#Consumer Protection

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I'm doing this post because I have appointed MYSELF the new CPA (Consumer Protection Agency)...

As I have said before... I HATE being called a f'ing consumer...

The total sh*t that 'consumers' have to be willing to put up with is ridiculous...

Now days most people need to go to law school just to be able to figure out what is in the f'ing contract they are signing...

Fine print, over the decades, has become a deadly weapon of mass destruction in the hands of all corporations. It's difficult to find a corporation for which this does NOT apply.

As an example I am displaying, for your reading pleasure lol, a fairly standard advertisement complete with all the 'enticement to buy' plus the fine print in print that is... the same size as the rest of the print here! WOOHOO! lol

The control of law is one of the things that helps an oligarchy / kleptocracy operate efficiently... The law is for them, not us lowly consumers...

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The particular advertisement that I received just yesterday is replete with exclamations about how absolutely WONDERFUL the offer is including...

We're enhancing your neighborhood's (blanking) experience!

Your area has new (fill in the blank)!

We are committed to providing you the best (whatever it happens to be)!

FREE! (After mail in rebate)

We will give you something of value BUT you have to agree to pester us for weeks or months to get the mail-in rebate we promised and then, if you do that, we're going to send you a 'Promotional Card' rather than actual money... And oh yeah... by the way, you'll also have to agree to pay us $20.00 a month and we'll also need you to sign up for a 2 year contract which we can then use at will to F you repeatedly against your will (ie; rape) and, as you'll find in our fine print section, there is absolutely nothing you can do about ANYTHING we decide to do to you once you sign your name on the dotted line...

(I think the dab above is likely REQUIRED by the government of the United States... Apparently, in the past, companies could F you in any way they pleased without any warning at all!)

That's the end of the front cover of the ad... Not too horrible yet... But just wait... it gets worse... much worse...

(Backside, as in if you sign this contract we will be in yours)

Our (fill in the blank) is stronger than ever!

FREE! (after mail-in rebate (that you will likely never receive anyway...))

Get a FREE whatever the F it is that they are "giving away")!

Do this and that with our new (piece of crap made from PLASTIC with a dab of electronics) that really delivers!

We have the hottest (not to mention coolest, greatest, must have or you might experience envy) exclusive (pieces of crap made from PLASTIC with a dab of electronics)! <-- yes... another exclamation point... jeeze...

Please note their use of the exclamation marks... They really bug me because they seem to imply that everyone is a total idiot...

And now, also from the back, taking up close to 25% of the printable area there, the fabled FINE PRINT! (For your reading convenience I have made it the SAME SIZE PRINT!)

Other conditions and restrictions apply. (conditions and restrictions? WTF?!) See contract and rate plan brochure for details. (What if I can't find the freaking contract and rate plan brochure? Where TF is it anyway?!)

Subscriber must live and have a mailing address within (whatever TF we say).

(Piece of crap made from PLASTIC with a dab of electronics) price and availability may vary by market and may not be available from (ANYONE BUT US!). Here's the actual 'deal' on the (Piece of crap made from PLASTIC with a dab of electronics) which involves something called a 'Promotional Card'?! The actual price is 49.95... which is likely what you'll end up paying because we aren't shy about charging you for it at all... HOWEVER that price IS before $50.00 mail-in rebate 'Promotional Card'.

Contract REQUIRES purchase of a two-year plan agreement and MINIMUM $20.00/mo. (FOR US) to even QUALIFY for the "discount" (yeah right! WTF ever!) price. Allow 60 days for 'Promotional Card' fulfillment (But... I still don't even know WTF it IS yet?!) Card may be used only in the US, is valid for 120 days after issuance date but is not redeemable for cash and cannot be used for cash withdrawal at ATMs or automated gasoline pumps. (So... WTF IS it for again???) Card request must be postmarked within 45 days of activation and you must be an active customer for 30 consecutive days to receive Card. (And then WTF am I supposed to do with it after I receive it? I'm just a stupid consumer and I'm not following you here...).

Subject to availability. (WHAT?! So I may NOT get it at all?! Even though I don't know WTF it is FOR yet... Only that it's 'promotional'.)

See participating store for details. (Oh! First I have to run down a copy of the F'ing 'contract and rate plan brochure' to get some 'details'. And THEN I have to go to the 'store' for details? Who TF HAS the details at the store?! The idiot minimum wage guy/gal at the register? A manager? Or is there an entire F'ing wall covered with fine print for my reading pleasure at the store?)

Offer is non-transferable and valid only at participating location. (WHAT?! So I may not be able to get the offer at all then?!) Limit one per customer. (Ah darn...) Offer has no cash value. (Meaning it's a worthless piece of sh*t???) Cannot be combined with other promotions or discounts. Photocopies not accepted.

(piece of crap made from PLASTIC with a dab of electronics) return policy/Early Termination Fee: None if cancelled [sic] in the first 30 days, but up to $50 restocking fee may apply to equipment returns; thereafter up to $175. ("thereafter up to $175" WTF?! What did I MISS?! So does this mean someone can arbitrarily decide to charge me up to $175.00 at their own discretion?!) Some agents impose additional fees. (WHAT?! You mean additional fees on top of the $175.00 restocking fee?!)

Sales tax calculated on unactivated price of (piece of crap made from PLASTIC with a dab of electronics). Early termination fee subject to change. (WHAT?! So ALL that crap I just forced myself to read is totally worthless because you can decide to charge MORE at any time for any reason?! Is that what you mean?!)

Offer available while supplies (of pieces of crap made from PLASTIC with a dab of electronics) last. (So you really don't have to do much of anything that you say you might do, do you?)

(This particular portion of the offer) Available only with select rate plans. (So do you mean we can only get it if we pay you more money? Is that what it means?)

Only (this and that) are eligible. (Who TF by this point knows eligible for WHAT?!)

For additional terms see (this URL that is difficult to type, long and complicated, if you don't manually add the www. you won't get there). (AND after you DO get there plan on reading FINE PRINT until the end of eternity! I'm talking about THOUSANDS of words of legalese... With STILL MORE LINKS to MORE FINE PRINT! In case you haven't got enough of it... Give up yet?)

Some of the cool features we are giving you will expire (sorry about that). And some of the stuff doesn't even qualify for it anyway... (sorry about that).

By the way, 'unlimited' isn't REALLY unlimited... it's kinda LIKE unlimited but nothing is really unlimited now is it?

Oh yeah... IF you do anything that we don't like it is (and will likely remain) our option to 1> terminate you (no not really... lol but we can terminate your service...) 2> immediately prevent you from doing whatever it was you were doing that we didn't like 3> or... we can change your whole freaking plan/agreement/contract around at our pleasure to get more money out of you... If we WANT to :P

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Ok... so you can probably figure out what particular industry this advertisement was for... But it FAR from exclusive to them! It's phone companies... it's cable/satellite companies... it's retailers... it's basically every f'ing corporation on the planet... This sh*t is ALL F'ED UP!

WE, Americans, citizens, people of the world can easily put a STOP to this sh*t merely by REFUSING to play the game! STOP signing YOUR NAME on the dotted line as long as the FINE PRINT continues to say that 'they' can F you endlessly, change your contract/agreement ANY TIME THEY LIKE, terminate YOU for any reason, and all the rest...

This is BULLSH*T and it MUST stop!

Thanks ;)

Greg

Note from a friend

I got this note in an email from a good friend today and just wanted to share it and a bit more...

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Morgan Stanley did its job: it managed to sell 1.5 billion of the government’s shares in Citigroup for a total of $6.2 billion, or just over $4.13 a share. That’s a good price, compared both to today’s close of $3.86 a share and to Treasury’s cost basis of $3.25 per share.



Just tell me I am wrong on this: It is strictly forbidden to buy or sell with inside knowledge. But the fed did everything it could do to sell their owned stocks at a better price at the cost of the taxpayer. THIS IS AGAINST THE LAW. (Here it is)
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AND if you want to get even MORE PISSED OFF then go read this FANTASTIC ZeroHedge post!

ZeroHedge: Guest Post: Extend & Pretend: Its Either RICO Act Or Control Fraud

Greg

Sen Claire McCaskill's form letter on the #FED

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As a 'public service' I wanted to post the letter I received from Sen Claire McCaskill concerning the Federal Reserve...

In reference to the 'watered down' bill she had the following to say...
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May 21, 2010

Dear Mr. Phillips,

Thank you for contacting me regarding transparency at the Federal Reserve. I appreciate hearing from you, and I welcome the opportunity to respond.

As you know, the Federal Reserve has been active in U.S. monetary policy and bank regulation since it was established in 1913. Its decisions regarding interest rates have a significant impact on inflation, growth, and other aspects of the economy. As such, the Federal Reserve was designed to be independent from political influence so it could set monetary policy without being subject to political game-playing. However, the actions of the Federal Reserve during the recent financial crisis have caused major concern.

As you know, to buoy the economy, the Federal Reserve used its emergency powers to keep afloat numerous ailing financial institutions. To accomplish this, the Federal Reserve took several actions, such as issuing guarantees on commercial paper and providing more than $2 trillion in credit to banks. I understand that the Federal Reserve had to use its emergency authority to stave off a prolonged recession, but I, like many Americans, am concerned about the lack of transparency the Federal Reserve exhibited during this process.

I believe that Americans have a right to know which institutions received special help from the Federal Reserve and why. At the same time, we have to be sure to protect monetary policy from the whims of politics. That is why, on May 11, 2010, I joined 95 other Senators in voting to pass bipartisan legislation to provide for an independent audit of the Federal Reserve's actions during the financial crisis.

Specifically, the measure I voted for requires the non-partisan Government Accountability Office to complete an audit within the next year of all loans and financial assistance provided by the Federal Reserve since December 1, 2007. The audit will thus bring to light the Federal Reserve's reasoning in determining who to assist, whether there were conflicts of interest, and how effective the Federal Reserve was at mitigating risk to taxpayers. Furthermore, the legislation I supported requires the Federal Reserve to publish on its website the identity of each entity that received financial assistance from the Federal Reserve and the amount and terms of the assistance provided.

With successful passage of this legislation, Americans will finally know how the Federal Reserve allocated trillions in taxpayer funds and who were the recipients. I look forward to working with my colleagues to assure that this measure makes it to the President's desk and is signed into law.

Again, thank you for contacting me. Please do not hesitate to contact me in the future if I can be of further assistance to you on this or any other issue.



Sincerely,

Claire McCaskill
United States Senator

Greg

I Know What Keeps Obama Awake at Night II via @zerohedge

madhedgefundtrader's picture
Submitted by madhedgefundtrader on 05/24/2010 08:06 -0500

* Ben Bernanke
* Crude
* Equity Markets
* Iran
* Japan
* national health care
* Recession
* TARP
* Unemployment
* Unemployment Benefits



While Obama spent the weekend shorting through contradictory primary results, trying to figure out what next to say about the Gulf oil spill, and basking in the afterglow of his Senate win on financial reform, a potential nightmare is giving him sleepless nights.

The $887 billion stimulus wad has now been mostly spent or committed, delivering us with a couple of quarters of decent growth. The effect was no doubt help by the Fed’s ZIRP strategy and massive housing subsidies. The “V” is in. Once the effects of this spendfest wear off, we slip back into a deep recession, setting up the classic “W.” Unemployment stays stick in the high nines, and around 18% when you throw in discouraged job seekers, jobless college graduates, and those with expired unemployment benefits, and the underemployed. This afflicted Franklin D. Roosevelt in the thirties.

Please click here to read the full post on ZeroHedge

Greg

The Curious Ignorance of the American People

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This is the first page of a book I just began reading... 'The Secrets of the Temple - How the federal reserve runs the country' by William Greider

I felt it's relevance to today was stunning even though the book was copyrighted 1987... Of course it followed the 1980 - 1982 recession and Carter years of huge inflation and the Volker regime...

I am in violation of copyright laws I guess even by posting a single page but oh well... Living life on the edge lol
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In the American system, citizens were taught that the transfer of political power accompanied elections, formal events when citizens made orderly choices about who will govern. Very few Americans, therefore, understood that the transfer of power might also occur, more subtly, without elections. Even the President did not seem to grasp this possibility, until too late. He would remain in office, surrounded still by the aura of presidential authority, but he was no longer fully in control of his government.

The American system depended upon deeper transactions than elections. It provided another mechanism of government, beyond the reach of the popular vote, one that managed the continuing conflicts of democratic capitalism, the natural tension between those two words, "democracy" and "capitalism". It was part of the national government, yet deliberately set outside the electoral process, insulated from the control of mere politicians. Indeed, it had the power to resist the random passions of popular will and even to discipline the society at large. This other structure of American governance coexisted with the elected one, shared power with Congress and the President, and collaborated with them. In some circumstances, it opposed them and thwarted them.

Citizens were taught that it's activities were mechanical and nonpolitical, unaffected by the self-interested pressures of competing economic groups, and it's pervasive influence over American life was largely ignored by the continuing political debate. It's decisions and internal disputes and the large consequences that flowed from them remained remote and indistinct, submerged beneath the visible politics of the nation. The details of it's actions were presumed o be too esoteric for ordinary citizens to understand.

The Federal Reserve System was was the crucial anomaly at the very core of representative democracy, an uncomfortable contradiction with the civic mythology of self-government. Yet the American system accepted the inconsistency. The community of elected politicians acquiesced to its power. The private economy responded to its direction. Private capital depended on it for protection. The governors of the Federal Reserve decided the largest questions of the political economy, including who shall proper and who shall fail, yet their role remained opaque and mysterious. The Federal Reserve was shielded from scrutiny partly by its own own official secrecy, but also by the curious ignorance of the American people.

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Is it time to wake up yet? Is that "curious ignorance of the American people" with us still?!

Thanks for your time
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Greg

Sanders 'We are an #Oligarchy and it's getting worse'

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Check out this video to see what's going on in the fantasy world of congressional financial reform...

It touches on some very important issues... The need for a national usury law. It points out the fact that the financial industry has now and has had for a very long time enough money and clout to carry Washington around in it's pocket!

It appears we are just going to be STUCK with To Big to Fail FOREVER! As stated in this video, the 6 largest banks control 63% of GDP!!!

I loved hearing someone, anyone, finally speak about the need for a national usury law and how the banks have all colluded to trap as many Americans as possible in debt slavery with their 20%, 30% and 40% credit card interest rates...

By the time Washington gets done with this 'financial reform' bill it will have NO teeth at all... The financial industry spent 300 million dollars last year lobbying against financial reform.

Sanders himself, in this video, calls on the American people, the middle class, to stand up and tell Washington that we are NOT going to take this anymore!

Does anyone REALLY believe these politicians are going to do anything to harm, or even just anger, the folks who pay for their elaborate cocktail parties?

Washington gets SO MUCH MONEY from these people that what financial reform will end up being is a big wet sloppy kiss for the financial industry.

Don't watch what's IN the bill... Watch what is NOT in the bill!

Our own government is STILL busily playing the PROP UP game! It hasn't worked and it is not going to work! It REALLY IS different this time...
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Greg

Watch Meltup here

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There are warnings out there... many warnings from many sources... Don't tune them all out, instead tune in to what is happening to your country right under your nose. Things need to be fixed. The video included here explains much (though not all) of what is going on. I hope you will spend an hour of your time to watch it...

Greg

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