Submitted via IRC for SoyCow1984
Office Depot and a partner company tricked customers into buying unneeded tech support services by offering PC scans that gave fake results, according to the Federal Trade Commission. Consumers paid up to $300 each for unnecessary services.
The FTC yesterday announced that Office Depot and its software supplier, Support.com, have agreed to pay a total of $35 million in settlements with the agency. Office Depot agreed to pay $25 million while Support.com will pay the other $10 million. The FTC said it intends to use the money to provide refunds to wronged consumers.
Between 2009 and 2016, Office Depot and OfficeMax offered computer scans inside their stores using a "PC Health Check" software application created and licensed by Support.com.
"Defendants bilked unsuspecting consumers out of tens of millions of dollars from their use of the PC Health Check program to sell costly diagnostic and repair services," the FTC alleged in a complaint that accuses both companies of violating the FTC Act's prohibition against deceptive practices. As part of the settlements, neither company admitted or denied the FTC's allegations.
The FTC filed its complaint against the companies in US District Court for the Southern District of Florida, while at the same time unveiling the settlements with each company.
(Score: 0, Disagree) by Anonymous Coward on Friday March 29 2019, @05:44PM (2 children)
too bad "schools" (slave indoctrination centers) don't teach people about Free Software. Instead these windows-using ignoramuses go to office depot(!) for "software". Predictably, Office Depot just wants to get in on the digital slave trade too. Government only fines them for interfering with their own slave business.
(Score: 1, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Friday March 29 2019, @08:57PM (1 child)
Holy crap. You're that guy who I DREAD will end up sitting next to me on a long plane flight on that trip where I forget my earbuds.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday March 30 2019, @06:39PM
that's funny, but people like me (real americans) don't fly since the tsa started groping/irradiating people, the patriot act, etc. you probably suck ass all the way through the airport like some manner of suited whore.