Latest news with #consumerRights
CNET
10 hours ago
- Business
- CNET
Did You Know About the GameStop-Facebook Settlement? Here's How to File a Claim
There's still time to claim part of GameStop privacy settlement. Did you buy something from video game retailer GameStop in the past five years? And did you have a Facebook account when you did so? I know that sounds like me and if it sounds like you, too, there's a settlement you need to know about. Early this month, GameStop agreed to pay $4.5 million to settle a class action lawsuit accusing it of violating privacy laws by tracking and sharing customer info with Facebook. While the company has denied any wrongdoing in the matter, it is nonetheless now accepting claims, with estimates suggesting that hundreds of thousands of consumers could be eligible. While GameStop -- best known for its brick-and-mortar shop locations -- has seen its fortunes decline in recent years as commerce has migrated online, it still does considerable business: about $3.8 billion in 2024. Facebook, meanwhile, doesn't say much about how much consumer data it acquires from places like GameStop but those kinds of transactions have long been key to its business, helping to create targeted advertising on the platform. That sort of practice now appears to have run afoul of certain privacy laws, prompting the lawsuit that GameStop is working to settle. Keep reading to find out everything you need to know about the settlement and, for more, find out if you qualify for 23andMe's big privacy settlement or the Fortnite in-game purchases settlement. Why did GameStop get sued? The lawsuit at the heart of this situation, Aldana v. GameStop, alleged that the company used a tracking pixel on its website to collect information on specific consumer purchases, which it then sold to Facebook. This, the suit argued, violated the Video Privacy Protection Act, a 1988 law designed to prevent the "wrongful disclosure" of rental or sales records for certain audiovisual media, including video games. What prompted the creation of a law like that back then? The public disclosure of -- here's a throwback -- Supreme Court nominee Robert Bork's video store rental records. While there was nothing scandalous, or even terribly interesting in those records, the release of the information highlighted Bork's claims that Americans only had privacy rights directly granted to them by legislation and Congress certainly seemed to take the point, passing the VPPA little more than a year later. In addition to the consumer payouts, this settlement also requires GameStop to stop using tracking pixels on its online storefront. Who is eligible for the GameStop-Facebook settlement? To qualify for this settlement, you need to have bought something from GameStop's website any time between Aug. 18, 2020, and April 7, 2025. At the time of that purchase, you must also have had an active Facebook account using your real name that was public. Proof of purchase is not required. When is the deadline for filing a claim? You have until Aug. 15 -- about a month and a half -- to file a claim and opt in to this settlement. To do that, complete the official form on the settlement website. How much can I get from the GameStop-Facebook settlement? Unlike other notable settlements that can sometimes pay out thousands of dollars, the offers from this settlement are much more modest. When filing a claim, you have the option of receiving a cash payment of $5 or a voucher to GameStop worth $10. You can only get one payment per claim, even if you purchased multiple items from the GameStop website during the settlement period. When will I get paid from the GameStop-Facebook settlement? When those payments will go out isn't clear but it will be sometime after the final settlement hearing in the case on Sept. 18. Stayed tuned to this page for updates as information like this becomes available in the near future. For more, here's everything to know about Apple's Siri privacy settlement.
CBS News
10 hours ago
- Business
- CBS News
Metro Detroit Kroger stores overcharging customers, investigation finds
A recent investigation by Consumer Reports, The Guardian and the Food & Environment Reporting Network found that some Kroger locations are overcharging their customers for sale items. As part of the investigation, shoppers were recruited to visit 26 Kroger locations in 14 states and Washington, D.C. At half of the locations, they were overcharged for more than 150 items that had expired sale labels. Two of those locations are in Farmington Hills at West 12 Mile Road and Middlebelt Road. "It's really disappointing as a consumer," said customer Janice Ford. "You really expect the prices to be right, especially in this time." Ford said she has experienced this problem many times at Kroger, but not the ones listed in the report. She shops at the Canton Center Road location in Canton. "I've taken it to court a few times and won ... every time I've actually done it," she said. "I think it's a way to educate not only the store, but educate other consumers. We expect the prices to be right and we're counting on them to be right, so the store needs to honor that." In her purse, she carries a copy of the Michigan Scanner Law. It states that once a transaction is complete and the customer has a receipt showing what they paid for an item, they are entitled to report it to the seller within a 30-day period to receive the difference between the displayed price and what they were charged. According to the law, they are also entitled to receive a bonus payment ranging from $1 to $5. "I'll walk back, take a look at the item on the shelf, take a picture, so I have that along with the scanner law to really kind of fight my own battles to say the price was supposed to be this and that's what I'm expecting to pay," said Ford. Tammie Menci says she has encountered the same issue on several occasions. "A lot of times, I grab items that appear to be on sale," said Menci. "When I get to check out, I notice, if I'm paying attention to this certain item, that the item really wasn't on sale." She said that although customer service has paid her back the difference, the burden to double-check prices should not fall on consumers. "When I find out that I've been overcharged for an item that should have been on sale, it's upsetting as a customer because I feel that the store should be doing everything that they can to make sure that the customer sees the exact price of the item that they're getting," said Menci. A Kroger spokesperson provided the following statement to CBS News Detroit: Kroger is committed to affordable and accurate pricing, and we conduct robust price check processes that reviews millions of items weekly to ensure our shelf prices are accurate. The complaint noted by Consumer Reports included a few dozen examples across several years out of billions of customer transactions annually. While any error is unacceptable, the characterization of widespread pricing concerns is patently false. Kroger's "Make It Right" policy ensures associates can create a customer experience and addresses any situation when we unintentionally fall short of a customer's expectations. Connecting regular technology upgrades and our "Make It Right" policy to price accuracy is incorrect. It is also inaccurate to say the company reduced standards or labor hours. We have not done so, and in fact, the standards we set in 2017 remain the same today. We intentionally staff our stores to keep them running smoothly while creating an enjoyable place to shop. Our staffing decisions are data-driven to balance workload and schedules. For nearly two decades, Kroger's business model has been rooted in bringing down prices to attract more customers to our stores – and this is not changing. We respect our associates and our customers, and we conduct our business accordingly.
Daily Mail
a day ago
- Health
- Daily Mail
Woolworths discovery leaves Melbourne woman disgusted
A Melbourne woman was halfway through cooking her dinner when she realised the pasta she had bought from Woolworths was covered in mould. Eleanor Quirk went to the supermarket giant on Thursday evening to buy ingredients. '(I) bought two packets of Casa Della Pasta's 'Allegra's Fresh Fettuccine' from Woolworths South Melbourne,' she told Daily Mail Australia. 'After cooking, and partially eating, (I) realised it's riddled with mould! 'How can they sell this?' In photographs shared with this publication, there is white and grey discolouration on some of the strands of pasta. Other strands have dark, large black spots that also indicate mould. The use-by date printed on the packaging of the pasta said July 4, in a week's time. Ms Quirk said she had called the Woolworths store but she was told there would be no recourse except for a refund if she could produce a receipt. Daily Mail Australia has contacted Woolworths and 7chefs, the company that produces products under the name Casa Della Pasta.
Associated Press
5 days ago
- Business
- Associated Press
Bloomberg's War on Harm Reduction Faces Consumer Backlash at Tobacco Conference
DUBLIN, IRELAND / ACCESS Newswire / June 23, 2025 / On the eve of the World Conference on Tobacco Control (WCTC), a lightshow illuminated the conference centre in Dublin, sending a clear message: millions of consumers are being left out of the conversation on global tobacco and nicotine policy. The event, organised by the World Vapers' Alliance, launched the " Voices Unheard - Consumers Matter! " campaign to highlight the ongoing marginalisation of those most affected by tobacco control decisions. With COP11 in Geneva on the horizon, the campaign underscores the urgent need for consumer representation in policymaking. While hundreds of experts and officials discuss regulations behind closed doors, the light show symbolises the voices of countless adults who have successfully quit smoking with safer alternatives, yet remain unheard in critical policy debates. Michael Landl, Director of the World Vapers' Alliance, criticised the influence of powerful figures such as Michael Bloomberg, whose support for prohibitionist policies often sidelines consumer perspectives. 'Policymakers must listen to those whose lives are directly impacted by these decisions,' Landl said. 'Evidence, not ideology or the influence of wealthy donors, should guide regulations.' The campaign also addresses recent calls from the World Health Organization for bans on flavoured nicotine products, which advocates argue would deny adults access to life-saving alternatives. Alberto Gómez Hernández, Policy and Advocacy Manager for the WVA, emphasised, 'Banning flavours is not about protection-it's about denying adults the tools they need to quit smoking.' The World Vapers' Alliance continues to call for evidence-based harm reduction policies and genuine consumer inclusion as the world prepares for COP11. For media enquiries, please contact: Michael Landl [email protected] +436648412958 High-quality pictures can be found here. More information about flavour bans: More about the WVA's demands: SOURCE: World Vapers' Alliance press release
Associated Press
5 days ago
- Business
- Associated Press
McLaren Health Care Data Breach Alert Issued By Wolf Haldenstein
PLEASE CLICK HERE TO SUBMIT YOUR CONTACT INFORMATION NEW YORK and CHICAGO, June 22, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Wolf Haldenstein Adler Freeman & Herz LLP ('Wolf Haldenstein'), a preeminent national consumer rights law firm, is investigating claims on behalf of people who have been impacted by the McLaren Health Care ('McClaren') data breach. McLaren, headquartered in Grand Blanc, Michigan, announced that the personal information of patients and former patients may have been stolen as part of a data breach which occurred in July 2024. Incredibly, this is McLaren's second major data breach in three years. McLaren is notifying affected people that their personal information, including at least names, Social Security numbers, driver's license numbers, medical information, and health insurance information may have been stolen. If you have received a recent notice of the data breach and have experienced recent concerning activity, it is possible that your personal information was compromised and is being offered for sale on the dark web. PLEASE CLICK HERE TO SUBMIT YOUR CONTACT INFORMATION If you wish to discuss this data breach incident, or if you have any questions regarding your rights and interests in this matter, please immediately contact Wolf Haldenstein by telephone at (800) 575-0735, via e-mail at [email protected], or visit our website. Wolf Haldenstein Adler Freeman & Herz LLP has experience in the prosecution of consumer rights litigation in state and federal trial and appellate courts across the country. The firm has attorneys in various practice areas and offices in New York, Chicago, Nashville, and San Diego. Courts have repeatedly recognized the reputation and expertise of this firm and have appointed it to major positions in complex consolidated litigation. Contact: Wolf Haldenstein Adler Freeman & Herz LLP Gregory Stone, Director of Case and Financial Analysis Carl Malmstrom, Esq., Of Counsel Email: [email protected] or [email protected] Tel: (800) 575-0735 or (212) 545-4774 This press release may be considered Attorney Advertising in some jurisdictions under the applicable law and ethical rules.
