jdreyer wrote on Jul 2, 2014, 20:41:
Your California Cable TV Company Missed an Appointment? The Law Protects Cable TV Subscribers.
I thought this was pretty cool. I had no idea that there was any legal recourse for that.
As with most laws it sounds cool, but the fine print makes it basically impossible to actually make a successful claim.
"If the service connection or repair is not commenced within the specified four-hour period, except for delays caused by unforeseen or unavoidable occurrences beyond the control of the company, the subscriber may bring an action in small claims court against the company for lost wages, expenses actually incurred or other actual damages not exceeding a total of six hundred dollars ($600)."(emphasis mine.)
Cable Co: "Our agent had a flat tire. Sorry."
And you're done.
Technically travelers with any US airline have similar protections in place. I missed a flight from Chicago to Amsterdam once because my first flight to Chicago was three fucking hours late. So when I demanded they give me my restitution, they simply said "Sorry, the delay was due to the weather, which is an uncontrollable circumstance, so we're not liable."
The weather had been gorgeous all day in the US, and especially on the route I flew. It was blue skies everywhere. I told the agent so, and he just shrugged and again said it was due to the weather and I would not receive restitution.
All those laws are congressmen just pandering to voters without actually inconveniencing the corporations that pad their fucking pockets with bribes.