<story><title>U.S. Consumer Bureau Loses Fight to Allow More Class-Action Suits</title><url>https://www.nytimes.com/2017/10/24/business/senate-vote-wall-street-regulation.html</url></story><parent_chain><item><author>defined</author><text>&amp;gt; Today, it is hard to open up a checking account, rent a car, get cable service or check a loved one into a nursing home without agreeing to mandatory arbitration.&lt;p&gt;This is the part that gives me ulcers, and it&amp;#x27;s no exaggeration. So many companies insist on us giving up our 7th Amendment rights that we either give in, or don&amp;#x27;t fly, buy a car, or get a job. We can&amp;#x27;t even go to the competition because they also have mandatory binding arbitration clauses in their contracts.&lt;p&gt;As bad as the Equifax breach is, IMO this is a greater danger to our freedoms.</text></item></parent_chain><comment><author>Chardok</author><text>This is certainly the most important point. You &lt;i&gt;cannot&lt;/i&gt; function in society without internet, a cell phone and some sort of transportation, and most if not all force you to sign away rights that should be guaranteed to all US citizens.&lt;p&gt;Unless you are wealthy enough to do without or fine being homeless, this means you are living under a sub-government that the rules are set by corporations.</text></comment>
<story><title>U.S. Consumer Bureau Loses Fight to Allow More Class-Action Suits</title><url>https://www.nytimes.com/2017/10/24/business/senate-vote-wall-street-regulation.html</url></story><parent_chain><item><author>defined</author><text>&amp;gt; Today, it is hard to open up a checking account, rent a car, get cable service or check a loved one into a nursing home without agreeing to mandatory arbitration.&lt;p&gt;This is the part that gives me ulcers, and it&amp;#x27;s no exaggeration. So many companies insist on us giving up our 7th Amendment rights that we either give in, or don&amp;#x27;t fly, buy a car, or get a job. We can&amp;#x27;t even go to the competition because they also have mandatory binding arbitration clauses in their contracts.&lt;p&gt;As bad as the Equifax breach is, IMO this is a greater danger to our freedoms.</text></item></parent_chain><comment><author>wingspar</author><text>When I last purchased a car I used accepting the arbitration clause to extract $150 in accessories from the dealer.  The sales agent was a bit confused, it’s usually the paperwork guy that deals with the arbitration and at point most people just want it over with..</text></comment>