Consumer News & Alerts

September 15, 2008

By Martin H. Bosworth
ConsumerAffairs.Com

DOG OWNER CLAIMS SWIFFER CLEANER COST PET'S LIFE
Rachel G. of North Carolina was devastated when her five-year-old Pomeranian Foxy died suddenly, and even more shocked to find out that the Swiffer cleaner she used on her floors may have made her pet terminally ill. But both Proctor & Gamble, who manufactures Swiffer, and leading veterinary toxicologist Dr. Steven Hansen of the ASPCA say it's unlikely that chemicals from the Swiffer wet cloths could have made Foxy sick. Lisa Wade McCormick investigates the mysterious death of a beloved pet, and their owner's mission to get stronger warning labels for the cleaning product. Read more...

MARS PETCARE RECALLS MORE FOOD DUE TO POSSIBLE SALMONELLA OUTBREAK
Mars Petcare US has recalled all of its dry pet food products manufactured at the company's Everson, Pennsylvania, facility between February 18 and July 29, 2008 because of possible salmonella contamination. The voluntary recall involves such brands of dog and cat food as Pedigree, Special Kitty, Ol'Roy, and PMI Nutrition Gravy Crunches manufactured at that plant. This the second time in recent weeks that Mars has recalled some of its products because of possible salmonella contamination. Read more...

This week's consumer protection news...

• AmeriDebt Founder Settles FTC Charges Consumers will receive just under $20 million in settlement.

• FDA Issues Warning on Chinese-Made Infant Formula Melamine contamination may cause kidney stones in babies.

• Recalled Simplicity Bassinets May Carry Graco, Winnie the Pooh Brands CPSC warns consumers to check their bassinets carefully following two infant deaths.

• Wegmans Recalls Store-Made Bagels Bagels may contain pieces of metal.

• Iowa Accuses Meat Packer Of Child Labor Violations State alleges company encouraged applicants to use fake information.

• Alfalfa Sprouts Recalled in Salmonella Outbreak New incident reported in Washington state.

• Texas Targets Unauthorized Charges for Weight-Loss Products Company debited funds whether users wanted the products or not.

• U.S. Children Heavily Exposed to Flame-Retardant Chemicals High concentration of banned retardant found in infants and toddlers.

CARS THAT PASS NATIONAL ROLLOVER STANDARD MAY STILL BE DANGEROUS
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) claims that the test it administers for vehicles to measure their ability to withstand rollovers and roof-crushing incidents is legitimate. But a new report from Public Citizen demonstrates that the test is inadequate compared to other testing procedures that mimic real-world accidents--and which indicate that vehicles which have passed the NHTSA's test may still leave their drivers and passengers vulnerable to harm in a real-life accident. Joseph Enoch documented the report's release, including graphic video of a vehicle rollover test that proves cars that may be certified as "safe" are anything but. Read more...

NHTSA ISSUES SECOND FIRE WARNING FOR FORD CARS, TRUCKS, AND SUV's
For years, automotive maven Joe Benton has been reporting on the potential fire hazard of multiple Ford models due to a defective cruise control switch, which can cause the vehicle to burst into flame even if it's turned off and parked. The NHTSA has clearly been listening to Joe, as the agency this week released a second warning to owners of many different brands to take their cars in for repairs. Read more...

More automotive news...

• NHTSA Posts "Early Warning" Safety Data on the Web Victory for consumer advocates.

• Prius Vandalism On the Rise in California Hybrids damaged in night attacks.

• Safety Agency Renews Investigation of Taurus and Sable Suspension Broken springs plague Ford owners.

This week's recalls...

WHY INDIVIDUAL INVESTORS SHOULDN'T BUY INDIVIDUAL STOCKS
Everyone who plays the market thinks they can strike it rich if they invest carefully and watch the highs and lows for signs that it's time to buy or sell. But what if the market is so tilted towards favoring a small group of players that individual investors end up playing a rigged game? That's the situation according to financial guru Fred Yager, who explains how hedge fund managers are causing constant volatility and uncertainty in the markets in order to gin up quick profits for their clients--leaving everyone from Lehman Brothers to Jim Cramer coming up short. Read more...

• Feds Take Over Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac
Of course, one big market distortion came this week when the federal government seized mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, pumping $200 billion into the lenders in order to offset their deep losses from exposure to nontraditional loans and the subsequent delinquencies plaguing the housing market. While the move makes taxpayers responsible for billions of dollars' worth of loans made by private lenders, Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson insisted that to not act would have left the markets even more unstable, leading to dire consequences. Read more...

This week's financial news...

• Mortgage Rates Plunge Fannie, Freddie bailout sends fixed rates tumbling.

• Foreclosure Activity Increases At Double-Digit Pace But new laws may slow down defaults and help homeowners.

• Pay Raises To Remain Stagnant Despite Rising Costs Savvy employees can get salary bumps even in tough times.

• Bear Stearns to Pay $28 Million to FTC for Abusive Lending Practices Failed investment firm allegedly gouged borrowers for extra money.

• Pending Home Sales Drop in July Long-term trends remain flat despite June sales spike.

iTUNES 7.7.1 CAN ERASE YOUR MUSIC LIBRARY
It's a good thing Apple released a new version of iTunes this week as part of its traditional fall product announcements--the previous version was deleting the music libraries of iTunes customers, making their purchased music and videos inaccessible. Apple has offered five free music downloads to anyone who contacts their customer service to note the problem, and the new iTunes--version 8--is said to correct the flaw. Read more...

COUNTRYWIDE WARNS MILLIONS OF DATA BREACH
It's been a bad few months for Countrywide. It's being sued by Attorneys General in multiple states, it got bought out for a song by Bank of America, and now millions of its customers may be at risk of identity theft thanks to a years-long data breach. The mortgage lender warned as many as two million borrowers last week that an employee had gained access to sensitive personal information and sold it to mortgage brokers looking for leads. Countrywide has promised to offer free credit monitoring to any affected customer, but authorities want proof in writing that customers will be compensated for any losses. Read more...

More technology news...

• RFID Eyed as Anti-Shoplifting Tool Tags used to identify stolen items within bags.

• Spammers Pushing Work-at-Home Schemes Old favorite of fraudsters comes back with new twist.

• Wilmington Goes Digital In DTV Transition Test FCC test market for digital switchover watched anxiously.

CHILDREN AND PRESCRIPTION DRUGS: THE THREAT AT HOME
Even as usage of illegal drugs among teens continue to decline, a subtler threat remains--abuse of prescription drugs, made easier by their availability in the home. A report out earlier this year from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows that despite an overall drop in illicit drug use, deaths from drug use among people age 15 to 24 more than doubled between 1999 and 2005. Physicians are offering tips to parents on keeping prescription drugs out of their children's hands. Read more...

MILLERCOORS SUED OVER "SPARKS" ENERGY DRINK
Speaking of teens and abuse, the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) has filed suit against the MillerCoors (formerly Miller) brewing company over its "Sparks" energy drink. CSPI charges that MillerCoors deliberately markets the drink, which mixes alcohol with stimulants such as ginseng and guarana, to young adults and teens. Mixing caffeine and alcohol together can fool the drinker into thinking they are more sober than they really are, leading to increased instances of injury, driving while intoxicated, or sexual assault, according to CSPI. The agency says MillerCoors is violating FDA regulations regarding the usage of stimulants and wants it to stop selling the drink. Read more...

This week's health news...

• Do Seniors Get More Cavities? Plaque buildup, gum disease increase with age.

• The Pepperoni Pizza Hypothesis Spicy food can cause pelvic pain in many women.

• Air Pollution can Hinder Heart's Electrical Functioning Microscopic particles can interfere with operations.

• Follow-Up Care Lacking for Many Colorectal Cancer Survivors 6 in 10 patients don't receive enough testing.

• CDC Steps Up Efforts to Fight MRSA Infections Drug-resistant germ can harm even those outside of hospitals.

• Parents Urged To Shun OTC Cough Medicine Pediatricians say remedies are still too dangerous for kids.

• U.S. Children Heavily Exposed to Flame-Retardant Chemicals High concentration of banned retardant found in infants and toddlers.

• CDC Counts 2.4 Million Tobacco-Linked Cancer Cases in Five Years Lung and bronchial cancers top the list.

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