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Consumer News & Alerts, Dec. 17, 2001

ONE WAY TO MAKE MONEY ONLINE
The ecommerce promise rings pretty hollow for many ... but not for a growing band of intrepid spam fighters in Washington state, where a new anti-spam law lets aggrieved consumers sue in small claims court.

A PRODIGY SHOULD BE SMARTER
PacBell is in trouble again. This time the hapless oaf got caught billing customers who'd never ordered anything from SBC Pacific Bell's new in-law, inaptly named Prodigy. It wouldn't be so bad if it weren't for all the other entries on PacBell's rap sheet, said to rival the Los Angeles phone book.

JENNIFER'S NOT TOO SMART EITHER
Also back in trouble is Jennifer Convertibles, a/k/a Jennifer Leather. This time it's New Jersey state regulators who want the company to clean up its advertising, service and billing problems. Otherwise, things are fine, thanks.

"NO MORE FALSEHOODS OR DERISIONS"
"Golden living dreams of visions" -- so the idealistic 60s hit "Age of Aquarius" predicted. Well, maybe, but that's not how Katherine would describe her experience at the Aquarius Institute of Computer Science. Like so many others who shell out big bucks to learn valuable information technology skills, Katherine is left with no sympathy and trust abounding.

ALL IN THE FAMILY
The feds have nabbed a Connecticut husband-and-wife team, charging that they deceived customers by promising, for a fee, guaranteed approval of major credit cards regardless of credit history. What customers got for their money was a bit less than that.

FOLDS UP FOR EASY STORAGE
It's easy to forget that those leather-encrusted SUVs are basically glorified trucks. One outstanding feature of trucks is that they present a challenge to those who would back up. Dealing with this requires a certain mindset, as Bonnie learned the other day.

RECALLS
This week's sleighful includes:

• Sears Kid Cool Girl's Infant & Toddler Garments The zipper pull can come off, posing a choking hazard to infants.
• Toy Baby Buzz'r The buttons can come off the round plastic face, posing yet another choking hazard to infants.
• Pop Links Toys The tips of these snap-together links can snap off. This poses a choking hazard to infants.
• Cub Cadet Garden Tractors The rear wheels can come loose, causing a loss of power and control.
• Lawn-Boy Power Mowers The gas tank can spring a leak, possibly starting a fire.
• "Rice Light" Christmas Tree Lights The wiring is inadequate, creating a fire and electrocution hazard.

SILKY YES, BUT HARDLY FREE
Who wouldn't want a free pair of Silkies? When Julianne was invited to try a "free" pair of Silkies pantyhose, she accepted. Now she's trying to figure out why she got not one but five pairs, along with a bill for $13.

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