About Me

Attorney General Terry Goddard announced a $3 million, multi-state settlement with VONAGE, one of the nation’s largest providers of an Internet-based phone service known as “Voice over Internet Protocol.” The settlement requires VONAGE to make significant changes to its marketing practices, to honor consumer cancellation requests and provide refunds to eligible customers.

The settlement addresses complaints of consumers who said they had difficulty or complete inability to cancel their VONAGE service. VONAGE formerly paid incentives to customer service representatives for retaining or “saving” customers in lieu of cancellation when consumers called to cancel. As a result, consumers reported that cancellation was extremely difficult and sometimes impossible. Today’s agreement puts strict limitations on this practice and requires recording and verification of these telephone calls.

The settlement also addresses a number of other marketing practices, which have led to consumer confusion over the cost of VONAGE equipment and service. Under the agreement, VONAGE will be revising its disclosures regarding the offer of “free” services, money-back guarantees and trial periods.

Further, the settlement puts in place a broad restitution plan requiring VONAGE to make refunds to eligible consumers who filed complaints regarding unauthorized charges from January 2004 to March 16, 2010, which have not been resolved.

“We cannot allow companies to ignore their customers’ legal rights,” Goddard said. “Consumers must be treated with decency and not put off or prevented from canceling their phone service.”

Goddard was joined by 31 other state Attorneys General in this settlement.

If you believe you are eligible to receive restitution, please contact the Attorney General’s Office in Phoenix at 602.542.5763, in Tucson at 520.628.6504, or outside the Phoenix and Tucson metro areas at 1.800.352.8431. Consumers can also file complaints online by visiting the Attorney General’s Web site at www.azag.gov . To file a complaint in person, the Attorney General’s Office has satellite offices throughout the state with volunteers available to help. Locations and hours of operation are posted on the Attorney General’s Web site.

Attorney General Terry Goddard and law enforcement officials from across the state are inviting Arizona seventh and eighth graders to participate in the ARIZONA METH PROJECT’S annual “Meth NOT EVEN ONCE” poster contest to raise awareness of the dangers methamphetamine abuse.

“Our statewide efforts to cut meth use among teens have shown results, but we still have a long way to go,” said Goddard. “It is my hope that by giving youth the opportunity to reach out to one another, we can do even more to fight this devastating drug.”

Kingman Police Chief Robert DeVries said of the program, “The partnership between law enforcement and prevention efforts such as the ARIZONA METH PROJECT and community coalitions has really helped prevent first time meth use. This contest is a great opportunity for young people to join this effort.”

Poster submissions must be received by 5 p.m. on Jan. 29, 2010.

Contest results will be announced in February. Contest winners will receive first, second and third place prizes of $500, $350 and $100. There will also be honorable mention prizes, courtesy of local retailers. This is the first year that 7th graders will be eligible to participate in the contest.

The winning submissions will be printed on a full-sized poster and used throughout 2010 in the ARIZONA METH PROJECT’s statewide public awareness campaign.

For additional information and contest rules, go to www.azag.gov .

2010 Meth NOT EVEN ONCE Poster Contest Information:
http://www.azag.gov/StopMeth/PosterContest/2010/Meth%20Info%20Flyer%202010.pdf

2010 Meth NOT EVEN ONCE Poster Contest Entry Form
http://www.azag.gov/StopMeth/PosterContest/2010/Meth%20Poster%20entry%20form%202010.pdf

When we celebrate Veterans Day Wednesday, we honor all those who have given their lives, risked their lives and served their country so that our nation could remain free.

To every American who wears or has worn the uniform of the United States Armed Forces, I say with deepest gratitude, thank you.

My appreciation for the nation’s military and all those who have served has been reinforced in the past year with four trips to the Pentagon on behalf of Luke Air Force Base. I’ve had the opportunity to talk with some of the top officers in the Air Force and the Defense Department, and they are an impressive group.

On my visit to Washington last week, I met with Kathleen Ferguson, Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Air Force, and Lt. Gen. Philip Breedlove, Air Force Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations, Plans and Requirements. Both are involved in the selection process for training bases for the new F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, and both made it clear that protecting Luke from residential encroachment is critical to its chances of being selected as a training facility for the F-35.

I will continue to advocate strongly for Luke and make sure the decision-makers are aware of its unsurpassed assets and all this Office is doing to support its mission. Luke’s importance to Arizona can hardly be overstated. It currently ranks as the world’s largest F-16 training base with more than 200 F-16s currently assigned. The base contributes an estimated $2.2 billion a year to the state’s economy.

The Air Force announced two weeks ago that Luke is one of the finalists for the F-35. A second Arizona base, the Arizona Air National Guard’s 162nd Fighter Wing in Tucson, is also a finalist. A decision is expected next spring.

Near the end of my meeting last week with Lt. Gen. Breedlove, Mayor Bob Barrett of Peoria and I thanked him for his consideration and asked if there was anything we could do to help him. He paused for a long moment and said help is needed in support of the men and women in uniform who are defending their country and putting their lives on the line. He fears that a growing disconnect between the military and the rest of the country over the military actions in Iraq and Afghanistan could result in less support for the men and women serving there.

We must not let that happen. This, of course, is not the first time in our history when serious questions have arisen over war policy. Differences today don’t compare with opposition 40 years ago at the height of the Vietnam War when I was on active duty with the U.S. Navy and soldiers and sailors became targets of political attacks. I hope we have learned not to confuse doubts about policy with the virtues of service.

Our nation has a long and proud tradition of citizen soldiers who have defended our freedom. They deserve our respect, our admiration and unwavering support.

Please join me in thanking every veteran and every member of the Armed Services currently serving for answering the call to duty. We will be forever grateful for their service to America.

Love seeing friends across AZ: Border tour & Douglas Chamber of Commerce last night, Clifton Veteran’s events today.

My heartfelt prayers to the families of victims of today’s Ft. Hood tragedy. The victims served our country honorably.