Financial
Services
American
Express Costco Rewards TrueEarnings Rebate Program - Green Welling
is investigating claims that consumers signed up for a credit card
called The TrueEarnings card from American Express and Costco which
was supposed to provide yearly cash rebates but in many cases never
did. It is alleged by some TrueEarnings card holders, past and present,
that American Express canceled credit card holder's accounts very
close to the date when the cash rebate would have been rewarded.
After the account was canceled, American Express withheld the yearly
cash rebates that were due to the card holders. These rebates were
often hundreds of dollars. These practices may be illegal and in
violation of consumer protection statutes If you are or were a TrueEarnings
American Express card holder and you believe you were wrongfully
denied your cash rebate because your card was canceled just before
you were to receive your cash rebate, please contact us by clicking
here.
Chase
Bank's "Blank Check" Loans - Chase Bank added a $10
service charge to many of its credit card accounts according to
a notice it sent out in November 2008. This appears to be a breach
of the agreement by Chase to honor low APRs of 2.99% or 3.99% on
promotional offers for balance transfers and check loans. Chase
credit card class actions on these monthly fees should be filed.
If this has happened to you, please contact us. For more information,
click here.
Countrywide
Mortgage Soft Prepayment Penalty - We are investigating complaints
from borrowers that Countrywide improperly assessed what is know
as a "soft" prepayment penalty to homeowners who recently
sold their homes. A "soft" prepayment clause allows a
lender to assess a penalty if the mortgage is refinanced, but not
if the property is sold. If you sold your home, Countrywide may
have improperly assessed you a prepayment penalty when none was
owing. Prepayment penalties for home sales like yours can range
from $10,000, $15,000, $25,000 or more. For more information about
"soft" prepayment penalties and what it may look like
in your home sale documents, Click here
>
Webloyalty.com:
Unauthorized Credit Card Charges - Webloyalty.com
agreed to a settlement. Notice is being disseminated. Green Welling
prosecuted actions regarding the business practices of Webloyalty.com
in relation to its Reservation Rewards program. Many consumers were
charged by Webloyalty.com for membership in a program known as Reservation
Rewards that they did not join. Learn
more >
Bank
of America - Green Welling brought an action against Bank of
America on behalf of all Bank of America credit cardholders alleging
that the bank's practices violate the Truth in Lending Act and other
consumer protection statutes. The lawsuit primarily obtained equitable
relief in the form of an injunction stopping the bank's practices.
Learn more >
BankAtlantic - Green Welling filed an
action against BankAtlantic on behalf of BankAtlantic check cardholders
alleging that the bank's practices violate the terms of its personal
account depositor's agreement and disclosure statements. The lawsuit
focuses on transactions with the check card that were processed
and paid at a time when there were sufficient funds available in
check card holders' accounts; however, the bank falsely treated
the accounts as if those items were paid after a hold was placed
on the account creating an overdraft charge (or multiple charges).
If you are or were a BankAtlantic check card holder and would like
to provide Green Welling with more information regarding these practices.
Click here >
Consumer
Protection
HP's
Notebook Computers Green Welling obtained a favorable ruling
on September 26, 2008 from the California Court of Appeal for the
Sixth Appellate District, allowing a class action to move forward
against Hewlett-Packard Company.Learn more
>
DirecTV
& Best Buy -Green Welling filed a class action lawsuit against
DirecTV and Best Buy for failure to adequately disclose that they
consider consumer "purchases" of DirecTV hardware and
equipment to be "leased" and therefore owned at all times
by DirecTV-eventually to be returned to DirecTV. Green Welling is
also investigating DirecTV's practice of charging consumers substantial
"early termination fees" in connection with its "lease
terms," which consumers do not see until after they have purchased
and activated their DirecTV equipment. Additionally, Green Welling
is investigating allegations that some DirecTV subscribers have
been billed a monthly service charge of $5.99 for DirecTV's "Protection
Plan" despite the fact that they never signed up for this service.
Green Welling's investigation of the administration of the "Protection
Plan" also includes allegations that subscribers are assessed
a $10 administrative fee if they cancel the Plan within the 1-year
Plan term, despite never having enrolled in the Plan. If you purchased
DirecTV equipment and have had any of these experiences relating
to the assessment of "early termination fees" or unauthorized
charges related to the "Protection Plan," please contact
us by clicking
here.
RCI
Weeks Program - Green Welling named Co-Lead Counsel for a potential
class of 2.7 million members of the RCI Weeks Program; a time share
exchange service that is alleged to skim the most desirable vacation
weeks out of the exchange pool in order to profit from renting those
weeks to general public. Learn more >
Firm
Supports Consumer Agencies with Settlement Funds - Settlement
means Millions for Consumer Advocacy. Re-printed from Consumer Action
News (Fall 2004). Learn more>
Hawaiian
Airlines: Second Checked Bag Fees - Green Welling LLP is investigating
complaints of Hawaiian Airlines allegedly improper assessment of
second checked bag fees on passengers who purchased tickets before
the airline's new checked baggage policy went into effect. To learn
more about the investigation, click
here >
Securities
Textainer
-Limited Partnership claims settled for $10 million after Green Welling
was successful in Phase 1 of the trial. Learn
more >
SSB
Analyst Cases - Green Welling LLP served as co-lead counsel
on behalf of XO Communications, Inc. shareholders against Salomon
Smith Barney and its former telecommunications research analyst,
Jack Grubman, in connection with their reports touting the investment
merits of XO common stock even as XO slid toward bankruptcy. Learn
more >
Telecommunications
NOS
Communications and Its Complicated Tariff - This nationwide
MDL action on behalf of consumers alleges that NOS deceives customers
through its complicated and misleading tariff. Learn
more >
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Defective Product
Hyundai
Elantra Airbags - Green Welling is investigating defective airbag
systems in Hyundai Elantras, model years 2003 through 2007. The
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) recently
recalled certain 2001-2002 Hyundai Elantras after investigating
consumer complaints that airbags in those vehicles failed to deploy
during a crash, or inadvertently deployed without being triggered,
or that the airbag malfunction indicators were lit up. NHTSA's investigation
revealed that the problems were caused by a design defect negatively
affecting the airbag wiring system. Green Welling believes that
similar design flaws exist in model year 2003-2007 Hyundai Elantras.
If you have a 2003-2007 Hyundai Elantra and you have experienced
any of the above problems, or if you have had to replace or repair
any part of your airbag system and that replacement or repair was
not covered by a warranty, please contact us by clicking
here.
Ford
Explorers -
Notice
to settlement class members began January 14, 2008. If you are a
consumer in California, Connecticut, Illinois or Texas who bought,
owned or leased a 1991 - 2001 model year Ford Explorer, click
here
AUDI
TT Instrument Cluster Settlement – Court granted approval
of a nationwide settlement for Audi TTs (model years 2000 - 2004,
and certain 2005 models) alleged to have defective instrument clusters.
The settlement provides three types of relief to class members,
including a 2 year extension of the existing warranty, free repairs
or replacements of defective instrument clusters, and full reimbursement
of qualified, out pocket expenses incurred for instrument cluster
repairs or replacements. For more detail
Click Here >
HP
Pavilion Notebooks sold in 2001 and 2001 - A class
action lawsuit was filed against Hewlett-Packard Company (HP) alleging
that some HP Pavilion notebooks sold in 2001 and 2002 contain TDK
or Ambit inverters that were defective. The court has approved this
lawsuit as a class action and your rights may be affected if you
own or owned one of the affected computers. <Click
here for more information>
HP
Pavilion Settlement -
Court granted approval of a settlement for certain HP Pavilion notebooks
alleged to have defective power plugs and graphics cards. The settlement
provides repairs, cash reimbursement for out of pocket repair expenses,
and/or discount coupons. For more details,
Click Here>
Hyundai
Tiburon Clutch -
Green Welling filed a nationwide class action in Orange County, California
on behalf of all persons who purchased or leased a 2003 GT Coupe Hyundai
Tiburon with a 2.7 liter engine.
Learn more > | Press
Release >
Baycol Fatalities - This widely-used cholesterol lowering
drug manufactured by Bayer is alleged to cause dangerous side effects,
including fatal rhabdomyolysis, a condition typified by muscle cell
breakdown. Bayer has now withdrawn Baycol from the U.S. market.
Learn more >
Antitrust
Refrigerant
Compressors - Green
Welling LLP is investigating possible antitrust violations in the
multibillion-dollar refrigeration compressor industry as the result
of media reports of coordinated antitrust investigations by the
U.S. Department of Justice, the European Commission, and Brazilian
Authorities. The investigations concern possible antitrust violations
relating to the pricing and sale of refrigerant compressors by manufacturers
including Whirlpool Corp., Embraco North America, Inc., Tecumseh
Products, Panasonic Corp. of North America, Danfoss, Inc., and ACC
USA LLC. Learn more >
Liquid
Crystal Displays - In
February 2007, Green Welling LLP filed a class action lawsuit in
United States District Court on behalf of persons or entities who
purchased Liquid Crystal Displays ("LCD") indirectly from
the world’s leading LCD manufacturers, including: LG Philips, Samsung,
Sharp Electronics, Toshiba, Hitachi, Sanyo Epson, NEC, IDT, AU Optronics,
Chi Mei Optronics, Chunghwa Picture Tubes, and Hannstar Display.
Plaintiffs allege that, in violation of federal and state antitrust
and state consumer protection laws, Defendants colluded among themselves
and certain co-conspirators to fix the price of LCDs sold in the
United States at supracompetitive prices. As a result of this allegedly
unlawful conduct, Plaintiffs allege they paid artificially high
prices for LCDs. Currently pending in the District Court for the
Northern District of California, this lawsuit was coordinated for
pre-trial proceedings with a number of related actions and is captioned
In re TFT-LCD (Flat Panel) Antitrust Litigation, MDL No. 1827.
Price
Fixing by United Airlines, British Airways and Virgin Atlantic
- On August 8, 2006, Green Welling LLP filed an antitrust class
action against United Airlines, Inc.; British Airways, PLC; and
Virgin Atlantic Airways Limited seeking damages on behalf of all
individuals victimized by price fixing on air passenger tickets
for international flights, such as trips between London’s Heathrow
Airport and U.S. airports such as San Francisco International, Los
Angeles International, New York’s LaGuardia International or Chicago’s
O’Hare International. The complaint alleges that starting in 2004,
the airlines conspired to set and artificially raise certain fees
such as surcharges for fuel. Learn more
>
Del
Monte's Allegedly Anti-competitive Conduct - Green Welling filed
a class action suit on behalf of California residents who purchased
"Del Monte Gold" or "Del Monte Extra Sweet"
pineapples at any time from March 1, 1996 to May 6, 2003. The complaint
alleges that purchasers paid supracompetitive prices for whole extra-sweet
pineapples as a result of Fresh Del Monte Produce, Inc.'s anticompetitive
conduct. (Fresh Del Monte Produce, Inc. is not to be confused with
Del Monte Food Company, with which it has no affiliation). Learn
more >
To see a copy of the federal Court's opinion and order remanding
this case to the California Superior Court, click here.
Collusion
Among Auto Manufacturers - Green Welling filed a class action
on behalf of purchasers and lessees of new cars to recover supracompetitive
prices maintained by auto manufacturers' attempts to prevent less
expensive Canadian cars from entering the U.S. market. Learn
more >
SRAM - In December 2006, Green Welling LLP filed a class
action lawsuit in United States District Court on behalf of persons
or entities who purchased static random access memory ("SRAM")
chips directly from the world’s leading SRAM manufacturers, including
Samsung Electronics Co., its subsidiary Samsung Semiconductor, and
Micron Technology, Inc. Plaintiffs allege that, in violation of
federal and state antitrust and state consumer protection laws,
Defendants colluded among themselves and certain co-conspirators
to fix the price of SRAM at supracompetitive levels. Currently pending
in the District Court for the Northern District of California, this
lawsuit was coordinated for pre-trial proceedings with a number
of related actions and is captioned In re Static Random Access
Memory (SRAM) Antitrust Litigation, MDL No. 1819. Green Welling
LLP was appointed by the Court to the Steering Committee for the
Direct Purchaser Plaintiffs. Learn more
>
Are
you a buyer of computer memory - Nearly every computer uses
some form of "DRAM" (Dynamic Random Access Memory.) If
you purchased a computer, or you increased the memory in your computer,
or you work for a company that buys and uses DRAM, you may have
been impacted by price increases in computer memory during the time
period from December 1, 2001 through May 31, 2002. The Justice Department
is investigating price fixing and on August 2, 2002, Green Welling
filed a lawsuit alleging violation of California's antitrust laws.
Learn more >
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