IP: re Beware of GPS in rental vehicles

[David Farber <dave@farber.net>]

>
>To: farber@central.cis.upenn.edu
>From: Dan Lynch <dan@lynch.com>
>Subject: Beware of GPS in rental vehicles
>
>>Consumer agency targets Connecticut rental firm for tracking customers
>>http://www.cnn.com/2001/TECH/ptech/07/03/rental.car.tracking.ap/index.html
>>
>>July 3, 2001 Posted: 1:33 AM EDT (0533 GMT)
>>
>>--------- excerpts -------
>>
>>HARTFORD, Connecticut (AP) -- A rental car company used satellites to catch
>>customers speeding and automatically charged fines to their credit cards,
>>spurring a complaint Monday from the state Department of Consumer
>>Protection.
>>
>>The complaint accuses American Car Rental Inc., which operates ACME
>>Rent-A-Car in New Haven, of violating the Connecticut Unfair Trade Practices
>>Act by failing to warn customers of the potential for fines and charging
>>customers' bank accounts or credit cards.
>>
>>The company said rental contracts clearly warn customers they face a $150
>>fine every time the satellite tracks them speeding for more than two
>>minutes.
>>
>>"Our goal has never been to make money off of this. Our goal has been to
>>enforce speed limits on our cars and prevent the catastrophic claims that
>>can put us out of business," said [company spokesman]
>>
>>
>>...  the company still plans to use the GPS devices to track
>>speeding, as well as track unreturned cars.
>>
>>State Attorney General Richard Blumenthal [said] ...  Acme's practice
>>"abusive and illegal."
>>
>>"This practice reflects the perils and misuse in technology when consumers
>>are made unknowing victims of Big Brother tactics."
>>
>>One of the consumers, New Haven resident James Turner, is suing the company
>>in small claims court in New Haven, seeking the return of $450 he was
>>charged after the company claimed it caught him speeding last fall.



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