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What makes a professional MiniDV tape any different from a consumer level MiniDV tape?

November 24, 2011 By admin

Question by Jean Michel Jarre fan: What makes a professional MiniDV tape any different from a consumer level MiniDV tape?
As above, I noticed that professional are more expensive than the standard consumer level MinDV cassettes. Alright, so what makes that mighty difference?

Secondly, would there be any point investing in these more expensive cassettes for a consumer-cum-prosumer?

Best answer:

Answer by Little Dog
If you are referring to the “special” HD tapes, the oxide formulation and binding agents are different.

But a decent miniDV tape – like the Sony “Premium” tapes at about each (Frys has 8-packs for .99 and tapestockonline sells them cheaper in quantities) – and don’t re-use the tapes, and you’ll be fine. I’ve been using them for 5+ years and have not had a problem.

Give your answer to this question below!

Filed Under: Consumer Economic News Tagged With: 'Makes, consumer, different, from, level, MiniDV, professional, tape

Shadow Economies: Harvest Organs From The Poor For The Rich

November 7, 2011 By admin

Living in abject poverty, ,000 is a beguiling promise. All you have to do is give up one kidney. It’s ok, you have another one. But a Bloomberg Markets Magazine investigation shows how gangs around the world prey on the poor and use threats and violence to get them to give up their organs, which they can then resell for upwards of 0,000. This isn’t just happening in some ice-filled bath in China: this week, a Brooklyn man plead guilty to selling black market kidneys to people in New Jersey.

Around the world, the organs are transplanted by doctors who don’t ask questions into patients who have the money to pay for them. Meanwhile, the people the organs were harvested from are left to suffer the aftereffects of rushed surgery that can leave them ill, or dead. From Bloomberg Markets Magazine:

Dorin Razlog, a shepherd with an eighth-grade education who lives in Ghincauti, says recruiters for a trafficking ring told him cash for a kidney would lift him out of poverty. After doctors in Istanbul cut out the organ in August 2002, they paid him ,000 — ,000 less than they’d offered. Of that, ,500 was in counterfeit bills, he says.
“They told me they would send people to destroy my house and kill my family if I went to the police,” Razlog, 30, says. Today, the money is long gone, and he sleeps on a musty mattress inside the rusting hulk of an abandoned Russian van next to a pigsty. At the end of some days, Razlog says, he’s writhing from pain in his remaining kidney.
“The only way out is death,” he says.

Horrifying, and with the payouts so high, black market organ-trafficking is unlikely to go away, no matter how hard authorities work. The best thing that can happen is for countries to make it safe and easy for individuals to become legal organ donors. Increasing the supply and availability of organs will decrease the economic incentives driving this harvest of human flesh.

Organ Gangs Force Poor to Sell Kidneys for Desperate Israelis [Bloomberg Markets Magazine]
Brooklyn man pleads guilty to trafficking black market kidneys to N.J. residents [The Star-Ledger]

The Consumerist

Filed Under: Consumer Economic News Tagged With: Economies, from, harvest, Organs, poor, Rich, Shadow

Court Finds Defendant in Contempt for Violating Prior Court Order That Prohibited Him from Making Credit Repair Pitches to Consumers

October 31, 2011 By admin

The Consumers

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The Consumers
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Spartanburg, SC
Spring Fling 2009
Saturday, May 2

Responding to charges by the Federal Trade Commission, a U.S. district court has found a credit repair seller in contempt for violating a previous court order that required him to stop promoting worthless credit repair products and services to consumers. The contempt order finds Rick Lee Crosby, Jr. in civil contempt for violating a permanent injunction against him, requires him to reimburse consumers, and imposes a fine against him for each day he continues to violate the permanent injunction.

Despite a final order issued against Florida-based RCA Credit Services, LLC and its principals Rick Lee Crosby, Jr. and Brady Wellington, the court found that Crosby continued to market and sell credit repair services, including e-books, videos, and counseling sessions advising consumers with poor credit how to improve their credit score by using websites such as www.creditambassador.com and www.legalcredit.com. Also, by referring customers to other credit repair services, he violated the final order’s prohibition against assisting others in offering credit repair.

The contempt order stems from a complaint the FTC filed in October 2008 as part of the agency’s crackdown on scams that target consumers in financial distress. According to the complaint, until they were ordered to stop, RCA, Crosby, and Wellington ran deceptive online advertisements that claimed RCA could “Boost Your Credit Score Into The 700s in as little as 30 days,” and could remove “ANY or ALL Negative Accounts From Your Credit Report.” They further stated that a credit expert would “coach you on ways to remove negative remarks and unpaid debts from your credit report while adding new positive reporting accounts to your credit file.”

RCA Credit charged from 0 to more than ,000 for its “services” and required at least partial payment up-front. In many instances, the FTC charged, the defendants provided consumers no services at all. The FTC also charged them with violating the Credit Repair Organizations Act by failing to provide, before contracts were signed, a written statement of “Consumer Credit File Rights Under State and Federal Law;” failing to include conspicuous statements in their contracts about consumers’ right to cancel without penalty or obligation within three business days; and failing to provide a written “Notice of Cancellation” form.

On October 15, 2010, after a trial, the court issued an amended final order permanently shutting down RCA. The order bans Crosby and RCA from providing any credit repair products or services, prohibits them from making false credit repair claims, bars certain misrepresentations, and requires them to pay more than 0,000.

The order against Crosby finds him in civil contempt for violating the terms of the court’s final judgment and permanent injunction issued last year. It requires him to pay ,935 and will allow the FTC to use the money to provide refunds to consumers he defrauded. Finally, the order imposes a 4 fine for each day that Crosby fails to comply with the terms of the amended final order, with the fines continuing to accrue until he has proven to the court that he is complying with its terms.

The civil contempt order was issued on October 5, 2011, by Judge James D. Whittemore of the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida, Tampa Division.

Source: FTC

FMD Consumer News

Filed Under: Consumer Economic News Tagged With: Consumers, Contempt, Court, Credit, Defendant, finds, from, Making, order, Pitches, Prior, Prohibited, Repair, Violating

FTC Settlement Bans Alleged Spammer from Sending Unsolicited Text Messages

October 12, 2011 By admin

Scams An operator who allegedly sent millions of illegal spam text messages to consumers is banned from sending any unsolicited text messages, under a settlement agreement with the Federal Trade Commission entered by a federal court.

According to the FTC complaint filed in February 2011, the marketer sent a “mind-boggling” number of unsolicited commercial text messages pitching mortgage modification services to consumers, and misrepresented that he was affiliated with a government agency. The FTC alleged that many consumers had to pay fees to their mobile carriers to receive the unsolicited text messages. The FTC also alleged that the marketer advertised his text message blasting services by sending consumers illegal spam. The agency charged him with violating the FTC Act and the CAN-SPAM Act.

The complaint states that the text messages instructed consumers to respond to the messages or visit various websites advertised in the messages. One of the websites, loanmod-gov.net, claimed to provide “Official Home Loan Modification and Audit Assistance Information,” and displayed a photo of an American flag. The agency alleged that the defendant collected information from consumers who responded to the text messages – even those who responded by asking to be removed from his list – and sold it to third parties, claiming the consumers were “debt settlement leads.”

The settlement order bans the defendant, Phil Flora, from sending or helping others send unsolicited commercial text messages, and bars him from making false or misleading claims about any good or service, including misrepresentations that he, his representatives, or any other person is affiliated or associated with a government agency. The order also bars him from violating the CAN-SPAM Act. The settlement order imposes a judgment of ,946.90. Based on sworn financial representations made by Flora, the judgment will be satisfied when he turns over ,000. If it is determined that the financial information he gave the FTC was not true, the full amount of the judgment will become due.

Source: FTC

Federal Trade Commission, Plaintiff v. Phillip A. Flora, also known as “Phil P.,” Defendant
(United States District Court for the Central District of California)
Case No. SACV11-00299-AG-(JEMx)
File No. 102-3005

FMD Consumer News

Filed Under: Consumer Economic News Tagged With: Alleged, Bans, from, Messages, Sending, Settlement, Spammer, Text, Unsolicited

Q&A: How do conflict diamonds from Africa get to consumers?

October 2, 2011 By admin

by Public Citizen

Question by Daniel: How do conflict diamonds from Africa get to consumers?
I need to make a diagram that shows how conflict diamonds from Africa get to consumers. I need at least a six step process. So if you people could could please help it would be greatly appreciated.

Best answer:

Answer by Raven C
There is a great diagram on this website:

http://www1.american.edu/TED/ice/congo.htm

Give your answer to this question below!

Filed Under: Consumer Economic News Tagged With: Africa, conflict, Consumers, diamonds, from

Mixed impact on consumers from Fed’s ‘Twist’ – Forbes

September 23, 2011 By admin

The Associated Press

Mixed impact on consumers from Fed's 'Twist'
Forbes
If the initiative succeeds in helping the economy regain momentum, Operation Twist may be as important for what consumers don't experience – another recession – as for what they do. "The impact on consumers is pretty minimal," says Greg McBride, …
Mixed impact on consumers from Fed's 'Twist'The Associated Press
What Fed's 'Operation Twist' means for youUSA Today

all 4,458 news articles »

consumers – Google News

Filed Under: Consumer Economic News Tagged With: 'Twist', Consumers, Fed's, Forbes, from, Impact, mixed

What is the Republican plan to protect consumers from stock, credit card, mortgage fraud?

September 8, 2011 By admin

Question by ?Rich?: What is the Republican plan to protect consumers from stock, credit card, mortgage fraud?

Do you really think we should get rid of all the consumer protection agencies, the SEC, SIPIC, FBI, EPA, FDA, etc., and the State Attorney General’s and let the average citizen to the wolves?
Bill: Only Simm’s wants an educated consumer, we also need the government to educate the consumer not the cigarett companies, credit card companies, drug, food companies, not them!!

Best answer:

Answer by Rush Limbaugh
A bible in every house. You’ll just have to pray you don’t fall victim. That’s basically the republican plan.

Add your own answer in the comments!

Filed Under: Consumer Economic News Tagged With: Card, Consumers, Credit, Fraud, from, Mortgage, plan, Protect, Republican, stock

Q&A: Where can I find consumer good increases from the year 2007 to the year 2008?

September 6, 2011 By admin

by Public Citizen

Question by hderek09: Where can I find consumer good increases from the year 2007 to the year 2008?
I need to find the percent of increase in consumer goods for the following products bread, milk, gas and a few other things? What is a website that I can go to that is accurate?

Best answer:

Answer by mwyapips
https://www.quickinfo247.com/10087257.14/Department.vstore

What do you think? Answer below!

Filed Under: Consumer Economic News Tagged With: 2007, 2008, consumer, Find, from, good, increases, Year

I just got a call from this company named Consumer Concept and they told me that my number was randomly select?

August 30, 2011 By admin

by Dave Dugdale

Question by eisuke: I just got a call from this company named Consumer Concept and they told me that my number was randomly select?
I just got a call from this company named Consumer Concept and they told me that my number was randomly selected to receive 2 tickets to Hawaii or something, and that I needed to pay one time shipping fee of about and they asked me for my credit card number. Is this legit or is this fraud?

Best answer:

Answer by Dinickster
hahahahahhaha, why would a company that is having a promotion and give you two tickets to hawaii, ask for some credit card info. YES IT:S FRAUD.

Add your own answer in the comments!

Filed Under: Consumer Economic News Tagged With: Call, company, Concept, consumer, from, Just, named, number, randomly, select, They, this, told

They Live to Rape History: Black Conservative Allen West is Here to Save African-Americans from the Evil Democratic Plantation

August 24, 2011 By admin

Poor_knights_islands_perfect_day 30.07.10 (40)
poor

Image by A Perfect Day, Poor Knights Islands
Perfect Day at the Poor Knights Islands.

One more absurdity for the politics of race in the Age of Obama: Black Conservative Congressman Allen West is here to play Harriet Tubman and save the poor souls in the Black community from the “Democratic Plantation.”
So Black Conservatives fancy themselves as necromancers who are trying to save Black Americans from social death? How many [...]