Consumer Confidential: Duped VW Owners Wonder What Their Next Move Should Be
Paul Mason works for Pacific Forest Trust, a San Francisco nonprofit group focusing on environmental protection. He is, by his own admission, a tree-hugging kind of guy. That’s why Mason purchased a Volkswagen Golf TDI five years ago. He liked the idea that he’d be driving what VW touted as a “clean diesel” car, one that delivered more oomph than a Prius hybrid while keeping pollutants in check. Mason, 43, had no idea that the...
Consumer Confidential: Firms Should Stop Pretending That High-Profile Mergers Will Benefit Consumers
The script has become a familiar one for consumers. First a company announces that it’s acquiring a rival firm. Both businesses declare this will be great for customers. Federal regulators, in most cases, then say that they’ve looked closely at the deal and don’t see any problem. The buyout goes through and — what do you know? — prices eventually go up and the quality of the product or service shows no improvement. It makes you...
