third Street, Ste 600
Los Angeles, CA 90048
Telephone 1 (310) 652-3095
Telephone 2 (818) 878-7400
Telephone 3 (323) 651-1040
Fax (323) 655-0502

http://waxman.house.gov/

6. Attorney Generals Office
California Department of Justice
Attn: Consumer Protection Division
P.O. Box 944255
Sacramento, CA 94244-2550
(916) 322-3360

http://ag.ca.gov/contac/complaint_form.php?cmplt=CL

7. Attorney General’s Office
2115 State Capitol
Lincoln, NE 68509

Consumer Protection Division: 800) 727-6432

Online complaint form:

http://www.ago.ne.gov/consumer/emailform/consumer_complaint.htm

Specific consumer complaints to the Attorney Generals against ebay/PayPal should be directed to the California and Nebraska Attorney general’s Office Division of Consumer complaints. Complaints could include PayPal holds on seller funds, ebay billing issues, PayPal confiscation of seller property, etc. PayPal complaints should be directed to both attorney generals’ office, and ebay complaints should be sent to California.

General comments:

– Emails and phone calls are fine, but SNAIL MAIL has more impact. PLEASE send all complaints with regular USPS mail.

– When filing and mailing WRITTEN complaints, spring for an extra envelope and stamp and send a copy to the San Jose Better Bureau. Little will come of it, BUT ebay MUST file a written response.

– Rep. Waxman has the ability to hold public hearings on the conduct of a business or industry. He has the power to subpoena executives past and present, past and present rank and file employees, and records. Consider the possibilities

8. San Jose Better Business Bureau
1112 S. Bascom Ave.
San Jose, CA 95128
Phone: (408) 278-7400

9. Ebay operates in all 50 states. Therefore sending copies of complaints or filing directly with your state’s attorney general’s office will make a difference if they receive enough complaints. Your can find your attorney general and consumer protection
information by using a search engine using these keywords (Your state) Attorney General Consumer Protection.

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Ron Paul advocates withdrawing U.S. participation and funding from organizations he believes override American sovereignty, such as the United Nations, the International Criminal Court, the Law of the Sea Treaty, the WTO, NATO, and the Security and Prosperity Partnership of North America.

Paul is a proponent of free trade and rejects protectionism, advocating “conducting open trade, travel, communication, and diplomacy with other nations.” He opposes many free trade agreements (FTAs), like the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), stating that “free-trade agreements are really managed trade” and serve special interests and big business, not citizens.

Duration : 0:6:18

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Each year, millions of Americans have their identity stolen. The Federal Trade Commission wants you to have the information you need to protect yourself against identity theft. This video can help educate viewers to save time and money by minimizing the risk of becoming a victim and reducing the emotional stress that often comes with identity theft. For more information, visit www.ftc.gov/idtheft.

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Each year, millions of Americans have their identity stolen. The Federal Trade Commission wants you to have the information you need to protect yourself against identity theft. This video can help educate viewers to save time and money by minimizing the risk of becoming a victim and reducing the emotional stress that often comes with identity theft. For more information, visit www.ftc.gov/idtheft.

Duration : 0:10:26

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