Rant on "Terms of use"

[newbury]

I've gotten several "Terms of Use/Privacy Policy" updates recently. Like for my cable provider, my internet provider and the most recent, an NBC one. The NBC one is 145 pages! No summary, not a mention of what's changed.
Does anyone know of a website that analyzes these?
I'm thinking like in the case of the someone who got hurt at Disney but was denied an easy claim because they had signed a document years before.
Without legal advice I'm flying blind on what I'm signing. For all I know I might be signing away any right to sue if a cable provider truck runs me over in the street.

 

[WinterDeere]

I predict this opening post is going to break the forum, with the number of "likes" it receives.

Wish I had some good advice, I'm dealing with the same, times two for home and business. I do think legislation needs to catch up with the state of affairs here, as it is completely unreasonable to expect consumers to read or understand the many hundreds (thousands?) of pages of TOU contracts they receive every year, just in the course of normal daily life.

In many or most cases, you've signed your consent to them, just by paying your bill or using the service.

 

[Jstpssng]

I drive auto salesmen in particular crazy because I take the time to at least look over the contract. "Most people don't bother to read those"...

Well I do. One thing I look for is an arbitration clause. The one time I did try to get money back on a service contract I had signed one of those... My butt hole hurt for a long time afterwards.

 

[5030]

it's the 'fine print' that always gets you...

 

[mikester]

Vote with your wallet. Stop giving business to those vendors.

 

[WinterDeere]

Vote with your wallet. Stop giving business to those vendors.

Really? You live in a world where there are service providers not operating under such contracts?

 

[Jstpssng]

Really? You live in a world where there are service providers not operating under such contracts?

You and I must use the same vendors.

 

[mikester]

Really? You live in a world where there are service providers not operating under such contracts?

Sure. I will never buy a Tesla because I refuse to ride around in a cell phone masquerading as a car that spies on me 24/7 and sells my info to insurers, banks etc.

I have Free To Air HDTV because I say FU to paying for the same crappier lower quality version of TV on satellite and cable.

I don't use Fakebook and all the other similar spyware and I actively block that stuff on my network. I also block google (with limited success) and stopped using gmail. I enjoy ad free TBN.

I don't install "apps" on my smart phone. I don't have any subscriptions or stream music.

I told my previous cellular provider to FO and pound sand when they arbitrarily raised my "locked-in-pricing" mid contract.

Like I said, vote with your pocketbook. Stop supporting those scammers. If TBN decides to force me to allow ads and tracking to use this site then it will be FU too.

Tin foil hat is optional.

 

[WinterDeere]

Sure. I will never buy a Tesla because I refuse to ride around in a cell phone masquerading as a car that spies on me 24/7 and sells my info to insurers, banks etc.

But that's the problem. You believe Tesla is unique, in this regard, but they are not. ALL car brands have massive privacy violations, and Tesla isn't even nearly the worst among them.

https://foundation.mozilla.org/en/privacynotincluded/articles/its-official-cars-are-the-worst-product-category-we-have-ever-reviewed-for-privacy/

Likewise with your cell phone provider, and the internet provider you use for browsing this forum. It is pervasive, and unavoidable. You have probably done a better job than most, in limiting your exposure, but it is like a screen door in front of a fire hose.

 

[orezok]

it's the 'fine print' that always gets you...

What the big print givith, the fine print taketh away