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UPDATE:
In case you missed last night’s premiere of HOT COFFEE, you can still catch this important film.

HBO and HBO2 are re-airing the film several times over the next few weeks (all times Central):

HBO:
  • June 30 (12:30 PM) Central time
  • July 2 (9:00 AM) Central time
  • July 5 (9:30 AM) Central time
  • July 10 (3:00 PM) Central time
  • July 12 (11:30 PM) Central time
HBO2:
  • June 29 (7:00 PM) Central time
  • July 16 (5:10 AM) Central time
  • July 25 (3:55 AM) Central time
  • July 28 (5:30 PM) Central time
"Hot Coffee" is also available on HBO’s on-demand service. And DVD copies of the film will be available in the fall.
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Tune in for the HBO premiere of  Hot Coffee -- a documentary about the fictions and false alarms that threaten the civil justice system.
 
Former Public Justice Foundation President Susan Saladoff produced and directed the film as an article of faith and a labor of love. Years of hard work paid off for her when Hot Coffee was screened at this year's prestigious Sundance Film Festival.  Shortly after that, HBO optioned the film.
 
Hot Coffee is a compelling and provocative documentary that everyone will find enlightening.   For more information about Hot Coffee on HBO, click here.
 
To watch the trailer for the film, click here.  We are proud to claim Susan as one of our own.
 Arthur Bryant, Executive Director
Public Justice and the Public Justice Foundation
email: exd@publicjustice.net   
voice: 202-797-8600
web: http://www.publicjustice.net

 
 
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     Telecom companies love to mousetrap the unwary with lots of tempting cheese (low teaser rates) and a nasty surprise (early cancellation fees that apply even when you have to cancel because they aren't living up to their bargain).    
     And now that the US Supreme Court, Inc., has followed its pro-corporate and anti-consumer, anti-real-people bias to its illogical yet perfectly consistent conclusion (in deciding recently that consumers can't band together to hold abusive companies accountable in collective arbitration), it's more important than ever that you, before you sign ANY contract with ANY company, take the time to understand (a) what you are buying; (b) what you are supposed to pay; (c) and what constitutional rights you are being forced to give up and what protections you are waiving so that the companies can abuse you at will without any fear of having to appear in front of a jury of real people and answer for their conduct. 
     To that end, if you are considering getting or renewing a contract for cell phone, cable or satellite TV, or Internet service, you should know about CUBConnects.org, a free service provided by Citizens Utility Board of Oregon (CUB).  
     The companies in this field are some of the worst bad actors imaginable, regularly winning polls of "Worst Company in the World."  They are fantastically profitable, providing a "service" with a marginal cost approaching zero, and yet they spend virtually nothing on training customer service representatives (CSRs) and they give them no authority to actually solve the problems that their absurdly complex rate tables and overlapping promotions and schemes create.  Worst of all, they use outrageous early cancellation fees as a club to keep you from telling them to stick their "service" in their ear when you realize how the bills you are getting have nothing to do with what you were promised on the phone or on your doorstep.
     My advice:
    1) Do not sign up with ANY of these companies over the phone or at your door. 
    2) Go to an in-store kiosk or a separate store to speak with a sales person.
    3) GET A WRITTEN OFFER from them -- what you are buying and how much it will cost.
    4) DO NOT SIGN IT until you take it home and READ IT with a highlighter in hand.  Highlight any penalties or early cancellation provisions that they've hidden in there (such as mandatory arbitration provisions).  Notice how the contract is all about letting them get away with anything, while limiting your ability to hold them accountable.
    5) IGNORE them when they tell you that the offer is "only good today" -- whatever they're pushing, if they don't want you to read their offer and compare it to other choices, you don't want it.
    6) Go to CUBConnects.org and compare you offer with the others out there, and read the blog and its warnings.
    7)  If you want me to look over their offer with you, feel free to give me a call and make an appointment; for $35 or less, I'll look over their offer, point out any red flags, and help you consider your options.

 
 
If you did, you've got money coming, but you have to speak up here:
                To make a claim, customers can visit www.oregonlatefeesettlement.com.
 

John Gear Law Office LLC; 503-339-7787; John@JohnGearLaw.com. My office is in Suite 208B of the Security Building in downtown Salem. That's at 161 High St. SE, across from the Elsinore Theatre, just a block south of Marion County Courthouse. There is abundant, free, 2-hour on-street parking throughout downtown. #### #### #### Lawyerly fine print: Licensed in Oregon. This site may be considered advertising under Oregon State Bar rules. There is no legal advice given or intended on my site. I'm not your attorney unless we have met in person and entered into a representation agreement; while I hope you will consider me when you seek an attorney, you should not hire any attorney based on brochures, websites, advertising, or other promotional materials.