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Why does the USA have so few legal protections for ordinary people, and how can we change that?

I’m just a regular person making about $70K a year in a big city, and I’ve recently felt incredibly powerless dealing with private companies. For instance, my landlord’s auto-pay system had a glitch that excluded my pet rent and water bill. I ended up with over $1,000 in late fees. Despite hours on the phone, it turns out their system doesn’t really do auto-pay and requires a fixed amount instead of covering the full rent. It feels like a scam, and my options are to pay the fees or potentially spend a fortune on legal action.

Another frustrating experience was trying to cancel my pest control service. I had to endure a 40-minute call followed by 35 minutes of arguing, just to finally cancel. There’s no online cancellation option, and the process felt like a timeshare sales pitch.

Why do ordinary people seem so unprotected against these shady practices, and how can we change this? How does one person even start to address these issues?

UncleGrandPa ,

One of the things more and more companies are doing is

Ignoring the Laws.

They have learned to ignore what they are required to do or what they are allowed to do . Knowing few will sue and those who win will get no more than they were due.

The companies have learned there is no downside for being criminal… So they have become criminals.

GBU_28 ,

It can be very cheap to get a letter written by a lawyer on their letterhead, to demand things like service cancellation.

It’s not perfect and shouldn’t have to happen, but what’s your time and mental health worth?

partial_accumen ,

a glitch that excluded my pet rent and water bill. I ended up with over $1,000 in late fees. Despite hours on the phone, it turns out their system doesn’t really do auto-pay and requires a fixed amount instead of covering the full rent

You got over $1000 in late fees from a single month of not having the full amount?

Rentlar ,

It’s because the American culture of individualism has successfully divided up worker’s power that makes standing against wealthy and powerful individuals next to impossible.

I will say this because people in the US don’t seem to look out for neighbours that they can’t see.

Vote for politicians who will empower the working class and take billionaires and multinational corps down a notch. Don’t let culture war distractions take people’s eyes off the ruling class intentionally diverting the attention away from them.

Team up with your neighbours… you don’t have to start a protest/riot immediately but ask them if they’ve had a similar issue with the landlord’s autopay system. Have barbecues or potluck dinners with them on occasion.

Go to your local city council when an issue you care about comes up. Write to your city council, state rep, house rep and senators about things that concern you. Join local movements or participate in their events to enact change you want to see. United you will be stronger.

UnderpantsWeevil ,
@UnderpantsWeevil@lemmy.world avatar

https://lemmy.world/pictrs/image/83f78b73-67c4-4ad6-afaa-47292aa5ab83.png

heavyboots ,
@heavyboots@lemmy.ml avatar

Pretty much we are a corporate welfare state at this point. Electing officials you think will pass or enforce laws to bring them to heel is your best bet. (People like AOC are preferred, as she has never accepted contributions from corporations to her campaign.)

Rhynoplaz ,

Why would regular people need protection? They don’t have shareholders! 🤷🏻‍♂️

PhlubbaDubba ,

Well one big fix would be to make legal services free at point of services and instead make the government responsible for paying the salaries of lawyers.

Call it Justice for All like Medicare for All but more patriotic sounding and litigious.

Kills SLAP suits, and opens the gates for people who had legitimate grievances but were scared of the legal fees and costs to have access to their day in court.

lordnikon ,

it’s because money equals power and they have all the money and are able to build mechanisms to suck the money you have so that they have even more money. Can’t help with the landlord but for the pest control using something like virtual credit cards numbers. so if they won’t let you cancel. you just delete that card and they lose acess to your payment details. when they contact you for payment just cancel right then.

TokenBoomer ,

Capitalism. The answer for most societal problems we face.

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