Consumer Advocacy
Posted By Admin on November 21, 2008
Since our inception, The Publicity Firm has maintained a position of consumer activism. There is no association that governs publicity agencies the way attorneys are, so it’s with great pride that we go out of our way to bring attention to matters of injustice that may or may not otherwise earn media attention or lead to legal action.
Victims of unfair, usury and outright illegal actions may be able to get help from The Publicity Firm simply by asking for it. Often times, media attention is all it takes to force an individual or company to rethink their practices.
Consider us your advocate if you are having problems with:
Landlord / tenant abuse
If your landlord is asking you to take actions against the law, such as not reporting domestic violence or asking you to do something illegal or unethical in lieu of paying your rent, you may wish to consider requesting our help.
If your landlord has taken money, refused to make repairs, charged you unfairly for damages or services never rendered, we can help. If your landlord has made inappropriate comments of a sexual, religious, or otherwise discriminatory nature (including age, marital status, sexual orientation or disability,) we can help.
Usury or abusive credit collection practices
Collection agencies have many regulations that govern them, but based on the number of complaints still filed monthly, these laws do not actually govern their behavior. If you are receiving calls at prohibited hours or at your work, even though you have requested that they do otherwise, we may be able to help you. In 2003 we publicized the abuses of GMAC’s collection office from India, and within 24-hours of our publication, the calls ended forever.
We may ask you to document calls and submit your conversation log. Many collections agencies agree to mail paperwork, but never do. Many will call three, four or even twenty times a day, such as in the case of GMAC, but refuse to admit it. Nothing proves otherwise like a tape recording, and if you have your bases covered, we can help.
Unfair or illegal labor practices
Despite the prevalence of fair labor laws, many employers still require unpaid overtime or terminate employees without any cause. While it is their right in most states to terminate an employee at any time without any reason, it becomes illegal when the employee is denied unemployment benefits based on fraudulent information provided.
Many employees never report these injustices because they are afraid of losing what little income they have, are afraid of retaliation, or can’t afford to hire an attorney to pursue the matter. While we can’t “make everything right again” for you, we can bring public scrutiny to these practices, which may help you or may help future employees likewise abused.
Corporate contract and policy violation
If you thought you had an employment contract but your company decided not to honor it, we can help. This happens more often than most people know. Sometimes it may be premature termination, failure to pay for contractually obligated expenses, such as relocation, or even just being required to do something that you are unwilling or unable to do.
We represented a man who was terminated for “excessive absenteeism”, even though he was disabled and his contract explicitly permitted these absences. The media attention we were able to bring to the situation was sufficient to bring him an out-of-court settlement that he considered fair. He later told us, “There was no way in hell they’d have given me a nickel without your help.”
And that’s why we’re willing to do this.
Product or service failures or abuse
If you have been unfairly treated by an unscrupulous company (like Silver Sand Studios or COIT) or otherwise taken advantage of, we may be able to help. Companies like the Tempurpedic Bed are infamous for their consumer abuses and high-pressure sales tactics. If you have been treated unfairly, lied to, taken advantage of or otherwise pressured into the purchase of something you told them you can’t afford, we may be able to help.
Car dealerships are the worst
One of our staff members has already applied for a grant to draw attention to the widespread lies and corruption of auto dealers in Washington State. Dealerships like Detroit Autoworks in Lynnwood or Seattle will tell you any lie in the world to make you buy a car. They will tell you that you can afford something you can’t, and even premiere dealerships like Bill Pierre Dodge in Lake City Washington will play as many mind games and untruths as they can get away with to rob you of your every last penny.
If you have suffered at the hands of any of these sorts of unscrupulous merchants, bring us your story and we will do what we can to help.
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