What's On Your Mind? GE Light Bulbs, Direct Shopping Network, Hotels.com

What's up with all the exploding glass? Whether its baking dishes, patio table tops or light bulbs, we continue to get reports of spontaneous explosions.

“I was sitting on my bed reading a book when the 3-way GE bulb suddenly blew up in a huge explosion that sent glass shards flying all over the room,” Jamie, of Erwin, Tenn., told ConsumerAffairs.com. “The tiny shards were white hot and some landed on my leg, burning into my skin. The light remained for a few seconds after it exploded and then it began smoking. I quickly unplugged it, ignoring the painful burns on my leg until I was sure it was safe. Two days later and I am STILL finding glass all over. Not close to the lamp either, even found some in the kitchen 25 feet away. I took pictures so I have evidence of this happening.

If Jamie wants to see a recall, she needs to contact GE and inform the Consumer Product Safety Commission about the incident. The more consumers report these incidents, the more likely action is to be taken.

Buyer beware

Larry, of West Sacramento, Calif., says you should think twice before ordering “precious stones” from a TV shopping network. He says he feels he “got taken” by Direct Shopping Network.

“I ordered what was shown on TV as a one carat Burmese Star Ruby,” Larry said. “When I got the item in a not too long of a period after the order, I looked at the stone and it was really, really tiny. You could not even see the star on the face of it. It was supposed to be unheated and untreated. I took it to a well-known jeweler and they told me that it was a cheap version of a ruby and it was just one-tenth of a carat and what I paid for it was too much and it would sell for about $45.00 if I got the right person to buy it. They told that that I got taken to the cleaners.”

Larry said he called Direct Shopping Network and was told he received exactly what he ordered. Not satisfied, Larry says he's filing a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission.

Promises, promises

Company promotions are designed to bring in business. In exchange for something of value, consumers spend money they might not ordinarily spend.

“Earlier this summer, Hotels.com promised its subscribers that if they booked four or more nights at particular hotels, they would receive, as a promotion, a free Kindle e-reader,” Helaine, of Oakland, Calif., told ConsumerAffairs.com. “Relying on that offer, I booked four nights at the Providence Biltmore hotel in Providence, Rhode Island arriving Aug. 2 and leaving Aug. 6.”

Helaine said she received confirmation that, after she completed the stay, she would receive an e-mail with instructions on how to redeem a coupon for the Kindle. She says that never happened.

“Now, more than a month later, Hotels.com refuses to make good on this offer,”Helaine said. “They now claim I did not fill in some coupon code when I booked the hotel, and therefore the stay doesn't qualify for the promotion.”

It's basically Helaine's word against the company's. Has anyone else run into this?