Delta CEO says tech outage cost it $500 million - The Boston Globe (2024)

TICKETS

DC attorney general sues StubHub over hidden fees

The attorney general for Washington, D.C., sued StubHub on Wednesday, accusing the ticket resale platform of advertising deceptively low prices and then ramping up prices with extra fees. The practice known as “drip pricing” violates consumer protection laws in the nation’s capital, Attorney General Brian Schwalb said. “StubHub intentionally hides the true price to boost profits at its customers’ expense,” he said in a statement. The company did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment. The mandatory “fulfillment and service” fees are hidden until the end of a lengthy online purchasing process that often requires more than a dozen pages to complete as a countdown timer creates a sense of urgency, Schwalb said. That makes it “nearly impossible” for buyers to know the true cost of a ticket and compare to find the best price, he said. Fees vary widely and can total more than 40 percent of the advertised ticket price, the lawsuit alleges. StubHub is one of the world’s largest resale platforms for tickets to sports, concerts, and other live events. — ASSOCIATED PRESS

AUTOMOTIVE

CarShield to pay $10 million to settle charges over advertising claims

CarShield will pay $10 million to settle charges that its advertisem*nts and telemarketing for its extended auto warranty plans are deceptive and misleading, the Federal Trade Commission said. Many customers found that repair claims were often not covered despite making payments of up to $120 per month, the FTC said Wednesday. The FTC also alleged that CarShield’s celebrity and consumer endorsers made false statements in its ads. The FTC complaint states that CarShield advertises and sells vehicle service contracts in a monthly price range of about $80 to $120. Its ads have featured celebrities including sports commentator Chris Brown and actor and rapper Ice-T. The complaint alleges many CarShield ads claim that all repairs or repairs to “covered” systems, such as the engine and transmission, will be covered and they use language that make consumers believe CarShield will pay for all necessary repairs. But the FTC alleged that consumers often didn’t receive the services they thought were covered under their payments, such as using the repair facility of their choice. Many consumers also found that repairs they thought were covered were not. — ASSOCIATED PRESS

ATHLETIC SHOES

Adidas says sales are up

Adidas reported a rebound in sales with its retail partners and a return to growth in North America, when Yeezy sneaker sales were excluded, as the brand looks to increase profits after years of crisis. The German sportswear company posted currency-neutral revenue growth of 17 percent in its wholesale business last quarter, according to a statement Wednesday, a sign that retail partners like Foot Locker and JD Sports Fashion are again embracing Adidas products. Now in his second year at the helm, chief executive Bjorn Gulden has been winning over investors with a back-to-basics focus on sports and developing new footwear and apparel. — BLOOMBERG NEWS

MEDIA

O’Donnell to step down as CBS anchor

The “CBS Evening News” anchor Norah O’Donnell announced on Tuesday that she would step down from the anchor role after this fall’s presidential election. O’Donnell will become a senior correspondent at the network, and told colleagues in an email that she had signed “a long-term commitment” to CBS News. Her new role will include “big interviews,” she said, and will be featured on a number of programs, including prime-time specials and “60 Minutes.” Before taking the reins of “Evening News” in 2019, O’Donnell, who is 50, spent several years as a co-host of the CBS News morning newscast. — NEW YORK TIMES

FOOD

Recall of Boar’s Head deli meat expanded

Boar’s Head recalled seven million additional pounds of deli meat on Tuesday, expanding a recall of more than 200,000 pounds after its product was linked on Monday to a listeria outbreak that has left two people dead and sickened nearly three dozen. The expanded recall includes all meats and poultry processed at a Boar’s Head facility in Jarratt, Va. The decision to broaden the recall came after the company learned from the US Department of Agriculture that a sample of its liverwurst from a Maryland store that had tested positive for listeria bacteria had matched the strain in the nationwide outbreak. — NEW YORK TIMES

MOBILE PHONES

T-Mobile saw subscriber boost in the second quarter

T-Mobile reported new monthly mobile-phone subscribers that exceeded analyst estimates, joining its peers in wooing new customers in the second quarter. The Bellevue, Wash.-based carrier reported a net 777,000 additional monthly phone subscribers, the company said in a statement Wednesday. Analysts were expecting 645,300, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. T-Mobile raised its forecast for mobile subscribers this year to between 5.4 million and 5.7 million, from as much as 5.6 million previously. Verizon, the No. 1 wireless carrier in the United States, reported last week that it added 148,000 monthly mobile phone customers in the second quarter, beating estimates. AT&T Inc. also surprised the market with 419,000 subscriber additions. — BLOOMBERG NEWS

TECHNOLOGY

Intel to cut thousands of jobs

Intel plans to eliminate thousands of jobs to reduce costs and fund an ambitious effort to rebound from an earnings slump and market share losses. The workforce reduction may be announced as early as this week, according to people familiar with the company’s plans, who asked not to be identified because the information isn’t public. Intel, which is scheduled to report second-quarter earnings Thursday, has about 110,000 employees, excluding workers at units that are being spun out. — BLOOMBERG NEWS

FAST FOOD

Taco Bell to expand AI drive-throughs

Taco Bell is doubling down on AI-powered drive-throughs even as some of its competitors take a step back from the technology. The Mexican-inspired chain is planning to roll out a voice AI system to hundreds of US restaurants by the end of the year, according to a statement Wednesday. The company has tested the technology, which is currently in about 100 restaurants in 13 states, for about two years. The chain declined to specify exactly how many of its 7,400 US stores would get the platform. — BLOOMBERG NEWS

INTERNATIONAL

Inflation in euro zone ticks up

Inflation in the 20 countries that use the euro ticked up to 2.6 percent in July, stubbornly above the European Central Bank’s target and complicating the ECB’s next decision on whether to cut interest rates and boost growth as the economy struggles to stage a convincing recovery after a long stretch of stagnation. Inflation rose from 2.5 percent in June, according to official figures Wednesday from the EU statistics agency Eurostat. — ASSOCIATED PRESS