The Right to Fold, Spindle, Etc.

It has always been a classic mismatch: impervious electronics v. mortal flesh. The computer bills the consumer incorrectly. The consumer writes a letter of protest. The computer ignores the message and all further pleas while grimly sending out tougher and tougher dunning notes and threatening to whistle in the lawyers. The hapless customer may struggle for years to break through the cordon of computers and get to a human being who can understand the problem.

But the day of reckoning for the computer is nigh. Under a bill signed last week by President Ford, a creditor will be required to answer a customer's inquiry about a charge within 30 days. While the discussions go on, the creditor is forbidden to send out any heavy-handed letters. Should a company fail to explain or correct its bill within 90 days, the charge will be forfeited if it is $50 or less. What is more, the harried consumer can bring suit for civil damages and collect a minimum of $100 from a firm that violates the act. To give the creditors time to add some flesh and blood to their operation, the law will not go into effect until a year from now.

This file is automatically generated by a robot program, so viewer discretion is required.