The 99¢ Only Store was fined this week for illegally selling misbranded toxic products in violation of federal law. The 99¢ Only Store’s violations were discovered in multiple inspections by federal officials in California, Arizona and Nevada between 2004 and 2008. A federal judge ordered the retail chain to pay nearly $410,000 in penalties for…
A Beverly Hills, California business promising “tax relief” was finally shut down by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) last week. Authorities say American Tax Relief LLC cheated consumers out of more than $60 million by promising clients that their tax bills could be settled for pennies on the dollar. Despite a criminal search warrant executed…
A Los Angeles Times investigation has found that PG&E has more “high consequence” gas line leaks in populated areas compared to other utilities. The report was in response to the San Bruno, California gas pipeline explosion in September that killed 8 people and caused an estimated $65 million in property losses. (The eighth death occurred…
Six Silicon Valley corporate giants, Apple, Google, Intel, Intuit, Pixar and Adobe Systems admit they had a secret agreement not to hire employees away from the other companies using “cold call” tactics. In violation of federal anti-trust law, the companies agreed to the “no cold call” pact in 1996. According to documents from the U.S.…
The state of California issued several formal accusations of fraud and a “desist and refrain” order in August against San Ramon-based IQ Smarter Investments Inc. The company is exploiting Short Sale Real Estate deals in California and ripping off people who are desperate to sell their houses. A short sale occurs when a mortgage holder…
The Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) has been ordered to pay a $176,000 fine for the electrocution of employee Maximiliano Martinez in Benicia, California earlier this year. Martinez, a PG&E utility worker, was killed while upgrading an underground transformer with 12,000 volt power lines feeding into the vault that held the transformer. Martinez, age…
The current recession has apparently caused numerous employers to cut corners and squeeze wage earners – sometimes illegally. Much to the chagrin of businesses, employees are fighting back and winning big judgments for unpaid wages. Wage and hour lawsuits are on the rise and it is costing employers millions of dollars in California and across…
A recent study published by the UC Davis Olive Center discovered that 69% of imported olive oils tested were not “extra virgin” as their labels claimed. Before this study, despite widespread rumors and media reports, there was no concrete evidence that extra virgin olive oil was being adulterated. The study offers the first accurate, scientific…
The recent San Bruno, California gas main explosion was a horrifying tragedy that claimed many lives, and even more homes. As Californians attempt to piece their lives together after the blast, they naturally want to know what they can expect from PG&E or their homeowner’s insurance companies. In general, if you are covered by homeowner’s…
The sheer variety of olive oils on any given supermarket shelf can be overwhelming to the average shopper. Olive oils come in all shapes, sizes colors, and prices – and what do all those terms on the labels mean? Terms like “extra virgin,” “cold pressed,” and “unfiltered” are featured prominently on most olive oil labels…
