Consumer News & Alerts

April 14, 2008
IMPORTANT DELIVERY NOTICE BELOW

By Martin H. Bosworth
ConsumerAffairs.com

MILLIONS MAY LOSE TV SERVICE AFTER DIGITAL SWITCHOVER
In just 10 months, consumers in New York, Los Angeles, Boston and other major metro areas may find reliable television reception to be a thing of the past. Digital conversion boxes won't be enough to restore service to many who rely on indoor antennas, a new report warns. That's because the rabbit ears and other indoor antennas many metro viewers rely on may not be adequate to capture the new digital broadcasts, which will be on a different frequency band that doesn't always travel as far or penetrate walls and difficult terrain as well as the present configuration.

Meanwhile, Congressional critics say the Federal Communications Commission -- which is supposed to be managing the transition -- is spending too much time and attention on Chairman Kevin Martin's pet projects, including "a la carte" cable service. Read more ...

IRS FAULTED FOR LAX IDENTITY THEFT PROTECTION EFFORTS
Tax time is upon us, and as last-minute filers frantically send off documents, fill out forms, and share their financial information, their risk of identity theft increases dramatically. But new reports from the Treasury Department's Inspector General and the National Taxpayer Advocate show that the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) is not only not doing enough to protect taxpayers from tax-related identity theft, but that their own procedures often leave consumers doubly victimized.

More tax news...

• Mystery Shoppers Find Deceit, Incompetence Among Tax Preparers IRS urged to bar sale of refund anticipation loans.

• Tax Scams Proliferate In April Scam artists scramble as deadline draws near.

FORD SUV FIRE CLAIMS THE LIVES OF OHIO FAMILY
For years faulty cruise control switches in Ford SUVs have caused the vehicles to catch fire unexpectedly, turning cars that were completely shut off into fireballs that wrecked property and threatened lives. Now automotive maven Joe Benton reports that the defective switch may have caused a fire in a Ford Expedition that killed an Ohio woman and her two children. ConsumerAffairs.com continues to receive complaints from angry drivers who were endangered or harmed by the ticking time bombs hidden in their vehicles.

This week's automotive news....

• New Gas Price Record Forecasts Expensive Summer Driving Season Average price up more than 6 cents this week and still climbing.

• Midsize Side Impact Tests Show Safety Improvements Seven models get highest rating for occupant protection.

• Energy Secretary Predicts $3.50 Gasoline Bodman hoping OPEC comes to the rescue.

• Sales of Ethanol-Burning Cars Up 10% Downside: Price of corn rising quickly.

• Consumer Reports Picks VW Eos as Best Convertible BMW 328i a close second.

FRONTIER AIRLINES' ROUGH LANDING IN BANKRUPTCY
This week Frontier Airlines announced it would be the fourth major US airline to seek bankruptcy protection this month, but where its compatriots blamed high fuel costs and a slow economy, Frontier attributed its woes to a billing dispute with its credit card processor. Mark Huffman reports that Frontier has promised to keep its full complement of planes flying, to honor all tickets, and to continue paying employees' salaries and health care during its bankruptcy proceedings.

More airline and air travel news...

• American Groundings Create Chaos At Airports FAA takes heat from Congress over safety oversight.

• American Cancels More Fights For Safety Checks Airline pulls more MD-80s to check wiring bundles.

• Airline Woes: Bankruptcies and New Engine Icing Problem 'Flame-outs' on wide-body aircraft an unexpected hazard.

• Airline Industry Gets Record Low Rating from Consumers Air Tran picked as #1 in annual quality survey.

Recalls this week....

• Michaels Stores Seasonal Pens

• FUNTASTIC 'Hillbilly Teeth'

• Interchange Robot Toys

• Pontiac Vibe, Toyota Matrix & Corolla Recalled

• Chrysler Sebrings, Avengers

• VW Passats

• Family Dollar Magnetic Dartboards

• 'Little Builder' Children's Board Book Sets

• Dollar Tree Plush Insect Toys

KIDS QUARTERS CUSTOMERS GET NO QUARTER
Some customers waited months to get their merchandise when a popular children's furniture outlet sank into bankruptcy. They're the lucky ones. Many others have never received their orders, probably never will and have little chance of getting their money back. Those who paid Kids Quarters with credit cards have a chance of recovering their funds, but only if they reported the problem promptly -- which many didn't, since the retailer allegedly promised that delivery was imminent. Those who paid with debit cards or checks have little recourse. Federal regulations generally prohibit charging a customer's account until shipment is made but that's not much comfort to those who've lost their money.

TEXAS STOPS SALES OF FAKE LICENSES TO UNDOCUMENTED WORKERS
Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott this week charged a Houston company with selling fake international drivers' licenses to illegal immigrants. The company, Centro de Identificaciones, and its owners, were accused of marketing false licenses to Hispanic communities in multiple states, which they claimed would legally enable the buyers to buy, insure, and drive vehicles. Lisa Wade McCormick reports that the company owners could be on the hook for civil penalties of as much as $20,000 per violation, in addition to attorneys' fees and restitution to the victims.

More scams and outrages...

•Bogus 'Veterans' Retreat' Appeal Canned Missouri sues California man promoting phony charities.

• No Need to Overpay for Property Deeds Companies charge big bucks for public documents.

• Feds Seize Illegal Dietary Supplements Methyl, Formadrol used by body builders.

• Class Actions Challenge LifeLock Identity protection guarantee 'meaningless,' suits argue.

• Florida Gets $1.3 Million Judgment against Debt Collector Ellis Crosby accused of deceptive practices.

• Watch Out for Scams Involving Wire Transfers Direct bank deposits also a warning sign.

REPORT FINDS BROKERS GOUGED SUBPRIME BORROWERS
New studies from the Center for Responsible Lending show that subprime mortgage borrowers were significantly overcharged when dealing with brokers, rather than dealing directly with lenders. The combination of kickbacks from lenders and the lack of transparency in the borrowing process conspired to saddle subprime borrowers with costs that could balloon to as much as $36,000 more than a "prime" borrower over the life of a typical 30-year loan.

More economic and financial news...

• FHA Says It Will Loosen Some Lending Rules New rules may help some homeowners avoid foreclosure.

• Homeowners Raiding Retirement Accounts to Avoid Foreclosure Fees and penalties for early withdrawals can be severe.

• Survey Finds Boomers Reconsidering Retirement Boomers find they can't afford to quit working.

• Texas, Illinois Prosecute Mortgage 'Rescue' Firms Desperate homeowners lost their homes despite firms' promises.

• Pending Home Sales Sink In February Index hits its lower point ever.

CHEWING GUM CAN CONTRIBUTE TO GAS PAINS
It sounds like an old wives' tale, but it's true--gum chewing can increase your regular episodes of flatulence, along with smoking, fatty foods, and eating too fast without chewing thoroughly. Our Fred Cicetti uses this week's "Healthy Geezer" to take a look at what causes gas, and what you can do to alleviate problems caused by excessive flatulence.

This week's health news...

• CDC Finds Little Progress Containing Foodborne Illness No major declines in most areas; some problems worsened.

• Feds Seize Unapproved Erectile Dysfunction Drugs 'Natural supplements' are illegal drugs and pose serious health risks.

• FDA Finds High Levels of Selenium in 'Total Body Formula' Dietary supplement products linked to adverse reactions.

• Obesity A More Costly Workplace Health Issue Than Smoking Workers' weight problems cost companies billions.

• Is Texting Replacing Talking? Survey finds rapid growth in cell phone text-messaging.

• New Mint May Reduce Cavities In Kids In test, all-natural substance cut cavities 62%.

• New Guidelines for Stubborn High Blood Pressure Patients who don't respond to normal treatments may benefit.

• Higher Rx Costs May Limit Seniors' Access to Antidepressants Seniors prone to serious depression, which often goes untreated.

• Feds Seize Illegal Dietary Supplements Methyl, Formadrol used by body builders.

• Common Pain Relievers May Boost Muscle Mass Study finds daily dose of painkiller helps pack on the muscle.

• Some Lip Balms May Attract UV Rays Some lip glosses can increase skin cancer risk.

DELIVERY NOTICE

Sending an email newsletter to thousands of addresses is simple. But making sure readers receive it is something else. Safeguards intended to eliminate spam also trap and sometimes eradicate lots of legitimate traffic as well.

To improve our delivery rate, the domain from which our newsletters are sent is now "newsletters.consumeraffairs.com". Our Reply-To address remains "info@consumeraffairs.com".

Also, we are now a "Sender Score Certified" publisher, which gets us onto a "White Hat" list that should also improve our delivery rate.

However, one final modification is needed to improve delivery to Yahoo! email users and this may not be completed for another week or so. Thanks for your understanding!

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