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Consumer News & Alerts

March 6, 2006

SBC CATCHES AT&T FLU
Like the apocryphal transplant patient who takes on the personality of the organ donor, Texas-based SBC seems to be taking on the characteristics of AT&T, the disgraced long-distance wash-out it purchased recently. First SBC changed its name to AT&T, then it started an aggressive AT&T-style disinformation campaign to invade cable television's turf without any of the regulations imposed on cable companies and now it's eating its siblings -- BellSouth, in this case.

Soon AT&T will be raising its rates and telling us the higher rates will make it "better able to compete," consumer groups charged. Of course, the costs are the direct result of its recent spree of anti-competitive buy-outs but that's another story.

Blackberry Survives, Sort Of At least AT&T/SBC is getting something for its money with the purchase of BellSouth. Blackberry parent Research In Motion doesn't get much for the $612 million it's paying to settle the patent dispute that threatened to shut it down. Some question what effect all the legal distractions and expenses have had on product development.

Hang Up and Fly! The prevailing urban legend is that the rules against using cell phones in flight are antiquated and unnecessary. Not so, say electrical engineers at Carnegie Mellon University, who warn that widespread use of cell phones and other electronic devices could indeed interfere with critical aircraft systems and possibly cause an accident.

Unlikely, you say? Maybe, but ask any aviator if he knows any careless pilots and the answer will be yes. Then ask him how many elderly careless pilots he knows and the answer will be "not many." Like rising terrain, minor oversights have a way of catching up with you.

WHAT'S INSIDE MYSPACE?
There's been a lot of uproar lately about the potential for abuse and predation growing out of the phenomenally popular MySpace.com, now owned by media baron Rupert Murdoct. Our Martin Bosworth takes a look inside Myspace.com, tracing its development, which turns out to have been a bit more haphazard than you might expect.

YOUR MONEY AND YOUR LIFE
Traveling abroad can be nerve-wracking if you haven't worked out a way to have access to ready cash without exposing yourself to undue financial risk. In this week's cover story, travel junkie Tom Glaister outlines the options -- cash, travelers checks and debit/credit cards. Each has its strengths and each has its weakenesses. The answer, says Glaister is a strategy that combines all three -- enough cash for everyday activities and a way to get more cash in an emergency.

Going beyond platitudes, Glaister provides advice on where to carry cash on your body, how to go about replacing stolen travelers checks and what to watch out for when using credit and debit cards.

Not up for wearing a money belt in Morocco? How about Houston? Forget Enron for a minute. Travel editor and walking baseball encyclopedia Dan Schlossberg outlines must-see Houston venues for space fans, baseball addicts and other earthlings.

Airline Passenger Tax Hike Diverted With an election looming, Congress is in no mood to increase taxes. As a result, the Transportation Security Administration's $5 ticket tax got blocked at the gate and appears to be scrubbed for at least the rest of this Congressional session.

A World's Fair for Kids This is the first we've heard of it but Orlando is about to launch the first World's Fair to target a specific age group -- namely, kids. The World's Fair for Kids opens April 15 and will be a spring ritual through 2015.

UNSTABLE AT ANY SPEED
Tests indicate the Ford Explorer is just as likely to roll over with the replacement tires supplied after the massive Firestone/Bridgestone recall a few years ago. This has not been lost on six juries which have awarded $151 million to victims of Ford rollovers in the past 12 months. None of this is news to Ralph Nader, who has been documenting the triumph of cost-cutting over safety and innovation for decades. In a recent report, Nader identifies a long list of missed opportunities that could have greatly improved the safety and fuel efficiency of Detroit's progeny.

Detroit Shut Out U.S. automakers were nowhere to be found on Consumer Reports' "top 10" list this year -- the first time that's happened. Having lost just about everything else, Detroit is now losing the pickup truck market.

Consumer Reports Does the Math Savings at the pump don't offset higher the high purchase price of hybrids, the respected consumer magazine cautions. We couldn't agree more. In our fact, our Joe Benton came to the same conclusion last June, as detailed in his story, "Do the Math."

We've heard from lots of Prius owners angered by our noting that the little cars may have certain advantages but a reduced total cost of ownership isn't one of them. Yes, we know, they pollute a little bit less (assuming the battery issue is properly dealt with). But in both Southern California and the Washington, D.C. area -- the country's hybrid hotbeds -- hybrids are now allowed in car-pool lanes, even if they carry only one person. One might argue that by clogging up the car-pool lanes they increase congestion and discourage car-pooling, thus increasing pollution.

Golf Game We don't always understand Volkswagen. Its latest ad campaign is all about speed, speed, speed, completely ignoring the fact that in these fuel-short times, the VW Golf and Beetle turn in some of the best fuel economies to be found anywhere, as the Consumer Federation of America found in a recent study.

DO THE MATH II
It's often said that Americans aren't very good at math these days. It's also said that way too many of us weigh way too much. Now it appears these two conditions may be related. A study finds that 9 out of 10 of us are clueless about caloric intake.

When asked "how many calories a person your age, weight, and height should consume per day?" 43 percent of Americans would not venture a guess. Of the 57 percent who did provide an estimate, 79 percent guessed wrong. In other words, 88 percent of us don't have a clue.

On the other hand ... Those bent on stuffing themselves might at least add a helping of cocoa to their daily intake. A 15-year study finds eating or drinking cocoa is associated with lower blood pressure.

Prostate Procrastination There's growing evidence that waiting and watching may be the best course in at least some early cases of prostate cancer. A ten-year study finds little risk in delaying surgery for small, low-grade cancers. Gentlemen: This doesn't mean you can slack off on annual exams or cavalierly dismiss the entire affair. Talk earnestly to your doctor if your PSA levels are high. Always seek a second opinion.

SCAMS & OUTRAGES

• "Smiling Bob" Erectile dysfunction "cure" hit with $2.5 million settlement.
• "Wal-Mart Shopping Spree" Scam Victims lost their money when spree didn't materialize.
• Michigan vs. Wal-Mart Some stores properly display prices on only 20 percent of items, state charges.
• Frontier vs. New York State charges telephone company used misleading sales tactics.
• Nanny Scam Perpetrators may be in England or Nigeria.
• Bogus Recycling California alleges defendants "imported" bottles and cans from Arizona and New Mexico.
• Rolex Times Out Watchmaker ran afoul of 1960 consent decree.
• Cashable Vouchers Scheme defrauds both consumers and merchants, Ohio charges.
• Prescription Drug Plan Pro-Tel Planning settles Pennsylvania charges.
• Mystery Shopper Scams Combined with cashier's-check ploy, this "job opportunity" can be very expensive.

CAN'T STAND THE HEAT
Our travels have recently taken us to the appliance department at Lowe's, where with little fuss and bother, we bought a new washing machine. All went well with that transaction but it was scarcely completed before we discovered the icemaker in our still-new KitchenAid refrigerator had unexpectedly retired. All this reminded us of the endless rounds of frustration many consumers endure as they try to keep the dishes clean, the clothes washed and the popcorn microwaved. Newly updated are the sagas in such oft-told tales as the following:

• GE Ranges
• GE Microwaves
• KitchenAid Stoves & Ovens
• Whirlpool Ranges

These are just a few of the more egregious examples. We'll be hanging more dirty laundry out to dry in the weeks ahead.

RECALLS & SAFETY ALERTS

• Toyota Sienna Tire Pressure System Tire pressure regulating system can fail.
• Ford Trucks Stalling Problem The stalling causes diminished steering and braking ability.
• Dove Facial Cleansing Massager It can cause facial abrasions.
• Toy Mobile Phones Strangulation hazard.
• "Girl Favors" Jewelry Aspiration hazard for small children.
• Manco & Sunright Go-Karts Possible throttle failure.
• Lamborghini Gallardo The suspension can collapse.
• Little Tikes Toy Flashlights There may be lead in the paint.
• Harvest Brand Tea Light Candles They can start a fire.

UP POPPED THE POP-UNDER
We've been hearing about an annoying number of pop-ups and pop-unders experienced by some visitors to our site. We've been trying to weed out the problem, which isn't as simple as it sounds. Our system is set to pester you with only one pop-under per day. More than that means something is wrong or -- equally likely -- sites you visited previously have given you something to remember them by.

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