Prosper has made much about the recent addition of Mr. Nigel Morris to its board - and the $1 million he brought along to the party.

As has already been noted by observers with deeper insight into the mechanics of all things Prosper, this cash infusion is little more than a minor bridge-loan, priced at a relatively steep 15% interest.  It is rather unclear how this fairly insignificant loan will impact Prosper’s future or delay what appears to be the inevitable demise of the company, as it continues on track to run out of operating funds in the near term.

On November 16, 2009, Prosper filed a 10-Q document with the Securities and Exchange Commission, which provides interesting insight into Prosper’s financial health.  Based on what is known about Prosper cash burn, the recent cash-infusion only buys Prosper an additional couple of months, with Prosper now expected to go broke in February 2010.

Despite the lackluster pace of new loan originations, there is some sense that there is still some potential value yet to be unlocked in this company.  What also remains unclear, however, is the extent to which Prosper is in a position to attract additional investments on favorable terms to operate beyond February 2010, considering the general current economic climate, the uncertainty regarding the viability of Prosper as a going concern, the current regulatory framework and Prosper’s situation with unresolved litigation.

Luci ed ombre del social gaming.

Cliccando sull’immagine è possibile, se d’interesse, proseguire la lettura.

1.5 million Health Net customers’ personal and medical information is at risk after a hard drive was lost six months ago.  The lost hard drive was first reported last week, according to state and Health Net officials.  At least 446,000 of the customers include Connecticut residents.  Residents of Arizona, New Jersey and New York are also included in the data contained on the hard drive.

The Connecticut Attorney General’s Office and Connecticut of Insurance was informed by Health Net of the data loss.  The number of customers and patients affected by the lost ard drive that contained medical records and personal data.  The lost hard drive is beleived to be an external portable hard drive and contained Social Security numbers in addition to medical records.

To date, Health Net has not been able to locate the hard drive.  The data were compressed, but not encrypted. The information is formatted as images and requires a special computer program to be read, state and company officials said. Health Net plans to send out breach notification letters to its customers notifying them of the data loss.

FULL STORY

GLI ODIOSI PASSI INDIETRO DI QUESTO GOVERNO

 Si parla di riforme, ma c’è chi le vuole uccidere.

A quanto pare le riforme vere a questo governo non interessano proprio. Quello che interessa è: risolvere i problemi del premier e quindi dare una bastonata definitiva alla magistratura e cacciare i clandestini, brutti, negri, sporchi e maleodoranti,che fanno paura.

Le riforme che davvero interessano i cittadini, quelle che fanno risparmiare i consumatori, invece, bisogna ucciderle.

Sono rimasti in pochi a parlare di liberalizzazioni. Eppure le “lenzuolate” di Bersani hanno fatto risparmiare fior di miliardi ai consumatori. Basta pensare all’abolizione della odiosa (e costosa) gabella del costo fisso sulle ricariche telefoniche che fruttava ai gestori quasi due miliardi di euro l’anno.

Le liberalizzazioni si dimenticano e si dimenticano i risultati ottenuti, eppure hanno dimostrato che un cambiamento è possibile, si finisce col far prevalere il luogo comune secondo il quale nulla può cambiare perché alla fine vincono sempre i poteri forti e le corporazioni.

Nel 2008 ben 480.000 famiglie hanno risparmiato 100 miliardi di euro grazie alla cancellazione dell’ipoteca sulla casa dopo l’estinzione del mutuo. Più di 2 milioni di clienti hanno cambiato banca senza pagare le spese di chiusura del conto. Oltre 3.000 parafarmacie aperte, che hanno dato lavoro a più di cinquemila giovani laureati. Due miliardi di euro l’anno risparmiati grazie alla eliminazione della ricarica delle schede prepagate dei cellulari.

 Ma sulle liberalizzazioni incombono gravi rischi.

 ASSICURAZIONI. Gli effetti del meccanismo dell’indennizzo diretto non hanno ancora determinato la diminuzione delle tariffe. Le compagnie hanno cercato di boicottare la portabilità della classe di merito e negli ultimi mesi alcuni parlamentari del PDL hanno tentato di reintrodurre il divieto per gli agenti di vendere polizze di più compagnie. Infine è stata approvata una disposizione di legge che porta da uno a cinque anni la possibilità di recedere dai contratti per le polizze vita.

BANCHE. Le banche hanno provato a vanificare o rallentare l’applicazione dell’eliminazione delle penali in caso di estinzione anticipata dei mutui casa e la possibilità di trasferire un mutuo ad un’altra banca senza costi aggiuntivi e senza la perdita dei benefici fiscali. Sono stati necessari interventi legislativi e istruttorie dell’Antitrust per costringere le banche  a rispettare la legge.

 FARMACI DA BANCO. Due disegni di legge prevedono la riduzione del numero dei farmaci da banco vendibili nelle parafarmacie (la mannaia del solito Gasparri) e l’eliminazione dell’obbligo della presenza del farmacista e la chiusura entro dieci anni delle parafarmacie (il solito Gasparri) nonché l’eliminazione delle insegne con la croce verde.

 TRASPORTO AEREO. Dopo l’introduzione dell’obbligo per le compagnie aeree di indicare il prezzo effettivo di volo, permane scarsa trasparenza su onerosi costi aggiuntivi (bagagli, carta di credito, ecc.) che vengono richiesti in modo non chiaro.

 ALTRE PROFESSIONI. La liberalizzazione delle autoscuole non è mai entrata in vigore per la mancata emanazione da parte del governo attuale di un decreto attuativo che di fatto ha bloccato tutti gli esami per nuovi istruttori.

 CLASS ACTION. L’accettazione della causa dipenderà dalla sua costosa pubblicazione, tolta la retroattività, introdotto il danno punitivo al contrario (se una causa viene dichiarata non ammissibile, chi l’ha proposta deve pagare), L’entrata in vigore è stata rimandata tre volte. Al momento fino al 1° gennaio 2010.

(La “class action” significa Azione Collettiva e fa sì che un solo giudice con un solo processo possa condannare un’impresa a risarcire tutti coloro ai quali ha provocato un danno. In Italia invece ogni singolo danneggiato deve fare la sua causa sfidando  i grandi studi legali delle grandi aziende. Tra i primi atti del governo Berlusconi c’è stato quello di posticiparne l’entrata in vigore, di proroga in proroga si è arrivati, per ora, al 1° gennaio 2010. Tuttavia sono state introdotte modifiche peggiorative, per esempio è stata tolta la retroattività, così i danneggiati del crak Parmalat e Cirio rimangono tagliati fuori, anzi hanno introdotta la punitività al contrario, è il denunciante che deve pagare, qualora la causa non sia ammissibile. E’ Ovvio che il povero consumatore prima di fare causa alla potente multinazionale ci pensa due volte. Da un emendamento all’altro questo governo ha svuotato di fatto una buona legge ed è intuibile che le società delle telecomunicazioni, dei trasporti e la Confindustria hanno spinto per peggiorarne e ritardarne l’entrata in vigore). 

(Fonti: “L’Assedio” di E. Cinotti e A. Lirosi Ed. Aliberti 2009)

Over 100,000 credit cards because German authorities feared criminals stole consumers’ credit card information through a Spanish credit card payment processing company.  Visa and MasterCard say the breach did not occur in their systems, but pointed their fingers at elsewhere in the payment system.

FULL STORY

Tad Gear Online announced its data base has been breached and persons that placed credit card orders between August 6, 2009 and November 16, 2009 personal information may be at risk.  According to Tad Gear’s web site, the company discovered the data breach after customers reported unauthorized credit card charges after making purchases from Tad Gear’s web site.

FULL STORY

If you have been a victim of identity theft or have received a breach notification letter, then contact one of our identity theft lawyers for a free and confidential consultation.

That people today, bereft of ethics and morals, would go to great lengths to obtain pirated copies of Windows 7 was to be expected.

That Microsoft, for all of its swaggering bravado but its obviously flaccid Windows Genuine Advantage (WGA) tool, cannot detect and thwart pirated copies is galling — but cynics would claim that it is but par for the course for MSFT.

What is, however, NOT ACCEPTABLE is that Microsoft has said that it would support any and all pirated copies of Windows 7 … not in anyway trying to BLOCK updates or System Packs.

Here is a good article about this unstinted support by Microsoft for PIRATED Windows 7 by ‘Tom’s Hardware.’ Please skim through it.

I have a right to bitch. I am not just an indignant, righteous spoil-sport. I have some valid skin in this game, way beyond the fact that I paid $149 for my OEM copy of Windows 7 Professional.

The Product Key-based Windows activation system used by Microsoft was THOUGHT UP BY ME … 31 years ago. Here, I created a post, with links to the US Patents database, to prove this. Check it out. So, I kind of know what I am talking about here.

That MSFT will condone Windows 7 piracy is akin to WalMart saying that henceforth it will not crackdown on shoplifting and instead will instruct its staff to provide bags and receipts for all STOLEN GOODS.

Well, here is the TWIST.

MSFT is breaking the law!

MSFT management has a fiduciary responsibility to its SHARE HOLDERS to maximize their return on investment. I contend that supporting PIRATED copies of Windows 7 violates that!

I am calling for a CLASS ACTION SUIT against MSFT for their support of pirated Windows 7.

I have already posted in Boston CraigsList trying to bring it to the attention of CA attorneys out there. On Monday, I will post in Seattle and New York. There is a GOOD CA case here.

********************

Now I suspect that the real problem here is that MSFT cannot, for all of its claims, detect pirated copies of Windows 7 — if a ‘valid’ key is typed in.

I might have to work on this! << smile >> My idea to begin with. Maybe, I need to take it to the next step. [This time, however, it will be MY patent. Not IBM's.]

But, there are other ways to really put a damper on pirated copies of Windows 7.

MSFT, better than anybody else, knows where the ISO images are being downloaded from. Of course, MSFT has folks monitoring all these ‘torrents.’

MSFT here is some FREE ADVICE from the originator of the Product Key-based activation scheme and in his youth, in the early 1970s, an original ‘hacker.’

SEED the download sites with MODIFIED Windows 7 images. Don’t do anything drastic. Just some good ‘ET Call Home’ code — really no different to what you already have in WAG, but this time around with a flag saying this copy is pirated … this is the IP. While you are at it get whatever information might be useful so that you can tell these THIEVES that you need payment of $200 for the copy of Windows 7. I don’t need to spell this out.

So that is where I sit. We need MSFT management to live up to their fiduciary responsibility.

Thank YOU.

Anura Guruge
www.guruge.com

Abbott Medical Optics is facing an uphill battle in a California class action.  A California State Court judge has certified a class action for consumers who purchased contact lens solution that is associated with an eye infection that can cause blindness.  The plaintiffs, who represent California consumers who purchased Complete MoisturePlus contact lens solution between 2003 and 2007, are asking for refunds of their money. The class action lawsuit claims that Abbott Medical Optics misled the class members into believing that its contact lens solution disinfected their lenses, when in fact the solution could cause an eye infection that can lead to pain and blindness or even force the removal of an eye.

The California Supreme Court recently amended its class action standards.  As a result, more consumers will be afforded additional protections under California law.

Full Story

The Department of the Navy Pensacola is reporting Pensacola Naval Hospital has lost personal identifiable information again.  The first reported data loss incident this year included a missing laptop in August of 2009.  According to the Department of Navy’s August 31, 2009 Personal Identifying Information (PII) loss notification letter, the Pharmacy Department at Naval Hospital Pensacola reported a missing laptop on August 18, 2009 and the laptop contained names, Social Security numbers and date of birth of at least 38,000 patients.

The second reported data loss of 2009 involved the loss of a CD.  The CD contained personal identifying information (PII) of patients for the time period 2005 through 2009.  The CD was created by a staff employee that transferred to the Pensacola Naval Hospital from New Hampshire Naval Hospital.  Thus, the lost CD more likely than not contained patient information from the New Hampshire Naval Hospital and Pensacola Naval Hospital patients.

Our firm is investigating both data losses and will begin evaluating new client claims in January 2010.  If you have received a personal identifying information (PII) data loss notification letter from the Department of Navy, Pensacola Naval Hospital, New Hampshire Naval Hospital, Nurse Corps, or any other federal government branch from August 2009 to the present, you may be entitled to money damages.  Bookmark or add this page to your favorites and check back with us in January 2010, as out web site is still under construction.

The Baltimore Sun is reporting a security breach at the Mercy Medical Center.  According to Brent Jones’ article, an undisclosed number of Mercy Medical Center patients’ personal information may have been stolen by a former employee of the hospital.

Mercy Medical Center sent patients affected by the breach notification letters.  The breach notification letter included a statement that the hospital’s former employee may have taken patients’ personal information for use when applying for loans and credit cards .

If you believe you have been a victim of identity theft, then you should request and review your credit report.  For more information about how to get your free credit report click here.

Ok, we have lots of news on the modification/foreclosure realm today. 

First, I came across this article yesterday about mortgage modification programs.  Alan Zibel for the AP wrote that Obama’s HAMP plan has started reaching “1 in 5 homeowners.”(1)  But, as we know, most servicers keep up with the foreclosure process while doing a modification.  Also, judging by your comments, modifications seem to result in foreclosures later.  I thought another section of this article was more important to our issues.  Zibel touched on a class action lawsuit in Minnesota filed by homeowners that said HAMP “failed to give proper notice when they were rejected [for modifications] or the right to appeal [the rejections].”(1)  The Judge rejected the suit and said, “the federal government has never made loan modifications an entitlement.”(1) 

What Judge Montgomery said basically sums up exactly what we are up against in the legal court and the court of public opinion.  When I first starting complaining about PHH Mortgage, I was told, “you agreed to pay for your house didn’t you?”  I said yes, but, shouldn’t I have some sort of consumer protections if something happens and I cannot pay for my house anymore?  The premise for my petition letters came from the above conversation.  As you see, we are facing a steep battle from people who think if we signed the loan papers, we should pay and that is it. 

Second, Foreclosures dip in October.  I didn’t even have to read the article to know exactly what they are talking about, because of HAMP, modifications are being started and foreclosures are being stalled.  That is all, foreclosures will rise again, I promise.  Anyway…Foreclosures dipped, but filings were “up 19% [from last year]” and “1 in every 385 homes received a [default] notice this month.”(2)  Wow, that is great news!  Those numbers sure do make me feel better, don’t they make you feel better?  Those numbers are crazy.  1 out of 385 is not a good statistic whatsoever.  Give me a break. 

The top ten foreclosure states in order from top to bottom are…..Nevada, California, Florida, Arizona, Idaho, Illinois, Michigan, Georgia, and Utah.(2)

Third, here is the MHA (Making Home Affordable) Mortgage Servicer Report through October 2009.  Enjoy.  What can I tell you about it?  It has 5 pages instead of 2.  There are more graphs showing downward trends with home prices and upward trends of housing inventory.  Fancy Fancy!  Other than that, PHH Mortgage is still not listed on there although it does say that servicers servicing Fannie loans are eligible to participate.  Here’s to crossing our fingers that PHH will one day participate. 

Last but not least, the best editorial I have read in a while came from the NY Times today.  More Foreclosures to Come.  Need I say more?  The editorial called for real modifications with principal loan reductions.  We have heard this before, yes, from the National Consumer Law Center.  The editorial goes on to say that, “another 2.4 million homes will be lost [to foreclosure] in 2010 and home prices will be reduced by 10%.”(3)  Recall above that I said most modifications will end in foreclosure, well the editorial said that, “most troubled borrowers will ultimately not qualify for help, and bad loans will be in foreclosure.”(3) 

The editorial continues, HAMP “has been flawed from the start and has no teeth to compel lenders to participate.”(3) 

Finally, “American Homeowners need an antiforeclosure plan that works.”(3) 

Sources:
1. Housing Plan Reaches 1 in 5 Borrowers. Alan Zibel. Associated Press. 11/10/09.
URL: http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_FORECLOSURE_AID?SITE=FLROC&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT

2. Foreclosures Dip in October. J.W. Elphinstone. Associated Press. 11/11/09.
URL: http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_FORECLOSURE_RATES?SITE=MATAU&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT

3. More Foreclosures to Come. NY Times Editorial. 11/12/09.
URL: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/12/opinion/12thu2.html

Over 10,000 New Hampshire physicians’ personal Social Security numbers were stolen by an employee of Blue Cross Blue Shield (BCBS) of New Hampshire.  According to the Associated Press, an employee of BCBS transferred the personal information, including the Social Security numbers of at least 10,000 physicians, dentists and other providers to a personal laptop and the laptop was later reported stolen.

FULL STORY

Mass Mutual has confirmed its employees’ personal information may have been the subject of unauthorized access.  The personal information was accessed through one of Mass Mutual’s vendors.  The extent of the employees affected by the data loss and the point of entry has yet to be determined.

Mass Mutual is offering 3 years of credit monitoring to its employees affected by the data loss.

FULL STORY

Case settled late yesterday, the Friday before a Monday trial.  While I was buried deep in trial prep, Judge Pannell of the Northern District of Georgia issued an excellent ruling on the enforceability of arbitration clauses and class action waiver provisions in consumer contracts.  I discussed this issue back in August, Issue du Jour: Forced Arbitration, and Judge Pannell’s ruling is in line with the (seeming) national trend invalidating mandatory arbitration/class action waiver provisions in consumer contracts.

In Jones v. DirecTV, Inc., 2009 WL 3646197 (N.D.Ga. Oct 29, 2009), the plaintiff filed a class action against DIRECTV for collecting excessive “sales tax” charges ($0.80 per month) and improperly billed “leased receiver” fees ($4.99 per month).  DIRECTV moved to stay the action and compel arbitration based on the broad arbitration clause and a class action waiver provision in its service contract with the plaintiff.

Judge Pannell denied the motion and invalidated the class action waiver provision based on unconscionability.  He based his ruling on the fact that under DIRECTV’s class action waiver provision, claims such as the plaintiff’s would effectively be foreclosed since the costs of prosecuting the claim individually would far exceed the likely recovery.  In so ruling, Judge Pannell validated the very purpose of class action lawsuits:

“The policy at the very core of the class action mechanism is to overcome the problem that small recoveries do not provide the incentive for any individual to bring a solo action prosecuting his or her rights. The effort and cost of investigating and initiating a claim may be greater than many claimants’ individual stake in the outcome, discouraging the prosecution of these claims absent a class action filing procedure.”

Since the plaintiff in Jones, even if successful on all of her claims, individually stood to recover a very small amount, she would be unlikely to prosecute her claims individually given the costs of litigation.  Thus, DIRECTV’s class action waiver provision was unconscionable because “the remedies available to the plaintiff and members of the proposed class are effectively foreclosed.”  Since the contract (curiously) provided that if the class action waiver provision is deemed unenforceable then the entire arbitration clause is also unenforceable, Judge Pannell invalidated the entire arbitration clause based on the plain language of the contract.  (Not sure how the arbitration clause would have fared absent the tie-in to the class action waiver provision.  DIRECTV’s corporate counsel should have known better – ALWAYS include a severability provision in your consumer contract!)

Maybe I’m reading too much into it, but it does seem like there is a recent trend against the enforceability of mandatory arbitration clauses and class action waiver provisions in consumer contracts.   More judges seem to be looking beyond the strict letter of take-it-or-leave-it consumer contracts and are finding creative ways to get around the more onerous provisions, especially provisions which deny aggrieved consumers access to an effective remedy in court.

American Corrective Counseling Services, a debt collection agency, agreed to settle a class action filed on behalf of 15,000 Pennsylvania residents.  The $2.55 million settlement will be paid to Pennsylvania residents that alleged American Corrective Counseling Services employees posed as district attorneys and offered the payment of fees in exchange for immunity from prosecution.

FULL STORY

La filosofia politica della decrescita poggia le sue basi sul concetto di bioeconomia, cioè una maniera di intendere l’economia che conosce le leggi della natura e precisamente anche dei danni ambientali recati dai processi industriali che producono le merci. Oggi sappiamo che non avviene così. Invece la progettazione industriale che segue regole di ecodesign previene l’immissione di sostanze tossiche nell’ambiente. E’ sufficiente imitare la natura (ciclo chiusi “a cerchio”) che non produce rifiuti invece, i processi industriali lineari che producono spesso scarti e scorie nocive possono indurre anche l’insorgenza di neoplasie, e quindi danni biologici quantificabili. Il concetto di bioeconomia tiene conto di tutti questi danni ed indica una strada alternativa, cambiare i processi industriali dalla progettazione applicando un uso razionale delle risorse, non più mosso dalla massimizzazione dei profitti considerando gli errori progettuali per far diminuire i ricavi.

Nel frattempo la logica eversiva ed  irrazionale della massimizzazione dei profitti uccide esseri umani e biosfera. La class action all’americana è lo strumento giuridico più ecologista che si possa pensare di avere perché in un sistema economico degenerato regolato, principalmente, sulla massimizzazione dei profitti previene la ricchezza monetaria prodotta illecitamente dalle SpA ed è l’arma più efficace che i cittadini e la natura stessa potrebbe avere. Non è un caso che nell’Unione Europea ed in Asia non esista, le SpA sarebbero costrette ad emigrare o modificare il modo di produrre merci.

Da diverso tempo liberi cittadini si preoccupano di diffondere consapevolezza ed informare tutti circa le regole immorali del sistema socio-politico. Senza la conoscenza e la corretta informazione non sarebbe possibile progettare una società migliore di questa ma, soprattutto diversa e basata sull’etica fatta per gli esseri umani e non per le SpA.

I cittadini devono esser consapevoli sul fatto che essi detengono il potere supremo e possono cambiare le regole del gioco (Costituzione e Statuti degli Enti Territoriali) attraverso un approccio olistico e pragmatico circa le vicende che ci preoccupano. Tutti sanno che i partiti sono degenerati in comitati di affari ma pochi propongono un cambiamento. Con un risveglio collettivo delle coscienze, con la corretta educazione civica ed informazione libera possiamo coordinarci ed introdurre cambiamenti necessari. La VERA class action mira a quantificare i danni ambientali e biologici per dare un minimo dignità ai cittadini. Le SpA coinvolte cambieranno atteggiamento per non perdere i propri profitti. La VERA class action è gratis perché gli avvocati diventano imprenditori di se stessi pronti ad ingaggiare i migliori specialisti per far quantificare i danni e saranno premiati solo in base al loro operato. La VERA class action aiuta a ridurre i carichi di lavoro per i Tribunali già intasati da cause civili che durano i media dieci anni. Infatti nell’84% dei casi, le cause collettive si avviano e si risolvono in accordi stragiudiziari perché le stesse SpA, che sanno di essere colpevoli, non vogliono rischiare di pagare più del doppio con l’accertamento del danno punitivo conducendo la classe di cittadini in Tribunale con l’evidente rischio di vedersi ridurre anche il valore economico dei titoli azionari quotati in Borsa, sensibili all’immagine della società coinvolta in scandali.

Questo tipo di legge poteva esser costruita ed approvata più efficacemente se in Italia ci fosse stata un procedura di iniziativa popolare (democrazia diretta) altrettanto efficace come quella che c’è in Svizzera o come è stata proposta nella Provincia di Bolzano. Non attendiamoci che TUTTI gli attuali partiti seduti in Parlamento prendano in seria considerazione la VERA class action poiché l’hanno già ignorata ed osteggiata in passato con l’approvazione della FINTA class inserita nella finanziaria 2008.

Quindi la VERA class action è una concreta applicazione del concetto di bioeconomia perché quantifica i danni ambientali e biologici provocati dai processi industriali, toglie gli illeciti profitti per darli alla classe di cittadini.

CAMPAGNA NAZIONALE “SALVA L’ACQUA” – IL GOVERNO PRIVATIZZA L’ ACQUA !

Mason Cole, vice president of Oversee Corp. Communications, owner of SnapNames, told the Washington Post that as many as 50,000 domain name auctions may have been affected by the employee’s unauthorized activity. SnapNames says bidding affected approximately 5%  of total SnapNames auctions since 2005, most of which occurred between 2005 and 2007.

“Though on some occasions the employee won the auction, in many instances the bidding caused the ultimate auction winner to pay more for a name than had the employee not participated in the auction,” SnapNames writes in its mass email. The company says it will offer rebates to “affected” customers.  More info available from: support@snapnames.com or (866) 690-6279 (toll-free in the U.S.)  and (503) 241-8547 (outside the US).

Se avete avuto problemi con la Vostra Banca, o con lo sportello della Posta, ora avete una strada aggiuntiva per rivendicare i Vostri diritti. E’ stato infatti introdotto  l’Arbitrato Bancario Finanziario, una nuova procedura di risoluzione delle controversie che si svolgerà sotto il controllo della Banca d’Italia.

Sono soggetti alle decisioni dell’Arbitro le banche, gli intermediari iscritti negli elenchi previsti dal Testo unico bancario, gli istituti di moneta elettronica che operano in Italia, Poste italiane per le attività di Bancoposta e le banche e gli intermediari esteri che operano in Italia

E’ un sistema stragiudiziale che offre un’alternativa più semplice, rapida ed economica rispetto al ricorso al giudice. L’Arbitro è un organismo indipendente ed imparziale composto da cinque membri, di cui due nominati dalle associazioni dei consumatori e di categoria e tre dalla Banca d’Italia, che decide, in pochi mesi, chi ha ragione e chi ha torto. C’è, però, una procedura che i clienti devono rispettare: il reclamo alla banca é il primo passo; in caso di silenzio da parte della stessa o di risposta insufficiente, si può attivare il ricorso che puo’ avvenire via web, con posta elettronica certificata oppure per posta tradizionale, via fax o addirittura a mano.

Le decisioni non sono vincolanti come quelle del giudice, ma se l’intermediario non le rispetta, il suo inadempimento è reso pubblico e se il cliente non rimane soddisfatto della decisione dell’Arbitro può comunque rivolgersi al giudice.

L’Arbitro può decidere tutte le controversie che riguardano operazioni e servizi bancari e finanziari, come ad esempio i conti correnti, le carte di credito (anche revolving), i mutui, i prestiti personali fino a 100.000 euro, se il cliente chiede una somma di denaro; senza limiti di importo quando si chiede soltanto  di accertare diritti, obblighi e facoltà (ad esempio quando si lamenta la mancata consegna della documentazione di trasparenza o la mancata cancellazione di un’ipoteca dopo aver estinto un mutuo).

Non possono essere decise controversie che riguardano servizi ed attività di investimento quali la compravendita di azioni ed obbligazioni, od operazioni in strumenti derivati che sono di competenza del sistema di conciliazione ed arbitrato della Consob attraverso l’Ombudsman giurì bancario; e  nemmeno controversie di beni e servizi  quali il bene concesso in leasing o venduto mediante operazioni di credito al consumo, oppure le forniture connesse a operazioni di factoring.

Non possono essere ricomprese controversie relative ad operazioni o comportamenti anteriori al 1 gennaio 2007. Per presentare il ricorso basta versare un contributo spese di 20 euro, che viene rimborsato dall’intermediario se il ricorso è accolto.

Non si può ricorrere se è pendente una causa o un altro tipo di conciliazione. Se sarà proposta una class action, l’arbitrato è escluso se il consumatore o utente aderisce all’azione collettiva.

Dato che per il ricorso all’Arbitro non è necessaria l’assistenza di un avvocato, il cliente può essere adeguatamente assistito da un consulente indipendente, con notevole risparmio di costi ed un’assistenza tecnica più completa e puntuale.

Alla base del nuovo organismo vi è un intento semplificativo del rapporto banca-cliente soprattutto in relazione al restringimento di tempi e costi per la soluzioni delle varie questioni. Tra la domanda del risparmiatore e la decisione non dovranno passare più di sei mesi. Una vera rivoluzione se si pensa ai tempi della giustizia civile.

Fabrizio Taccuso – Studio Andreoli & Taccuso – Mantova -  mantovafinanza.blogspot.com

fabrizio.taccuso@alice.it

A federal appeals court just reinstated a shareholder class action suit against Matrixx, the maker of Zicam cold prevention products. The domain MatrixxClassAction.com is available for just $500.  Submit your offer as a “comment” to this blog. It’s a great magnet for lawyers seeking plaintiffs. Law firms can set up the domain so that consumers who type “Matrixx class action” into any search engine will be taken directly to the lawyer’s home page, or to a page the lawyer sets up specifically focused on the Matrixx issue.

“Judge Suzanne Hoseth Kreeger denied class action status to a lawsuit against Clear Channel and B93 for the Birthday Bash flooding in the 8th Circuit Court Tuesday,” reports the Ionia Sentinel Standard.

“Attorney John Tallman had sought class action status for the case to determine liability for the vehicles left damaged and destroyed by the June flooding of the Ionia Free Fair grounds.

“Tallman said that Clear Channel and B93 had reason to believe that the fairgrounds were going to flood and that the radio station was negligent in allowing people to park there.

“However, Clear Channel and B93’s attorney Jon March argued the case for comparative negligence, noting that over 200 vehicles left the south parking lot after announcements concerning the flooding were made.”