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Consumer News & Alerts

November 26, 2007

By Martin H. Bosworth
ConsumerAffairs.com

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PARENTS FRET WHILE SAFETY CHIEF JUNKETS
The folks back home are worried about poisoning their children, their pets and themselves with unsafe toys, food and household products. But showing the supreme confidence in the face of disaster that only a federal official can achieve, Consumer Product Safety Commission acting chief Nancy Nord went jetting off to Japan for a safety conference. Nord was, believe it or not, giving a keynote speech on how the U.S. handles product safety.

While Nord was sampling the sushi, state attorneys general in New York and California were stepping in to do her job, prosecuting retailers and toymakers for distributing and selling dangerous toys. In New York, AG Andrew Cuomo won a settlement with Michaels, Family Dollar and Big Lots that protects consumers nationwide. And in California, Edmund G. Brown sued 20 toys companies alleging unlawful levels of lead in their toys.

• Senators Want FDA Probe Of Lead In Lipstick Meanwhile, the Senate was stirred up over reports of excessive lead in lapstick. Washington is 'gambling with our health,' Sen. John Kerry charged.

EXPERTS OFFER TIPS FOR SAFE TOY BUYING
The flood of unsafe toys on shelves and seemingly endless recalls have had at least one positive effect--a new focus on safe toys for the holiday season. But that doesn't mean parents shouldn't be paying attention and watching out for potentially dangerous holiday gifts. Joseph Enoch asked the experts for advice on finding toys that are safe to buy, and smart shopping tips to ensure your kids can enjoy their gifts safe from harm.

More holiday shopping news...

• Senior-Friendly Holiday Gift Gadgets Everybody likes gadgets, even your grandparents.

• Rising Energy Costs Dampen Holiday Spending Plans More consumers say they'll cut back this year.

This week's recalls...

• Family Dollar Recalls 'Rachel Rose' and 'Distinctly Basics' Metal Jewelry
• Michaels Stores Recalls 'Crystal Innovations' Jewelry
• La Femme NY Recalls Children’s Necklace and Earring Sets
• Colossal Jewelry Recalls Children's Metal Jewelry
• Cherrydale Fundraising Recalls Stretchable Aqua Bracelets
  
• Nissan Recall Expanded to 654,000 Sentras and Altimas
• Metalux Fluorescent Shop Lights
• Discount School Supply Recalls Paint Brushes
• Baja Motorsports Youth ATVs
• L.L. Bean Snow and Sand Castle Kits Recalled
• 'Sparkle City' Jewelry Sold at Big Lots Stores
• 'Stuff Keepers' Pencil Pouches
• Slipcovers Used With Boppy Nursing Pillows
• Epson Visual Presentation Cameras
• Flashing Pacifiers

UNIONS TAKE ON WAL-MART WITH AD CAMPAIGN
Just in time to kick off the holiday shopping season, union advocacy group WakeUpWalMart.com is challenging the Bentonville behemoth over its importing of Chinese retail products. The group claims Wal-Mart's focus on "everyday low prices" has come at the expense of product safety, endangering shoppers and families as a result. Although Wal-Mart claims it always puts safety first, our Truman Lewis found many instances of unsafe products cluttering up Wal-Mart shelves, from lead-painted toys to peanut butter tainted with salmonella.

FEDS PROBE FORD TRUCKS FOR DEFECTS
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) quietly announced last week that it was investigating the Ford F-250, F-350, Five Hundred, and Freestyle model trucks for potential defects ranging from steering failures to glitches in the instrument panel. Joe Benton notes that NHTSA opened the investigation a week before releasing details to the public, choosing to bury the announcement in the holiday weekend blitz in truly Nixonian "Friday night massacre" style.

More automotive news....

• No Seat Belt Requirement for School Buses Belts offer 'marginal' benefits, safety czars decree.

• Quality Auditor Charges Toyota Cover-Up Toyota denies safety was compromised.

• New GM Sale May Challenge Bargain Hunters Multiple incentives make it hard to find the best price.

ARE YOU PREPARED TO HANDLE HOLIDAY AIR TRAVEL?
Thanksgiving may have come and gone, but the holiday travel season is just ramping up. Are you properly ready to handle hours-long airport delays, overbooked flights, and crowded terminals? We've got the checklist you need to ensure your travel is safe, swift, and relatively stress-free.

COLLEGE STUDENTS WARNED AGAINST CREDIT CARD TRAP It's all too easy to lure a broke college freshman into signing up for credit cards, and far too difficult to deal with the thousands of dollars in debt students carry with them after they graduate. Iowa's state Attorney General Tom Miller is going on the stump to warn students of the hidden pitfalls of credit cards, and how to use credit responsibly without incurring debt.

More credit card news...

• Attorneys General Oppose TJX Data Breach Settlement Special sale said to help stores more than victims.

• Chase to Stop Raising Interest Rates Based On Credit Reports Clear and simple' program debuts next year.

Real estate news this week...

• Housing Woes Bring More Doom, Gloom Stocks tank after negative business, homebuilder assessments.

• Subprime Foreclosures Causing Ripple Effects Report finds major impacts on property values, tax revenues.

SECONDHAND SMOKE STILL A SERIOUS HEALTH RISK
You may have heard it often, but it bears repeating--smoking doesn't just harm the smoker, but everyone around them. Exposure to secondhand smoke can increase risk of cancer, heart disease, and numerous ailments just as readily as if you were lighting the coffin nail yourself. In this week's "Healthy Geezer" column, Fred Cicetti takes a look at the dangers of secondhand smoke, and what you can do to protect yourself and your loved ones.

More health news...

• Social Security, Medicare Raises Set for January Retirees get the smallest increase in four years, just 2.3%.

• Feds Tell Tyson to Yank 'No Antibiotics' Labels Medication in feed doesn't affect humans, company claims.

• Marijuana Compound May Fight Breast Cancer Substance lacks toxicity of most chemotherapy regimens.

NEWSLETTER NOTES
When not in the kitchen over the holiday, our chefs were cooking up a new recipe for transmitting our newsletter. Readers who use certain email programs have complained for the last few months that our links had become eccentric. Also, one alert reader took exception to a click-tracker that enabled us to see how many readers clicked on each story. Frankly, this feature amounts to too much information for our harried editors and, last time we looked, the office marked Market Research was vacant. So, beginning this week, we are using a new system that eliminates click-tracking and provides much cleaner links. Let us know if you detect any difficulties.

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