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from the who-knew-Office-Depot-was-still-around? dept.
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) by Anonymous Coward on Friday March 29 2019, @06:38PM (5 children)
But the "market" is still perfect right? What a strange deity you have, complete with invisible hands!
(Score: 2) by Runaway1956 on Friday March 29 2019, @06:50PM (3 children)
Whoa, whoa, whoa - just hold up there, you silly mule! When, and where, have I ever espoused that "free market" nonsense? I'm quite certain that I've pointed out a few times that we've never experienced a "free market" in any of our lifetimes. AT&T and Penn Power were well established monopolies years before I was born. IBM was a near monopoly. The Big 3 automakers shared a near monopoly by the time I was in junior high school.
I would like to test this concept of a "free market", but I'm sure that I'll never have the opportunity.
I suspect that the "free market" might be preferable to our current state of affairs. But, I also see potential pitfalls. Wall Street seemed to be doing well with it's version of "free market" in 1929, right up until the point where they weren't doing so well.
(Score: 3, Insightful) by NewNic on Friday March 29 2019, @07:01PM (2 children)
No true Scotsman, eh?
lib·er·tar·i·an·ism ˌlibərˈterēənizəm/ noun: Magical thinking that useful idiots mistake for serious political theory
(Score: 3, Funny) by deimtee on Saturday March 30 2019, @12:40AM (1 child)
True Scotsmen are in aisle six, $199.95 each.
-the Free Market.
If you cough while drinking cheap red wine it really cleans out your sinuses.
(Score: 2, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday March 30 2019, @12:06PM
TruScot "Real Scotsman" with extra Kilt is in the endcap of aisle 7. Only TruScot can supply you with REAL True Scotsmen!
(Score: 1) by RandomFactor on Friday March 29 2019, @08:17PM
Do we need a new word for trolling with a strawman.
Trollmanning?
В «Правде» нет известий, в «Известиях» нет правды