Consumer News & Alerts

August 25, 2008

By Martin H. Bosworth
ConsumerAffairs.Com

THREE YEARS LATER, PYREX DISHES STILL GO "BOOM"
Even after three years and hundreds of complaints submitted to ConsumerAffairs.com, Pyrex baking dishes are still blowing up in ovens and microwaves alike, causing serious harm and property damage to unsuspecting families. In an exclusive investigation, Joseph Enoch delved deep into the controversy, investigating the different types of dishes made and licensed under the Pyrex name. He found that not only may Pyrex licensee World Kitchen be using a more dangerous form of glass tempering to cut costs, but that consumers are taking the blame for "not reading the fine print"--even though the packaging specifically says the plates are oven-safe and microwave-ready. With Federal regulators remaining mum and World Kitchen threatening legal action against anyone who defames their product, consumers are left to wonder if the next meal they bake on a Pyrex dish won't end up decorating their kitchen walls. Read more...

TOUGHER RULES FOR KIDS' COLD MEDS
It's a bitter pill for the drug companies but the FDA has finally agreed to adopt stricter rules for the sale of over-the-counter cough and cold remedies aimed at kids. For years, researchers and pediatricians have warned that parents are filling kids full of nostrums that are not only ineffective but dangerous. Moving at its usual deliberate pace, the FDA says it will hold a hearing in October to figure out what to do next. Read more ...

FEDS APPROVE IRRADIATION OF SPINACH, LETTUCE
Those greens you're eating may or may not have you glowing green in the near future. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently approved the use of radiation on spinach and lettuce to reduce the risk of bacterial contamination. The FDA made the move after outbreaks of E.coli in 2006 were traced back to leafy vegetables. Although radiation has been in use for some time on various other foods, consumer groups such as Public Citizen and Food & Water Watch continue to oppose the process, saying it enables food processors and producers to mask unsafe and unsanitary conditions at farms and slaughterhouses. Read more...

More consumer protection news...

• Teen Sleuths Find Something Fishy in New York Sushi Store, restaurant labels tell a real whopper of a fish story.

• West Virginia Warns About Phony Debt Collectors Scammers claiming to be authorities demand money transfers.

• CPSC Offers Tips for Back to School Safety Agency urges parents to teach helmet safety, playground smarts, and avoid unsafe clothes.

• Work-at-Home Scammers Settle With FTC Agency imposes $4.9 million judgment for misleading consumers.

• New Research Uncovers Key to Consumer Preferences Study claims answers to why people buy one brand over another.

• Indiana Sues New Jersey Fax Blaster EZPMG alleged to send unsolicited mortgage service faxes.

• FDA Cracks Down on Illegal Botox Scammers 210 investigations of doctors selling counterfeit injections.

• FTC Bans Pre-Recorded Telemarketer Calls New rules said to protect consumer privacy.

• FDA Issues Warning About Frozen Seafood Bantry Bay products may be contaminated with dangerous toxins.

GM OFFERS "EMPLOYEE DISCOUNTS" TO SPUR SALES
With General Motors continuing to suffer record losses in a disastrous year overall for automakers, the struggling giant is unleashing its "employee discount" pricing gambit on the larger market once again. Joe Benton reports that GM will offer discounts of as much as $4,000 on its vehicles in order to get the 2008 inventory cleared out and ready for 2009's model. The discounts will vary according to brand and will last until September 2, so if you're thinking about a GM product, shop carefully and make sure you can get the best bang for your buck.Read more...

U.S. BUYERS PREFER JAPANESE AND GERMAN AUTOMAKERS
Of course, one reason GM is offering such deep discounts on their vehicles is that Americans are buying Japanese and German cars in greater numbers. A new customer satisfaction survey from the University of Michigan found Lexus, BMW, Toyota, and Honda filling out the top four spots, with GM's Buick the highest domestic scorer. Chrysler's brands not only scored dead last, but also showed the steepest drop in satisfaction among the survey respondents, while Ford owners were largely unchanged in their estimation of the vehicles.Read more...

This week's automotive news...

• GM Aims High-Mileage Cruze At U.S. Market Automaker hopes to cruise to profitability with fuel-stingy compact.

• NHTSA Acting Administrator Named Major decisions remain.

• Gas Prices Fall for 37 Days Average price under $4 in California.

• Insurance Group Adds 6 Small SUVs to Safety List Jeep Wrangler given low marks in test.

• Luxury Sedan, SUV Win Insurance Industry Safety Award Acura RL and Audi Q7 added to top safety pick list.

This week's recalls...

WALL STREET WORDS MOVE THE MARKET HIGHER
All it can take for the supposedly solid stock market to list from one side to another like a ship in a storm are some well-placed words by a financial titan, it seems. That's what happened this week when positive comments by Warren Buffet and Ben Bernanke turned a gloomy week on Wall Street into a fortunate weekend. But does a day of falling oil prices and stabilized dollar value mean that the worst of the financial crisis is over? Market maven Fred Yager takes a look at the evidence and says that the best thing to do is watch the fundamentals, keep an eye on your investment strategy, and let the market work itself out. Read more...

This week's financial and economic news...

• Government Policy Helps Big Business Hide as Small Businesses Companies no longer have to disclose revenue or employees.

• Are Structured Products Really For You? Wealthy investors use alternatives to minimize risk.

• Inflation Rising, Home Construction Falling Highest price growth since 1981.

• Mrs. Fields Cookies to File Chapter 11 Company will continue baking during reorganization.

• Hershey's Announces Candy Price Hike Rising food costs make sweet tooth satisfaction more expensive.

AIR TRAVEL EXPECTED TO FALL OVER LABOR DAY
Rising fuel prices, fees for everything from pillows to soft drinks, and a moribund economy all add up to less air travel--and Labor Day weekend is no exception. The Air Transport Association of America (ATA) forecasts that 16 million passengers will travel globally on U.S. airlines during the period, a decline of 5.7 percent from the 17 million passengers estimated to have traveled on U.S. airlines during the same period last year. ATA is using the grim tidings to urge Congress to develop better energy policies that provide relief for airlines stuck using conventional jet fuel. Read more...

This week's air travel news...

• American Begins Wi-Fi Service on Some Flights Customers can surf the Web using airborne Internet provider.

COMCAST TO SLOW SPEEDS FOR HEAVIEST USERS
As a response to the penalties levied by the FCC against Comcast for blocking Internet content, the cable giant says it plans to reduce speeds for its heaviest users for up to 20 minutes per session. The new system will be implemented during times of peak Internet usage, regardless of the user's particular history of bandwith consumption. Details remained scarce about the program, but consumer activist groups who opposed Comcast's policies advised skepticism about the new plan until they could see it in action. Read more...

INTERNET PROVIDERS ADMIT TO MONITORING CUSTOMER WEB SURFING
It's not just Big Brother watching you anymore--now it's Big Business. Congress sent a letter to 33 Internet, telecom, and cable companies demanding more information about how they track customers' Web surfing habits, from sites visited to ads clicked on. At least one cable company, Cable One in Phoenix, Arizona, admits to running tests of monitoring customers' Web surfing and then sending them tailored ads, and other companies plan to do the same. Read more...

This week's technology news...

• Can Your Heart be Hacked? New research explores possibility of remotely controlling pacemakers.

• Signal Problems Plague iPhone 3G Apple issues firmware upgrade but analysts are skeptical.

• FCC Announces Major Publicity Push for DTV Transition Commission members will travel to critical markets to spread the word.

79 MILLION AMERICANS STRUGGLE TO PAY MEDICAL BILLS
We all know that too many Americans go without health insurance, but even the insured can go under thanks to rising medical expenses and shrinking coverage. A new study from the Commonwealth Fund found that insurance coverage deteriorated over the past six years, with declines in coverage most severe for moderate-income families. As a result, more families are experiencing problems paying their medical bills, or cost-related delays in getting needed care. 72 million people reported a problem paying their medical bills or had accrued medical debt in 2007, while an additional 7 million adults 65 and older also reported bill or debt problems. Read more...

This week's health news...

• Report Links Tobacco Marketing and Movies With Youth Smoking Even brief exposure to tobacco ads can hook kids for life, study finds.

• Color Blindness Isn't Black and White How color vision deficiency really works.

• University Presidents Support Lower Drinking Age Claim that lower age would curtail binge drinking; Experts disagree.

• Researchers Claim Vioxx Safety Study Was Actually Marketing Plan Merck challenges researchers' assertions regarding painkiller.

• New Prostate Cancer Treatment Shows Promise Continuous low doses of medicine is more tolerable, shows better results.

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