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government more reluctant to leave China. In the years that followed Japan’s declaration, Washington, D.C., and Tokyo engaged in negotiations, but neither was willing to budge. Japanese forces planned their attack on the United States for several months before putting their devastating plans into action. Their goal was to destroy the United States Pacific Fleet in order to remove any opposition to their takeover of the South Pacific. While their attack was incredibly damaging, it didn’t incapacitate the fleet. Pearl Harbor’s aircraft carriers were away when the attack took place and were considered the most important aspect of a naval fleet at that time. The Japanese also failed to destroy the U.S. Navy’s oil storage depots, repair shops, and submarine and shipyard docks, allowing the navy to recuperate quickly from the attack. There are many memorials to remind U.S. citizens of that day. A marble memorial was built over the fallen USS Arizona, dedicated
to all military persons who were killed in the attack. Another monument was built on the northwest shore of Ford Island, close to where the USS Utah sank. In later years, the ship was added to the national register of historic places and was declared a national historic landmark.
Dec. 7 serves as National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day. It honors individuals who survived the attack and those who did not. Remember those who lost their lives on that day and throughout WWII and the other brave soldiers who fought to keep the freedoms we have today.
Fake Discounts and Angry Shoppers A Massive Black Friday Lawsuit
Shoppers flock to retailers every Black Friday in hopes of securing the best deals on the year’s hottest products. There are many nasty aspects of Black Friday — the long lines, the overzealous shoppers, the limited stock of items —but phony pricing and fake sales shouldn’t be among them. But that’s exactly what happened to folks in Los Angeles during the 2016 holiday season, leading to the biggest Black Friday lawsuit in history. In December of 2016, the Los Angeles City Attorney’s Office sued J.C. Penney, Sears, Macy’s, and Kohl’s for a practice called“false reference pricing,”a nefarious tactic whereby retailers lie about the original price of an item to make a discount appear bigger than it actually is. For example, Sears sold a Kenmore washing
machine at a“sale price”of $999.99, compared to a“regular price”of $1,179.99. The problem was the so-called sale price was actually the price that product was offered at every day. Therefore, it wasn’t actually on sale. Duping your customers is a bad business practice, but what makes it illegal?Well, California law requires that retailers post a retail price no higher than what the product was sold at within three months prior to the ad.“Families today… are striving to get the very most they can get from an extremely hard-earned holiday shopping dollar,”said LA City Attorney Mike Feuer.“They deserve tomake an informed decision.”After the suit was brought against them, the retailers all quickly moved to settle, promising to never engage in false reference pricing again.
Most retailers offer discounts around the holidays to encourage shoppers to come into their stores or visit their websites. Promotions and sales are great tools in any business’s arsenal, provided they aren’t out to mislead customers. Big-box stores may try to manipulate innocent people, and it’s up to aggrieved customers to hold those corporations accountable. Nearly every year, you’ll read about a class-action lawsuit that develops in response to the shady tactics of businesses eager to secure those holiday shopping dollars. Are there great bargains to be had on Black Friday? Of course. But if something sounds too good to be true, it very well might be. Keep your eyes peeled and don’t let retailers trick you into a purchase you wouldn’t make otherwise.
2 • Flattmannlaw.com
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