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Arlington, VA
On Your Side
Instacart To Refund $60M For Misleading Shoppers About Fees, Subscriptions: FTC
Instacart will pay $60 million in refunds to customers after the grocery delivery platform was accused of deceptive practices that raised costs and trapped shoppers in unwanted paid subscriptions. The Federal Trade Commission announced the settlement with Instacart on Thursday, Dec. 18. Regulators said Instacart misled consumers by advertising "free" delivery and failed to issue refunds. The popular app also enrolled shoppers in its Instacart+ subscription without clear, informed consent, according to the FTC. "Instacart misled consumers by advertising free delivery services — an…
Arlington, VA
On Your Side
Amazon To Pay $2.5B For Trapping Customers In Prime Subscriptions
The Federal Trade Commission has reached a record $2.5 billion settlement with Amazon, accusing the retail giant of tricking millions of consumers into unwanted Prime subscriptions. Click here for a new, updated story: Here's How You Can Get Amazon Prime Settlement Refund Amazon agreed to settle the case, the FTC announced on Thursday, September 25. The settlement requires Amazon to pay a $1 billion civil penalty and return $1.5 billion to roughly 35 million consumers who were misled into enrolling in or stuck paying for Prime. The settlement came just three days into a fe…
Bristol, CT
On Your Side
New ESPN, Fox One Streaming Apps Officially Launch: What You Should Know
Sports fans now have a new way to watch their favorite teams without a cable subscription. ESPN and Fox One both launched direct-to-consumer (DTC) streaming services on Thursday, Aug. 21. The new platforms mark a major shift in how live sports and news reach viewers. The debuts come ahead of the college football season, which begins on Saturday, Aug. 23. The apps are also launching before the NFL's opening kickoff in early September. For the first time, ESPN's full lineup of 12 networks is available directly through the new ESPN app, eliminating the need for a cable subscrip…
Hartford, CT
On Your Side
Meta Puts Ads On WhatsApp: Here's What's Changing
Meta is bringing advertisements to WhatsApp, marking a major shift for the globally popular messaging app. WhatsApp will now have ads on its Updates tab, Meta announced in a blog post on Monday, June 16. Meta purchased WhatsApp for $19 billion in 2014, adding to its portfolio that includes Facebook and Instagram. The tech giant said ads won't appear in private conversations on the app. "Subscriptions, promotions and ads will appear only on the Updates tab, away from your personal chats," Meta said. "This means if you only use WhatsApp to chat with friends and loved ones, there will be no c…
Arlington, VA
On Your Side
Uber One Trapped Users In Subscriptions They Didn't Want, FTC Claims In Lawsuit
Uber promised convenience, but federal regulators say the company trapped users in subscriptions they never asked for and made it nearly impossible to leave. The Federal Trade Commission accused Uber of secretly enrolling customers in its Uber One program, which launched in 2021. The FTC filed the lawsuit and announced it on Monday, April 21. The agency said Uber charged customers before trials ended, and buried cancellation behind up to 32 steps – despite a "cancel anytime" pledge. "Americans are tired of getting signed up for unwanted subscriptions that seem impossible to …
National Interest
You Could Lose These 20+ Channels On YouTube TV If No Deal Is Reached: See The List
UPDATE: YouTube TV and Paramount Global have reached a temporary deal to keep airing Paramount's channels. You can click here to see the updated story. YouTube TV subscribers could lose CBS, Nickelodeon, and more than 20 other Paramount-owned channels if the companies don’t reach a new agreement. Paramount and YouTube TV have warned customers that channels like CBS, CBS Sports Network, and Comedy Central may disappear if the two sides don't have a new deal in place on Thursday. Feb 13. Two CBS affiliates, WLKY-TV in Louisville, Kentucky, and KCCI News in Des Moines, Iowa, told viewers …
White Plains, NY
On Your Side
Amazon Hikes Cost Of Prime Service By 20 Percent
Amazon Prime is about to cost customers a few more dimes. Actually, more than a few. A 20-percent increase to be precise. Citing new Prime features and increased costs, Amazon CFO Brian Olsavsky announced on Thursday afternoon that the cost of membership will be upped to $119 annually beginning on May 11 for new customers. Existing members will see their bill increased as of June 16. Prime - once renowned for its free, expedited shipping - has introduced several new features since its inception, including streaming video, free two-hour delivery for certain products, Twitch viewing and dea…
