News in Brief June 8 – Petco, Papa John's and More

Petco Accused of Violating the Fair Credit Reporting Act

Petco Animal Supplies has been hit with a putative class action that claims the company violated the Fair Credit Reporting Act by hiding the authorizations that allowed it to run credit checks on potential employees. According to the complaint, Petco only mentions the credit checks within a mountain of other text on the job application – despite FCRA’s requirement that credit check notifications be kept separate for applicants’ clarity.

Wyndham Hit with Lawsuit Over Resort Fees

Wyndham Worldwide has been accused of hiding resort fees from customers, making them believe the price for a room is lower than the price they would end up getting charged. According to the lawsuit, the fee is an “arbitrary amount” disguised as a tax and kept out of the advertised price – only to be added back later in the transaction. The suit also claims that Wyndham and its subsidiaries use a clause on their websites to attempt to escape any liability for the booking.

Papa John’s Sued Over Driver Mileage Pay

A Florida Papa John’s franchise chain is facing a proposed class action that alleges delivery drivers aren’t being properly reimbursed for their mileage. According to the lawsuit, franchise Pizzerias LLC violated the Fair Labor Standards Act when it paid its drivers less than half the required amount for their mileage reimbursement – leaving them with less than the minimum wage when all was said and done.

Nest Labs Knew Its Thermostat Claims Were Exaggerated

According to a group of consumers who filed a lawsuit against Nest Labs, the company’s own field study shows that it overstated the efficiency of its thermostats. The Nest Learning Thermostat was advertised as being able to deliver a 20 percent saving to energy bills, but studies (independent studies, as well as Nest’s own) report that it only saves customers an average of 10-12 percent. The studies also determined that the savings were exaggerated for both the first and second generations of the product.