[mschuster91]

> Unfortunately, this type of conflict can only be adjudicated by courts, which low-income people don't have the time and money for.

Here in Europe, we have consumer protection agencies. Get wronged? Shoot them off an email and they'll take care of it. And overcharging at the cash register? That gets handled by the responsible authorities. Again, call them, tell them what happened and it can get real messy real fast.

[js2]

I was having trouble getting Verizon to unlock an iPhone that had been purchased (not financed) from Best Buy and that had been on Verizon's network for more than two years. Verizon support said only BB could unlock it[^1]. I thought that was poppycock. I filled out a form on the FCC's web site just before midnight. By 8 AM, the FCC had forwarded the complaint to Verizon. By 9 AM Verizon executive relations called me. 30 minutes later the phone was unlocked.

Which is all to say, for some things, the US also has consumer protection and it's great when it works.

[^1]: Apparently only Apple sells unlocked iPhones. iPhones purchased at other retailers carrier-lock themselves at activation. At least on Verizon they're supposed to automatically unlock after 60 days. When that doesn't happen, you get stuck in Verizon's mindless customer support swamp[^2,^3].

[^2]: https://old.reddit.com/r/Bestbuy/comments/17ae8l2/verizon_sa...

[^3]: https://old.reddit.com/r/Bestbuy/comments/1buemp5/why_is_it_...

[LorenPechtel]

Yeah, I've had a similar experience with a phone company trying to hold a number hostage. Yes, the bill was unpaid, but I was not the one liable. (My phone on a company account, the company was going under.) Letter to the regulators, very promptly fixed.

[raw_anon_1111]

I bet you didn’t try that this year when every single part of the federal government is actively trying to harm people.

[zdragnar]

We have such agencies over here as well. Most states have some sort of weights and measures agency that handles inaccurate price scanning complaints.

I can't say how effective they are at remediating small figure issues, but no company wants to hear from them regardless.

[venturecruelty]

We have those agencies as well. They've been steadily gutted since their inception, and the courts (well, the Court) don't care.

[zeroonetwothree]

You may be referring to the CFPB but states tend to have their own agencies that have nothing to do with SCOTUS or the federal government.

[venturecruelty]

And yet, here we are, with the terrible state of affairs for consumers.