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Consumer News & Alerts

July 2, 2007

TIL DEBT US DO PART
It's no longer unusual for weddings to resemble a Presidential inauguration, minus the speeches, or a safari to some remote and exotic hidewaway. This is fine if you're Google co-founder Sergey Brin. He and his bride swam to their wedding on a deserted island, after flying most of the way in the company's 767. But for the rest of us, a hang-the-expense hitch-up can mean the debt lasts longer than the marriage. Being wedded to debt is no way to begin a marriage, as Martin H. Bosworth reports in Wedding Bill Blues.

Speaking of debt ...

The Fed this week issued stricter guidance for subprime lenders. Yes, it is a bit late to be thinking of this, but regulators now say they want tougher terms under which borrowers can be offered "creative" mortgage products.

The Fed also decreed that receipts are no longer needed for debit card purchases under $15. The goal is to make it easier to buy snacks and so forth with your Visa card. Or so we assume, anyway. The only Visa mouthpiece we could find was too busy issuing orders to give us much information.

NOT FROM SANTA'S WORKSHOP
We've been reading a lot of inaccurate and incomplete statistics about safety recalls of toys made in China. So we scoured our database and went through the official government recall notices and found that 96 percent of toys recalled this year came from China. Most of the problems involved lead paint, detachable parts that could create a choking hazard and infants' clothing with drawstrings. China is taking a lot of heat over this, but each of these items was imported by a U.S. company which has the legal responsibility to ensure the items are safe.

In related news ...

• Toothpaste Scare Spreads to Hospitals, Prisons Potentially contaminated Chinese toothpaste used in institutions throughout the South.

• FDA Detains Some Chinese Seafood Imports Low levels of toxicity found in some imports; recall not necessary, FDA finds.

• Consumers Warned about Killer Stoves Newer stoves are lighter and can tip over, causing serious injury or death.

GAS PRICE WATCH
Look out! Gas prices, which have been headed south of $3 per gallon lately may be headed back up in July. The reason? Analysts say an "unexpected fall in inventories" is likely to push prices back up. Why are inventories suddenly low? Nobody's quite sure but consumption zooms each time the price goes down, which Econ 101 tells us pushes the price back up again.

• Chinese Tire Importer Heads to Bankruptcy Company faces state and federal probes into its sale of 450,000 recalled tires from China.

• Summer Car Sales Start to Sizzle If you can't find a way to drive less and your gas guzzler is nearing the end of its life, now might be a good time to get a new fuel-efficient car. Incentives and rebates will be thick as gnats this summer.

• Consumer Reports Lists Best New Car Deals The august consumer publication has issued its recommendations for Independence Day, a major car-shopping season.

THE HONEY BEE MYSTERY
Like frogs, honey bees have been making themselves scarce lately. Many of them simply fly off from their hives never to return. One group of researchers thinks cell phones are driving the bees nuts (not to mention what they're doing to the rest of us). But now a group of scientists say pesticides are a more likely cause.

• Aspartame Cancer Risk? An Italian cancer institute study raises new safety questions about the artificial sweetener.

• Enlarged Prostate Doesn't Mean Cancer The symptoms can be similar though, so a doctor visit is important, the Healthy Geezer reminds us.

SUPREMES OK PRICE FIXING
The Supreme Court issued a flurry of significant decisions as it ended its current term. One that didn't get much attention held that manufacturers can dictate the retail price of their products, overturning a 96-year-old law against retail price fixing. In other words, the manufacturer's suggested retail price is no longer just a suggestion.

FTC NIXES NET NEUTRALITY
There's no need for intrusive government regulation of the Internet, the FTC has concluded. In a report on broadband availability and connectivity, the FTC found little reason to protect consumers and content providers from attempts by large telecommunications providers to charge more for faster delivery. Although one could count all of the major competitors on one hand, the FTC opined that competition is increasing rather than decreasing.

iFever It's truly amazing how much press the iPhone has received. One would think it enabled consumers to levitate, pass through walls and travel through time. Hey, it's a cell phone that plays music. Like its sibling, the iPod, the iPhone has a non-removable battery, meaning you have to send it in or get a new one when the battery wears out after a year or so. We haven't heard any complaints yet but we're saving plenty of space in the database.

SECURITY SNAFUS
The terrorist attacks in London have already brought tighter security to U.S. airports, causing delays and consternation around the country, further complicating what was already shaping up as a challenging summer for travel. Among the other problems is the growing congestion on airport runways and taxiways. The FAA reports 31 mishaps last year alone. Northwest passengers face delays caused by pilot shortages.

More travel notes ...

• No Dogs Allowed Air Canada has decreed that it is too busy to bother with pets. It has banned pets from the baggage holds and from the passenger compartment.

• An Alaska Land Cruise Here's an adventurous alternative to the popular Alaskan cruises.

• Hawaii Ferry Will Bring Islands Closer Hawaii Superferry will run daily three-hour voyages between Maui and Oahu.

RECALLS

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