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netzero

E-tail Scrooges and how one woman defeated them

The nightmare of the mysterious debit card charges began this way for Caroline Butler:

She noticed that Privacy Matters 123, a membership program she had never heard of, was charging her $20 every month. She had no idea how to get her money back or even how to get the company to stop. All she knew was that they were draining the bank account used to help pay the medical bills for her 18-year-old daughter, a cancer patient.

Somehow, Butler, a freelance photographer from Paducah, Ky., unintentionally enrolled in the membership program during a visit to social-networking site, Classmates.com, … Read more

From Net access to flowers: United Media buys FTD

What does an Internet service provider have in common with a florist?

Seemingly not much. But United Online, which owns dial-up Internet service provider NetZero, said Wednesday that it's spending $456 million to buy FTD Group, the floral and specialty gift provider.

I don't think I'm alone in thinking this seems like an odd pairing. FTD is one of the largest floral companies in the world, providing products to consumers as well as retail florists throughout the U.S., Canada, U.K., and Ireland. But United Online, which owns Internet properties such as Classmates.com, Juno, NetZero, … Read more