Consumer News 1999

Black & Decker Fined for Hiding Toaster Defects Spacemaker model caused more than 1,000 fires.

Class Action Suit Filed Against Ford The suit seeks compensation for owners of 1995 Windstar minivans and other Ford vehicles subject to early head gasket failure.

Auto Recalls Often Come Too LateCritics say automakers too often drag their feet in reporting safety defects to federal regulators.

Hotel Chain Faces Discrimination Suit  Adam's Mark accused of illegal bias against black patrons. 

Ford Credit Pays $600,000 In Discrimination Case  FTC charges Ford Credit discriminated against unmarried couples.

Settlement in Fair Debt Collection Practices Case  National Financial Services pays cash settlement and agrees to obey the law. 

FTC/FDA Warn of Unapproved HIV Test Kits  Kits may not detect HIV and AIDS as advertised. 

New Federal Law Protects Online Kids  Commercial Web sites will need to get parental consent before collecting personal information from children under 13.

FTC Sues Work-At-Home Medical Billing Scheme  Suit says Medical Capital Corp. took customers' money, did next to nothing in return.

Patricia Erickson Settles With FTC in Modeling Scam  Agrees not be be involved with Model 1 or Creative Talent Management or any similar scheme. 

Parental Liability No Minor Matter  States beefing up laws that make parents responsible for their offsprings' misdeeds. 

State Farm Loses Parts Case  The insurer was sued by policyholders who said it ordered body shops to use subpar replacement parts.

Pyramids?  They Belong in Egypt  Amway's Quixtar is a new variation on a familiar old theme -- multilevel marketing.  

FTC Halts Internet Hijacking Scam  Scammers used copied pages to lure surfers to pornographic sites.

$4 Billion Fen-Phen Settlement Reported More than 4,100 lawsuits claim diet-pill heart-valve damage.

Unilever Agrees to Can the Hype for Vaseline Intensive Care Anti-Bacterial Lotion  The company claimed its lotion "stopped germs for hours."

FTC Files Against Fraudulent Credit Card Protection Plans  Companies sold protection that didn't exist and wasn't needed.

Watch that Peanut Butter!  Food allergies pose growing threat.  Is your child's school safe?

Ford Gets Restraining Order Against Web Site  Robert Lane's site has been publishing internal Ford documents about safety, emissions and reliability.

Rascals Come in Many Forms  Fast-close salesmen take advantage of homebound elders.

Travel Scammers Tripped Up FTC launches major assault on travel fraud.

Minuteman Press, Speedy Sign  Pay Redress Judgment Charged with misleading franchisees.

   

FTC Attacks Internet Cramming  The FTC has shut down a "cramming" operation that targets small businesses, religious organizations, charities, and foundations.

Movers Hold Consumers Hostage   Fraud among interstate movers is out of control, consumer officials say.

McDonald's Pays $4 MillionFailed to inform government of injuries on its playgrounds.

Man Sues Gym in Wife's DeathGym prescribed ephedra, suit says.

Watch that Grill!  Safety commission warns of grill dangers.

FTC Warns of Internet Health Scams Says 800 sites are questionable.

Home HIV Tests Not Reliable  Kits tested by the FTC gave false negative results.

FTC Cracks Down on Small Business ScamsInternet "cramming" is costing companies millions

Internet Coupon Fraud  FTC sends greetings to 51 sites

Suit Says Sears Defrauded Tire Customers  Damages could reach $400 million.

Goodyear, Texaco Named in SuitsClass action lawsuits charge that Goodyear and Texaco auto service centers have illegally charged consumers for disposing of used oil.

Lights, Camera, Scam   The FTC charged three Washington, D.C.-area modeling agencies with misleading would-be models.

D.A. Probes Providian  The San Francisco District Attorney has opened a probe of Providian Finance after receiving "a lot of complaints," a spokesman said.

Consumers Giving up Right to Sue  Increasingly, the corporate gods are writing forced arbitration clauses into their service agreements.

Cell Phone-Cancer Links  Preliminary results show both a biological and a statistical link between cell phone usage and brain cancer.

An Insider's View of Extended Warranties WW, a former Sears salesman, berates his former employer and its "protection" plans.

FTC Credit Crackdown Hits 43 Firms The FTC hit firms that help consumers illegally create new credit profiles.

Agencies Watching How Internet Merchants Handle Returns   Consumer protection agencies nationwide are keeping a careful eye on how well Internet-based merchants handle the thousands of post-holiday returns.

Companies Using Credit-Card Offers to Collect Old Debts   Unscrupulous companies are offering consumers new credit cards, on the condition that uncollectable debts are added to the balance of the new card.