Complain about a product or service

Consumer News & Alerts

October 15, 2007

By Martin H. Bosworth
ConsumerAffairs.com

Trouble reading this? See /newsletters/0000.html

LIPSTICK ON YOUR COLLAR?
"You can't put lipstick on a pig," goes the old saying, and you'd better keep it off your lips as well. The Campaign For Safe Cosmetics recently tested lipsticks purchased in several major cities, and found that more than half of the 33 brand names tested contained detectable levels of lead,. Fully one third contained lead levels in excess of the Food and Drug Administration's limit for lead in candy. As Mark Huffman reports, the beauty industry isn't looking so beautiful in light of the findings.

More product safety news...

• Missouri Baby's Death Blamed on Simplicity Bassinet Model was not included in last month's recall of 1 million cribs.

• Researchers Link Spray Cleaners With Asthma Earlier studies had found similar effects in cleaning professionals.

• Drug Companies Withdraw Infant Cold Remedies Action follows FDA criticism of multi-purpose infant remedies.

• Noxious Tile Sealer Stayed on Home Depot Shelves At least two consumers died from inhaling Stand 'n Seal fumes.

POT PIE RECALL
Many of us recall with varying degrees of horror the pot pies our moms used to defrost and slap down in front of us. Well, now ConAgra is recalling them too after an investigation by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and state health departments found that a recent clustered outbreak of salmonella poisoning led back to Conagra's Banquet brand pot pies, not to mention store brand versions including Kroger's, Albertsons, and Meijers. The frozen goop in question was sold over a lengthy period of time -- so besides what may still be on store shelves, there could well be a few lurking in your freezer, so check carefully. Our story has the details of what to look for.

More food safety news...

• Retail & Wholesale Beef Recalls Meat from Illinois and Georgia plants may be contaminated with E. coli.

Recent safety recalls...

• J.C. Penney Breyer Stirrup Ornaments
• J.C. Penney Deluxe Wood Art Sets
• J.C. Penney Disney Winnie-the-Pooh Play Sets
• Cracker Barrel Old Country Store Travel Art Sets
• Bendable Dinosaur Toys
• Jeff Gordon Mini NASCAR Helmets
• Kidnastics Balance Beams
• Starbucks Children's Cups
• Toshiba AC Adapters Sold with Portable DVD Players
• Lithonia Ceiling Light Fixtures Sold at Home Depot
• Christmas Tree Shop Glitter Candles
• Ford Recalls 1,500 Explorers, Mountaineers for Fire Risk
• Cub Scout Badges Recalled
• IonizAir Air Purifiers
• Razor E300 Electric Scooters

LIVING ABROAD: NOW OR NEVER
If you've ever fantasized about leaving behind the boring old exurbs to rough it in the jungles of Africa or relax on the beaches of South America, there's good news--our road junkie Tom Glaister has already done it, and he's here to tell you what life as an expat is really like. As Tom reports, thanks to the advent of the Internet, there's no better time to move abroad and pursue a life of adventure and excitement while making a living--but only if you're truly prepared to be a little flexible.

ENVIROS HISS AT TOYOTA
Toyota has cleverly made itself synonymous with eco-friendly driving, thanks to its best-selling Prius hybrid. But the company is now being reminded that what's painstakingly built up can be torn down practically overnight. Environmentalists are seething at Toyota's opposition to a Congressional measure that would impose stricter fuel efficiency standards by 2020. Why would Toyota do such a thing? Simple, reports Joe Benton. It makes hefty profits on its big SUVs and pickups, whereas the Prius is barely profitable.

To hear Toyota and the other automakers tell it, 2020 is just around the corner and there's no way they could possibly improve their mpg ratings in such a short period of time. A really fine example of long-term strategic planning, isn't it?

More automotive news...

• No Fall Gas Price Dip This Year Gas prices 51 cents higher than last year at this time.

• Midsize SUVs Perform Poorly in Side Impacts Jeep Grand Cherokee, Chevrolet TrailBlazer among the worst tested.

• OnStar Goes in Pursuit of Bad Guys New service disables stolen cars.

MORE ENERGY, FEWER POUNDS
At last word, our Joe Enoch was halfway through his 28-day exploration of the NutriSystem diet, and while he had a tough time making sure he ate right on Day 11, he was feeling better and looking thinner by the time Day 14 came around.

More health news...

• No More Free Smokes in California Governor signs law outlawing free samples and other cigarette giveaways.

• Healthy Restaurants May Bring Out Bad Eating Habits Eating at Subway isn't necessarily better than dining at McDonald's.

• Researchers: Bird Flu Pandemic Inevitable 'Only a matter of time' before virus takes final step.

• Promising Alzheimer’s Discovery Reported Protein reverses learning problems in mice.

• Impaired Physicians a Menace to Patient Safety Increased efforts to find, treat impaired doctors show mixed results.

T-MOBILE CLASS ACTION MOVES AHEAD
Cellular customers have long been frustrated by the heavy fees levied when canceling a contract, and the inability to use wireless handsets on any network they want. But the tide may be turning in favor of consumers, thanks to a decision by the California Supreme Court to let a class-action lawsuit proceed against T-Mobile to end the practice of early termination fees. As Mark Huffman reports, if the class action succeeds, it could open the doors for consumers to switch cellular providers far more easily, and to take their phones with them when they go.

More technology and Internet news...

• AT&T Agrees to New Stolen Cell Phone Rules Other states, companies may adopt California pact.

• AT&T Changes Terms Of Service After Outcry Company adds 'freedom of expression' language.

• Texas Rounds Up 14 Sex Offenders on MySpace Convicted offenders illegally created profiles on social networking site.

EXPERIAN TO OFFER CREDIT FREEZES
Experian has become the second of the three major credit bureaus to offer credit freezes to consumers in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Like fellow bureau Trans Union, the freeze will be free to victims of identity theft, and will otherwise cost $10 to set and $10 to temporarily or permanently remove. Consumer groups applauded Experian's action, but criticized the bureau for making the process too costly and complex, advocating the laws passed by many states that enable credit freezes for as little as $5.

MACYS' CUSTOMERS GET A SURPRISE
Macy's shoppers with store credit accounts got a surprise in the mail recently--a brand new Citibank credit card, created when the department store chain sold its inactive customer accounts to Citibank, and the bank "flipped" the accounts into genuine credit cards. Customers were outraged that these new cards were activated without their permission, fearing that their information might have been used for identity theft or fraud. Worse, the new cards may have triggered an inquiry into the customers' credit reports, lowering their overall credit scores and making it harder to get loans.

More scams and outrages...

• September Foreclosures Double Year-Ago Levels Defaults driven by higher payments on adjustable-rate loans.

• Feds Squash Hoodia, Human Growth Hormone Scams International scammers charged with peddling worthless potions.

• Feds Shut Down Business Card 'Opportunity' Promoters settle charges they swindled consumers.

• Connecticut Files Antitrust Suit Against Reinsurance Broker Illegal actions inflated consumers' premiums by 40%, state charges.

• Utility Bill Refund Email is a Scam Beware of email offering $480 home heating refund.

• FixWinReg Settles Washington Spyware Charges Company sent bogus 'security alerts' to computer users.

• US Airways Faces Disability Charge Consumer says he was denied boarding because of his disability.

• Feds Sue Trudeau Marketers Weight-loss book is misrepresented in infomercials, FTC charges.

• Consumers Continue To Fall For Phony Lottery Scam Foreign scammers find U.S. consumers easy prey.

Back to the top |