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Texas files charges against price-comparison websites

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by JESSICA VESS / KVUE News

Posted on November 30, 2009 at 12:01 PM

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The Texas Attorney General's Office Monday named seven price-comparison websites that's it's filing charges against. The sites are accused of misleading online shoppers.

They include shopcartusa.com, diduprice.com, flyingprices.com, digitalsaver.com and pricingdepot.com. Everyprice.com and lowpricedigital.com also face charges.

The Attorney General says the websites appear to give shoppers an easy way to comparison shop by using a single web page to search for a product and receive prices from multiple merchants. Instead, the Attorney General Greg Abbott says the websites secretly steered shoppers toward certain merchants. Those merchants allegedly paid for favorable treatment.

“What we uncovered was a cash-for-rating scheme in which some online retailers actually paid for higher rankings on these price-comparison sites. The price-comparison websites mislead consumers about the reliability and trustworthiness of some online retailers,” said Abbott.

Abbott recommends shoppers check a website’s reliability using google.com or checking with the Better Business Bureau. If you come across a questionable website or think you're a victim of a price comparison website you can call the Attorney General's Office at (800) 252-8011.
 

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ithinkthat said on December 1, 2009 at 1:36 PM

Jail, Jail, Jail! That is what I think those in these companies who are responsible for this deception deserve. Also, the merchants who got involved. Shame! Screwing people anytime, but in times like these?