In a recent 5-4 decision, the Supreme Court ruled that corporate arbitrations are legal and enforceable, no matter how stacked deck they may be against consumers.
The particular case the Supremes ruled on involved in AT&T. Some 6 years, AT&T pulled a bait-and-switch by offering something for free but then charged $30 for it. There’s no dispute on those facts whatsoever. The only question was whether or not AT&T should be subject to a class-action lawsuit.
Unfortunately, the Supremes said all customers who choose to do business with AT&T are agreeing to kangaroo court arbitration and that’s it. End of story.
There’s a bigger issue here: Be careful who you do business with. Some companies get very good ratings over time. Others don’t. That’s just life. Recently a state public utilities commission launched an inquiry into AT&T because of the sheer volume of complaints they were receiving about the company. That alone speaks volumes and tells you everything you need to know.
The issue is you making choices, selecting companies not based on marketing jingles or imaging, but based on who does the best job. When you hear somebody say, “I love doing business with…,” well, why not do business with that company?
You want to be with companies that get up each morning and figure out how best to serve their customers. Avoid the guys who don’t do that and instead have their lawyers work overtime to come up with arbitration clauses that take rights away from American citizens.
