online commerce

For the past decade, a few clever companies have been running an online scheme that tricked consumers into joining so-called membership clubs and charged their credit cards without their consent. But thanks to Sen. John Rockefeller, the era of this $1.4 billion con is coming to an end.

The rumors that e-tail giant Amazon is looking to buy Quidsi, parent company of Diapers.com, have proven true. But Jeff Bezos isn't likely to stop there, and Alice.com and Drugstore.com could be easy pickings.

Amazon.com's reported first-quarter earnings that beat Wall Street's estimates. But in looking ahead at the next quarter, the online retailing giant warned it won't look as rosy as analysts had projected.

If you've been on Facebook for even a little while, you already know about the gifts. Every day, among the friend requests, quiz scores, updates and notes, there are usually a few random presents from your various Facebook pals. If you play "Mafia Wars," they may be things like a stabproof vest or...