Current Events in July 2007

In April 2007, an MSN Money-Zogby Poll showed that the winner of the Customer Service Hall of Shame went to wireless provider Sprint -- not an award that any company would want.

Now, irked by irksome customers and complainers, Sprint is striking back -- by cutting off users who call customer service 25 times per month or more.

One of those users is Rene, an eight-year Sprint customer.

I just got a new phone and plan five weeks ago, and to thank me, Sprint sends me a letter saying that my service is being terminated at the end of July.

Rene, who goes by the name MissDiva on the SprintUsers.com forum, had to call Sprint due to several billing errors. Some calls to customer service were dropped, which meant she had to call them back. Each call was a black mark against her.

If they would have fixed the problem on the first call, I wouldnt have to place a second call. This is how they repay me for being a loyal customer? Rene fumed.

To add insult to injury, Renes boyfriend repeatedly receives calls from Sprint asking him to add another line, even though he tells them not to call. It seems its fine for Sprint to call often, but a customer dare not call Sprint on a regular basis, he said.

Rene said she has tried to resolve the issue but has had no success. Sprint said they would call me back within 48 hours, but 4 days passed and still no call.

According to Sprint, approximately 1,000 customers received the termination letter. The letter says that any remaining balance will be wiped out and the subscriber wont pay an early termination fee.

That's a relatively low number, considering the constant stream of Sprint customers who complain to ConsumerAffairs.com that their repeated calls to Sprint fail to resolve service and billing problems.

Among the 2,234 Sprint complaints received by ConsumerAffairs.com:

• Judith of Tiburon, Calif., who is hearing-impaired, said she began calling Sprint/Nextel in March to change her one-month-old phone because she could not hear its ring.

"I purchased another phone at a Sprint store and was told that I could use the phone on the hybrid account. That turned out not to be true and I've been charged for 2 separate accounts ever since" despite numerous calls to Sprint, Judith said.

• Diana of Altamonte Springs, Fla., said Sprint cut off her service for non-payment even though she pays her bill every month through Embarq, her local landline carrier.

"Numerous calls to Sprint PCS customer NO service has resulting in nothing but frustration. They insist that I owe them money which I have already paid to Embarq," she said.

• Yadira of Bronx, N.Y., said she called repeatedly to follow-up on the arrival of a replacement phone. "I get disconnected or they'll place me on hold and completely forget that Im there," she said.

In a masterpiece of bad timing, shortly after mailing the termination notices, Sprint released a statement concerning its new partnership with NASCAR.

The Sprint/NASCAR press release says, in part, This is an evolutionary time for Sprint Nextel's brand. Our new brand campaign focuses on the importance of speed in people's daily lives and illustrates their ability to get information where they want it, when they want it.

Unless they have to call Sprint for it, that is.

Thats the message a grieving Arizona pet owner received on Monday from the insurance carrier for Nutro Products, one of the companies involved in the nationwide pet food recall.

Pet owner Jerri L. filed a claim with the company to recoup the $700 in vet bills she incurred trying to save her 13-year-old Sheltie, Sandyboy.

As ConsumerAffairs.com first reported in April, Sandyboy suddenly went into kidney failure after eating one of the recalled Nutro Max foods.

He was a perfectly healthy dog and then I put him on that food, and boom, within two weeks, he was gone, Jerri told us. His immediate symptoms were going off by himself, being very lethargic, and not eating or drinking as much as he did. Then he started getting diarrhea and wouldnt take in any fluids.

Our vet confirmed he went into complete kidney failure and there was no reason for his kidneys to fail. We had to make the difficult decision to put him to sleep.

That happened in May 2006 ten months before Menu Foods recalled 60 million containers of melamine-tainted pet food.

Jerri, however, is convinced that Sandyboys death is linked to the Nutro Max pet food.

All our other dogs ate Pedigree and theyre fine. Hes the only one who got sick. He was a healthy 13-year-old dog until he started eating that food. So yes, Im certain theres a connected between the food and his death.

The Hartford insurance company disagrees.

Our investigation has determined that our insured is not responsible for this very unfortunate incident, the company wrote in a letter to Jerri. The basis for this decision is in light of the fact that while your pet may have consumed some of the recalled product, testing of your pet has revealed that your pet was not ill (or the illness is not related to the recalled pet food).

Accordingly, there is no property damage as a result of the insureds product. Based upon the above, this will advise that there is no legal liability on the part of Nutro Products, Inc. for the alleged damages.

Not Giving Up

She plans to join one of the class action lawsuits filed in connection with the pet food recall.

I want my $700 and I want an admission by the company that they were wrong, the Goodyear, Arizona woman told us today. I dont think anyone did this (contaminated the pet food) purposely. But I think the company needs to take care of what occurred.

She adds: It makes me sick to think that I killed my dog. I could barely live with decision to put him down and now to think I may have killed him inadvertently. I could have taken it if hed died of old age. But not this Im just heartsick over this whole thing.

The Food and Drug Administration discovered two ingredients used to make the recalled pet foods -- wheat gluten and rice protein concentrate -- contained melamine. That chemical is not approved for use in pet or human food; its used to make plastics and pesticides.

FDA officials traced the melamine-tainted ingredients to two companies in China, which exported the products to the United States. Those Chinese companies are now closed.

Since March, Menu Foods and other pet food makers have recalled more than 5,600 pet food products sold under at least 100 brand namesmaking this one of the largest pet food recalls in U.S. history.

This whole thing has gotten so crazy, Jerri says. I dont feel safe giving my other six dogs commercial foods anymore. Thats why Im looking at giving them natural foods.

Teenagers who forego a healthy and balanced diet may have a harder time catching their breath.

A new study, published in the July issue of CHEST, the peer-reviewed journal of the American College of Chest Physicians (ACCP), shows that a low dietary intake of certain nutrients increases the likelihood of respiratory symptoms such as asthma, especially in teens that smoke. Furthermore, a lack of these nutrients may also lead to lower lung function.

Our study, as well as other research, suggests that higher intakes of antioxidant and anti-inflammatory micronutrients are associated with lower reports of cough, respiratory infections, and less severe asthma-related symptoms, said lead study author Jane Burns, ScD, Harvard School of Public Health.

Teenagers who have low dietary intakes of fruit, vitamin E, and omega-3 fatty acids are at greater risk of having asthma, emphasizing the importance of a balanced diet, composed of whole foods.

While observing 12th-grade students from 12 communities around the U.S. and Canada, Dr. Burns and her colleagues from the Harvard School of Public Health, Health Canada, Brigham and Womens Hospital, and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), examined the associations of low dietary nutrient intake with low pulmonary function and respiratory symptoms.

Over the period of one school year, 2,112 students completed a standardized respiratory questionnaire and a dietary questionnaire. They also answered questions about medication use, smoking habits, and recent exercise, before participating in lung function testing.

Dr. Burns explained that the researchers focused on teens because it is the ideal age at which to test lung capacity and eating habits.

During late adolescence, physical stature has, on average, been attained and lung growth closely parallels this growth. Therefore we were observing a time when lung function was close to its optimal capacity, she said.

Also, although our diet survey targeted eating habits only during the past year, it did give us some idea of the teens general past diet. However, their current respiratory health may be a reflection of diet during childhood, as well as during the past year.

The majority of adolescents in the study were white, one third were overweight, and 72% did not consume multivitamins. Also, nearly 25% reported smoking on a daily basis.

Researchers also found that at least one third of the students diets were below the recommended levels of fruit, vegetable, vitamins A and E, beta-carotene, and omega-3 fatty acid intake.

Vitamin supplements can help teens meet their daily recommended levels, said Dr. Burns, and surprisingly, even relatively low levels of omega-3 fatty acids appeared to protect teens from higher reported respiratory symptoms.

Results showed that low dietary intakes of fruit, vitamins C and E, and omega-3 fatty acids were associated with decreased lung function and a greater risk of chronic bronchitic symptoms, wheeze, and asthma. These risks were further increased among students with the lowest intakes and who also smoked.

I wish we could say that an apple a day can keep asthma away, but its a complex disease with a genetic component. However, it may be that certain foods can lessen or prevent asthma symptoms, said Dr. Burns. The most important thing to remember is that diet can have a significant impact on teens respiratory health. I would encourage them to make healthy eating a part of their daily routine, and stress to them that smoking is bad.

Researchers emphasized that fresh fruits make for convenient snacks. They also suggest preparing a simple, daily family meal, as a method to promote both communication and good nutrition.

A balanced diet is not only good for lung health, but for general health, said Mark J. Rosen, MD, FCCP, President of the American College of Chest Physicians. Parents and physicians should work together to monitor and maintain healthy diets and lifestyles for children of all ages.

The state of Virginia has suspended all sales of live poultry after the discovery of suspected avian flu germs in a flock of Virginia turkeys. The ban will remain in effect through the rest of this month.

As scary as it sounds, state health officials say its a danger to the poultry industry but not to humans.

The Virginia Department of Agriculture said the strain of antibodies discovered in the flock of 54,000 turkeys in Shenandoah County, Virginia does not pose a health risk to humans.

The state has also banned the transfer and application of poultry droppings in 17 counties. Droppings, which could carry and spread the antibodies, are often used as fertilizer.

In Indonesia, the death of a six-year-old boy brought that country's world-leading death toll from the H5N1 avian influenza virus to 81.

The Indonesian government, responding to a spike in new cases, declared a ban on backyard poultry farms in residential areas of nine provinces. It also placed tight restrictions on the movement and sale of poultry and poultry products across the nine provinces, and is preparing more hospitals to treat human cases of the virus.

Most bird flu victims have had direct or indirect contact with sick birds, but scientists fear the virus could mutate into a form that would be easily spread among humans, sparking a global pandemic that could kill millions.

Meanwhile, Egypt, the country hardest hit by bird flu outside Asia, has banned all poultry imports from France and Germany after the H5N1 strain was discovered in birds there.

Egypt took the step after positive H5N1 test results last week on three swans in France and 38 birds in Germany.

Despite the recent flurry of indignation over defective and dangerous imports from China, government agencies and major American retailers have known of problems with specific imported products for years, but have done nothing.

Case in point: Since 1999, consumers who purchased Martha Stewart patio furniture at Kmart have been getting a nasty surprise -- the glass tops of the patio tables have been spontaneously shattering.

The tables, made in Taiwan by JRA Furniture, are also sold under other brand names, including Home Depot's Hampton Bay.

I was sitting at my computer when I heard this tremendous crash, said David Potts of Marietta, Ga. I went outside to see what it was and it looked like my patio was covered in ice. It was the glass from the table top.

I got a couple of slivers of glass in my fingers while I was cleaning it and here I am a year later and I can still feel pain in the tips of my fingers, Potts said.

"Nothing Unusual"

While Home Depot is at least claiming it wants to help consumers whose JRA tables have shattered, Kmart, which has sold the tables since 1999, has consistently done nothing.

Martha Stewart OmniMedia has never uttered a word on the subject, has failed to respond to numerous requests for comment and, as far as we know, has never lifted so much as a pinkie to help any of its customers whose tables shattered.

For years, Kmart employees have told consumers whose tabletops shattered that they had never heard of a similar incident. Customers were usually greeted with a shrug and told to submit a warranty claim to the manufacturer, JRA.

Now Kmart is going so far as to insist there is nothing unusual about spontaneously shattering glass tabletops.

When Lilyan of Paramus, NJ, went to Kmart a few weeks ago to report that her Martha Stewart Outdoor Collection table had blown up just as her family sat down to dinner, store employees were no help, she said in a complaint to ConsumerAffairs.com. They suggested she file a claim on her homeowner's insurance, she said.

"K-Mart ... will not refund the price of the table or even discount the purchase of a replacement table. We were told that we could purchase another table for $115.00," said Ginger of Alpharetta GA.

"I still have my table and would like to have the glass replaced. They were absolutely no help at Kmart's service desk," Deb of Bellbrook, OH, said.

JRA Bankrupt

As ConsumerAffairs.com reported two weeks ago, JRA has declared bankruptcy, rendering the warranty worthless. JRA Furniture was essentially a shell company for JRA Century, a company based in Taiwan that actually manufactured the tables, according to an attorney who has sued the company. JRA Furniture continuously denied any connection with JRA Century even after the court ordered it to produce documents which included an Agency Agreement between the two JRAs.

JRA Century recently dissolved, within just a few days of JRA Furniture's filing for bankruptcy.

But none of that has stopped Home Depot and Kmart, which also owns Sears, from continuing to sell the tables, knowing they tend to shatter and knowing the manufacturer is bankrupt.

Sears/Kmart spokespeople have danced around the question of whether they will honor the warranty now that JRA is less likely than ever to do so. (Just for the record, we don't know of any consumers who actually collected on a JRA warranty claim).

When ConsumerAffairs.com asked two weeks ago whether Kmart will step in to honor the warranty, Sears spokesman Chris Brathwaite wrote in an e-mail: Given JRAs recent chapter 7 filing, JRA will likely be unable to honor its manufacturers warranty. As a service to our customers, Kmart intends to work with our customers to attempt to resolve issues that would have otherwise been covered by that manufacturer warranty.

Just what did that answer mean? An answer like that is an invitation to repeat the question.

So last Friday, ConsumerAffairs.com asked Brathwaite three times for a definitive 'yes' or 'no' response as to whether Kmart will honor the warranty. He replied in an e-mail: Did you not get this (his previous answer)? I sent it two weeks ago.

Contact Numbers

Brathwaite said customers should visit Kmart Customer Care or call toll-free 866-562-7848.

Home Depot has established a specific toll-free phone number for consumers whose Hampton Bay tables have shattered. Home Depot will be honoring JRA's defunct warranty, company spokeswoman Sarah Molinari said. Consumers can call 800-999-3436.

Molinari said Home Depot's Hampton Bay tables are higher quality than other JRA lines of furniture. She said Home Depot has received fewer than 10 complaints on the matter.

That may be so, but ConsumerAffairs.com to date has received 81, admittedly fewer than the 548 from Kmart customers but quite a few more than 10.

"Perfectly Safe"

In a Jan. 30, 2006 report that Sears/Kmart submitted to the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), the companies claim that the tables are perfectly safe since, when the glass does shatter, it breaks into tiny pieces because it is tempered.

The CPSC has said that there is no longer any investigation underway.

In documents obtained by ConsumerAffairs.com under a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request, it was stated that Kmart and Martha Stewart had taken steps to "address" to problem of glass shattering.

The explanation of just what those actions might be takes up three lines of text in the letter but those lines were redacted -- crossed out, in other words -- because of FOIA rules that protect trade secrets.

Tempered glass undergoes a different heating process that allows the glass to crumble rather than break into large, potentially deadly shards, according to the report.

The report also says that some spontaneous shattering of tempered glass is to be expected and thus, the tables are not defective.

Less than one percent of all the tables at issue have been reported as having an incident involving glass breakage, Brathwaite wrote in an e-mail.

Perhaps, but many complaints in the ConsumerAffairs.com database are from consumers whose second, or even third, replacement tabletops have shattered. Many consumers report that their tables spontaneously shatter within two months or less after bringing them home from Kmart.

A pending nationwide class action lawsuit may be the reason for JRA's bankruptcy, said lead counsel on the case, Richard Doherty, of Horwitz, Horwitz and Associates in Chicago. Because the company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, it is not held liable for whatever penalties may arise from the pending court case -- and, thus, consumers who might otherwise have received at least some token compensation may wind up with nothing.

What To Do

Doherty said that although JRAs bankruptcy may slow the cases progress, he is still going forward and that consumers whose table tops explode should:

• Keep a sampling of the glass in a bag for proof;

• File complaints with the Consumer Product Safety Commission, the Federal Trade Commission, your state attorney general, and ConsumerAffairs.com; and

• Contact Kmart and Omnimedia to remind them how dangerous their tables are.

An Ounce of Prevention

Consumers who own any kind of glass tabletop should be aware that they are prone to shatter. While it is true that tempered glass does not produce deadly shards, it does produce small, sharp-edged pieces of glass that can cause superficial cuts to the hands and feet and be a more substantial hazard to small children and pets.

Consumers can easily and cheaply replace glass tops with a custom-cut clear plastic top, available at most glass and mirror shops.

Better safe than sorry.

The greeting looks real enough. It is an exact replica of a Hallmark E-Card, or one from MyPostcards.com or a number of other sites that provide animated email greetings.

The recipient is instructed to click on a link to view the greeting card. There may also be instructions for downloading and saving it. But doing so could lead to big trouble.

The link goes to a hackers Web site and tries to open a file called postcard.exe. Security experts warn that opening an executable file from an unknown source is a good way to download a Trojan or other unwanted program that can damage your computer and create a security risk.

The subject line in the greeting varies, from a generic hello to references to a specific holiday or event. Last week a number of these bogus E-Cards used the U.S. July 4 Independence Day celebration to lure victims into their trap.

Cyber criminals easily take advantage of celebrations like the 4th July to infect innocent people's computers, and potentially steal their identities. This is not just an American problem - these kinds of attacks strike around the world, and are designed to abuse PCs on a global scale, said Brett Myroff, CEO of NetXactics, a distributor of Sophos security software.

Sophos says those who fall for the ruse will be taken to a zombie computer, which attempts to load the virus. The virus then tries to download additional code from the Internet.

Security experts advise that people who receive a an unexpected E-Card from a person they do not know, or have not heard from for a long time, should delete it without opening it, as they would any other email from an unknown, or suspect, source.

More Scam Alerts ...

July 9, 2007

While the maker of Paxil and Paxil CR -- GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) -- was required by law to announce the settlement terms of a parent-driven class action lawsuit in October 2006, it was not required to publicize the fact that those terms were greatly improved and simplified in April 2007. Because of legal actions taken by Public Citizen, many more parents whose children took Paxil before the age of 18 could benefit from the settlement if they only knew about it.

Public Citizen posted a YouTube video to tell these parents that there is a $48 million dollar fund created by GSK to pay them back. Even without receipts, parents can recover up to $100. Any money that is not claimed prior to the August 31, 2007 deadline will revert back to the drug company.

GSK and the FDA warned doctors only last year that Paxil increased suicidal thoughts in this age group, and yet this popular anti-depressant has been prescribed to children and teenagers since 1992. Parents believed this information was known and withheld by the company, which opted to settle the case rather than go to trial and be forced to answer some very difficult questions.

If you are a parents or guardian who purchased the antidepressant Paxil or Paxil CR for your child or ward, then you are entitled to recover the money you spent on the drug.

You are entitled to this money if:

• you live in the U.S. and
• you purchased Paxil or Paxil CR for someone under the age of 18.

If you qualify, you must fill out a claim form and mail it to the Paxil Pediatric Settlement Administrator in order to receive compensation. The claims must be received by August 31, 2007. The claim form may be downloaded at www.citizen.org/documents/paxilclaimform.pdf (pdf).

If you do not have receipts from the Paxil or Paxil CR purchases, you may receive up to $100.

If you do have receipts from the Paxil or Paxil CR purchases, you may receive up to the entire amount of money you spent purchasing Paxil or Paxil CR for someone under the age of 18. Be sure to follow the claim form's instructions: attach copies of your receipts or records to document how much you spent on Paxil or Paxil CR.

Chinese-manufactured fireworks malfunctioned at a July 4 fireworks show in Vienna, Va., rocketing into a crowd composed mostly of children, injuring 11 and sending at least seven to the hospital.

The show was proceeding as planned until the start of the finale when a cake box with 25 rockets fired the trajectories in many directions around the ballpark where the show took place.

That show was one of six in Fairfax County, Va., in which the same cake box misfired. However, it was only in Vienna where citizens were injured, Fairfax Fire Marshal spokesman Dan Schmidt said.

Schaefer Pyrotechnics of Ronks, Pa. operated all the shows in Fairfax County and has done so for 10 years. The company is not being blamed for the workmanship of the Chinese shells. Schafer representatives refused to comment.

The item being blamed in each misfire was the cake box, which is a container of five rows of five three-inch mortar tubes ignited by a single fuse. In all the cases, it appears one of the mortars exploded early, tipping over the container and sending the rockets screaming outwards just a few feet above the ground. One of those mortars narrowly missed two Schaefer employees at the Fairfax City show.

Schmidt said all the fireworks were carefully inspected, following the National Fire Protection Association regulations, and that the cake boxes had been secured by at least 600 pounds of sand bags.

Nearly 99 percent of all fireworks sold legally in the U.S. are imported from China, according to the American Pyrotechnics Association, a trade group that promotes the sale of fireworks.

The group also said that fireworks manufactured in China are more strictly inspected than other items such as toothpaste, which was recently discovered to have been manufactured with a poison used in antifreeze.

Witnesses described the scene to The Washington Post as chaotic.

Schmidt said in his 10 years in the Fire Marshal's office, he has never seen a professional fireworks display malfunction.

Marie Kilsner, a spokeswoman for the town of Vienna, said she believes that a woman in her '30s and her 3-year-old son are still being treated at northern Virginia hospitals. She said because of Federal privacy regulations she doesn't know any more details.

A. A woman reaches menopause when a year has passed since her last period.

Menopause, like many of the changes in a womans body through her lifetime, is caused by changes in hormone levels.

Menopausal transition, called perimenopause, is the time when a womans body is close to menopause. Periods may become irregular. A woman may start to feel hot flashes and night sweats. Perimenopause usually begins about 2 to 4 years before the last menstrual period. It ends when menopause begins.

Postmenopause follows menopause and lasts the remainder of a womans life. Pregnancy is no longer possible. There may be symptoms such as vaginal dryness long after menopause.

The process of reproductive aging begins around age 40. Declining levels of the hormones estrogen and progesterone change a womans periods. These hormones maintain the health of the vagina and uterus, and regulate the menstrual cycles

The most common symptoms of menopause are:

• Period changes. Many women become irregular. Flow levels get heavier or lighter. There may be spotting between periods.

• Hot flashes. These are sudden rushes of heat that can last seconds or minutes. Perspiring and shivering can follow. Flashes can be trivial or strong enough to wake a woman with night sweats.

• Vaginal and bladder problems. The genital area can get drier and thinner. Infections can become more common. Other problems can make it hard to hold urine.

• Difficulties with sex. Vaginal dryness can make intercourse painful.

• Sleep problems. Some women find they may not fall asleep easily or may wake too early. Their sleep is disturbed by trips to the bathroom. Hot flashes awaken them.

• Body changes. Loss of bone tissue can weaken your bones and cause osteoporosis, a disease in which the bones become extremely porous and more fragile. With age, waists thicken, muscle mass is lost, fat tissue may increase, skin may get thinner.

• Heart disease. Heart disease is a major threat for older women. In fact, heart disease is the major cause of death in women, killing more women than lung or breast cancer.

HRT

In menopause, a doctor might suggest taking estrogen and progesterone, known as hormone replacement therapy or HRT. HRT involves taking estrogen plus progestin.

HRT may relieve hot flashes, and reduce loss of bone. However, HRT increases the risk for heart disease, stroke and breast cancer. But it appears to decrease the risk of colon cancer.

Phytoestrogens are estrogen-like substances found in soy, wild yams, and herbs such as black cohosh and dong quai; they may relieve some symptoms of menopause. The government does not regulate phytoestrogens. Scientists are studying some of these plant estrogens to find out if they work and are safe.

Be sure to tell your doctor if you decide to eat more foods with phytoestrogens. Any food or over-the-counter product that you use for its drug-like effects could interact with other prescribed drugs or cause an overdose.

All Rights Reserved © 2007 by Fred Cicetti

The vipers have landed! This time, however, theyre the good guys.

VIPER, which stands for Visible Intermodeal Protection And Response, is a high-security, low-profile unit designed to defray terrorist attacks at airports and other transportation hubs.

Created by another agency better-known for its acronym, the TSA (Transportation Security Administration), the new unit doesnt want publicity. To it, stealth is an asset.

"This is nothing new," said the TSAs Ellen Howe. "Over the last 18 months, weve had 84 VIPER team operations."

She said her teams consist of transportation inspectors, air marshals, behavioral experts, and bomb detectors, among others. Taking a page from the terrorist textbook, they bank on being unpredictable, so that nobody knows where they might show up next.

Not surprisingly, they are already on the job in New York, the focal point of the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.

They were deployed there even before British authorities thwarted car-bombing plots, minimized an attack on Glasgow airport, and arrested eight alleged co-conspirators last weekend.

VIPER teams carry arms but do not always wear uniforms. They have worked such events as the Super Bowl and the funeral of former president Gerald Ford.

According to Howe, "Its not unusual to deploy them at a time like this when a lot of people will be using public transit systems."

In addition to the New York-New Jersey area, which has three major airports, VIPER teams are at work in Boston, Houston, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Washington, among other places. The teams work in concert with local authorities, including city and state police and airport agencies like the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.

How much time they spend in a given location, where they are deployed, and the size of each team is confidential information, not known to the public or the media.

Thats the way the TSA likes it.

A database administrator employed by a subsidiary of payment processor Fidelity National stole the information of as many as 2.3 million customers and resold it to an unidentified data broker, the company alleged.

The unidentified data broker then resold the information to direct marketers who solicited the customers for product offers.

Although Fidelity claimed there was no evidence the stolen information had been used for identity theft, junk mail solicitations are a prime cause of identity theft, as criminals will often "dumpster dive" for unused credit solicitations and open accounts using stolen identities.

The administrator, William Sullivan, worked for Fidelity subsidiary Certegy Check Services. Certegy first detected the breach when one of their customers alerted them to a link between check transactions and product solicitations its customers were receiving.

When an internal investigation failed to turn up the source of the breach, Certegy contacted the U.S. Secret Service.

The investigation led to Sullivan, characterized by Certegy president Renz Nichols as a "rogue," though he had worked for the company for seven years. Nichols said the employee had been fired and that the company would be pursuing civil damages against him.

"We are taking the necessary steps to see that any further use of the data stops," Nichols said.

Fidelity National provides payment processing services for retail, mortgage, and other transactions. It is a separate entity from Fidelity Investments.

The Enemy Within

In terms of sheer size, the Fidelity breach surpasses the loss of a laptop containing records on 1.8 million veterans by a former analyst with the Veterans' Administration.

It is surpassed by another disappearing laptop, containing information on 2.9 million Georgia residents receiving medical care and belonging to a contractor working for the state's Department of Health.

But the dubious honor of largest data breach is still held by the TJX company, when hackers exposed records belonging to 46 million customers of the retail chain's TJ Maxx and Marshall's stores.

Although the majority of data breaches are caused by bad security procedures and carelessness, rather than malice, employees who go bad still present a major headache for businesses. Disgruntled workers can wreak havoc with information systems or steal and resell the data for profit.

In April, a former Morgan Stanley employee was arrested on charges of stealing information on the firm's hedge fund clients and using it to build his own brokerage business.

Its like a really hot Exacto knife slicing through your skin, said John Klear, describing his recent laser tattoo removal treatments.

Despite the pain and the cost, he says, its worth it to him to have his tattoos removed. He got them when he was in the Navy, a rite of passage but also a lasting reminder of the folly of youth, he says.

Later, after deciding he didnt like the way they looked, he researched tattoo removal on the Internet and decided to go to the University of Michigan Health System for treatment.

His dermatologist, Jeffrey Orringer, M.D., sees many patients who want their tattoos to disappear. Indeed, he says, nearly 20 percent of people with tattoos are thinking of having them removed and other estimates are even higher.

The most common reason, he says, would be to remove a name of someone who is no longer involved in the patients life.

Orringer treats patients with a laser technology that allows for a fairly precise removal of the ink without damage to the surrounding skin and, in most cases, without a scar. He says the technology is far superior to the techniques of the past.

Current technology allows the physician to choose certain wavelengths of laser light and shine them on the skin. The wavelength of light from the Q-switched (or quality-switched) laser targets the ink in the skin; the ink heats up when absorbing the laser light, and the balls of ink pop like popcorn but on a microscopic basis, says Orringer, assistant professor of dermatology at the U-M Medical School.

The body responds by sending in white blood cells that chew up the altered ink and lighten the tattoo.

For typical, professionally applied tattoos, Orringer orders six to 12 treatment sessions that will clear most tattoos. And its not an easy process.

Some patients tell me that having it removed with a laser is somewhat more uncomfortable than acquiring it in the first place, he said.

Not Cheap

The cost also tends to be greater than the price of having the tattoo applied, he says, and can add up to a few thousand dollars for the most complex tattoos. Simpler tattoos cost less than that.

Some tattoos are easier to remove than others. Those that are older, simpler, contain fewer colors are easier to remove, while those located on arms and legs tend to be tougher, Orringer said.

Id say its most difficult to remove a tattoo from the ankle area, he said. The hands, fingers and other areas at the end of extremities are also more difficult because of a difference in blood flow.

Counter intuitively, darker colors, such as black, are easier to remove; vivid, bright colors can be more difficult. When tattoo artists mix colors such as dark blue with white to create sky blue it can pose difficulties during the removal process. The white ink acts as a shield that reflects much of the laser light, protecting the blue ink and making it more difficult to eradicate with lasers.

For Robert Kelley, 48, the process of having his tattoo removed is a chance for him to teach his son about the potential downside of getting a tattoo. He is pleased that he has the option to have the tattoo removed, but it hasnt been easy.

Ive been able to show my son after my surgeries what the healing process looks like, said Kelley, who has required more than a dozen laser sessions for the removal of a skull tattoo on his arm, which he got when he was a teenager. If my son wants a tattoo when hes older, Im going to remind him of the process I went through.

As consumer concerns about the safety of Chinese imports grow, the president of the Toy Industry Association (TIA) says he's not surprised by a ConsumerAffairs.com analysis that revealed most of the toys recalled this year came from China.

Eighty percent or more of the three billion toys sold each year come from China, said TIAs President Carter Keithley. Given that amount, its not surprising (so many recalled) toys are from China. Its the law of averages.

But he added: We never like to see a recall, particularly ones that involve something like lead paint in a toy. That has been forbidden for decades. The reality is the countries dont make the toys companies make them. And theyre the ones that are responsible.

Keithley said his industry was very unhappy about RC2 Corporations recent recall of 1.5 million Thomas and Friends wooden train sets that contained lead paint.

RC2 recalled the wooden train sets -- made in China --on June 13.

That was a particularly big recall and for those products to have contained lead paint is just something that should not have happened.

This was an unfortunate occurrence, Keithley said, adding RC2 is not a member of TIA. That association is considered the voice of the U.S. toy industry. Wed like to find out more about what happened to see if there are any gaps of our safety system.

Keithley said our investigation is troubling because it contributes to the growing, negative feelings consumers have about products made in China. That country has come under fire in recent weeks for exporting tainted ingredients used in pet food, toothpastes that contain the chemical diethylene glycol, and shoddy tires.

But Keithley said members of his association have trusted toys made in China for years.

Our industry has sourced toys from China for the past couple of decadessince the 80s. If we, over the last couple of decades, had not been able to rely on the safety of toys from China, we would not be sourcing them from China. These are products for our children.

Keithley also said he does not --in spite of our findings -- believe the U.S. should ban toys made in China.

Not at all. We are not anywhere near thinking that we should ban toys made in China.

He said his industry works with Chinese companies to make sure they understand -- and meet -- current U.S. safety standards.

For the past 11 years, we have done toy safety standard seminars in China, Keithley said, adding TIA is holding a seminar next month in China. This is an industry sponsored seminar -- with participation from the Consumer Product Safety Commission -- to let (Chinese) companies know what measures they need to take to meet our standards.

Keithley also said consumers shouldnt panic about the all the recalls of toys made in China or other countries.

Theres a tendency to overlook that the recall system is part of the safety net designed to insure that toys are safe. And I can tell you that the system of assuring the safety (of toys) is robust.

Heightened Scrutiny

A number of U.S. businesses that use Chinese products and materials have reportedly stepped up testing of their imports.

General Mills, Kellogg and Toys R Us have increased their inspections, in the wake of recalls of tainted dog food, toothpaste and tires, according to The New York Times. The newspaper says these inspections included more unannounced visits to Chinese manufacturing plants.

Food makers are said to be testing for potential contaminants not on the inspection list a few months ago. Toys R Us has hired two senior executives, creating new positions to oversee procurement and product safety, mainly for goods made in China.

Congress Reacts

U.S. companies are feeling the heat, along with China, over these new safety concerns. Some members of Congress have accused companies of compromising quality in order to cut costs and increase profits.

The latest political heat is coming from Sen. Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.), who is calling for the creation of a federal import czar, saying unexacting inspections and a bureaucratic morass are to blame for the problems.

"Neither the Chinese or American government is doing their job," he told The Washington Post. Schumer said the Bush administration had cut funds for the regulatory agencies that are responsible for ensuring food and product safety.

"The Chinese system of regulations is where we were in 1890," Schumer said. Rigorous inspections at the U.S. border must make up for any weakness in foreign regulations, Schumer contended.

Last week, Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), a member of the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee whose jurisdiction includes product recalls requested Senate action in analyzing the underlying concerns of toy safety, Chinas role and what can be done to safeguard children from potentially harmful products.

Agencies Adrift

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) says budget cuts have reduced the number of inspectors at ports of entry. The agency says it is able to inspects less than one percent of imports.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is adrift. It has been without a chairman for more than six months, when the Bush administration's appointee resigned abruptly to become a lobbyist.

With only two commissioners, the agency is not able to vote on civil penalties or enact new safety regulations.

When Robin Catesby and her husband Dave were planning their wedding, they made a deliberate choice to make the big day as low-cost as possible.

"He was in culinary school at the time and we knew we'd have big student loan bills after he graduated, so we opted for an almost entirely do-it-yourself wedding and stayed well within our tiny budget," Catesby said.

Dave's sister, on the other hand, went for a huge, fancy wedding with all the trimmings.

"We never heard the exact figures, but it sounded like [his sister's] wedding ran toward the $15-20K mark," said Catesby, currently a graphic designer in Portland, Oregon. "They were very much taken in by all the glitz and foofery."

Catesby's story is typical of many young marrieds these days. Enticed by visions of fairytale celebrations with expensive and lavish settings, many couples are racking up huge debt in the name of the perfect day -- and unlike previous generations, parents are no longer shouldering the burden as much as they once did, so wedding expenses are increasingly being picked up by credit cards.

The result, according to Consolidated Credit Counseling Services (CCCS) founder Howard Dvorkin, is an average wedding debt of $25,000.

"And when you factor in penalties and interest, and if they only make the minimum payment, we're talking debt levels of $100,000 or more over the life of the debt -- that'll take longer to pay off than most marriages last!"

Great Expectations

Dvorkin founded CCCS to help consumers deal with crushing debt from various sources and get their financial lives on track. Increasingly, that involves paying off huge credit card debts resulting from lavish weddings.

"The idea of parents paying for the big day just isn't a reality any more," he said. "The culture pushes this idea that women, in particular, should have this one perfect day so much that they'll do anything to get it. I don't think many really realize what running up that kind of debt means."

Abigail G., an educator from Netcong, New Jersey, agrees with Dvorkin's assessment.

"Many little girls dream of their weddings and as the media feeds us all the stories of insanely expensive celebrity bashes, young women -- and some young men as well -- get this idea into their heads that the wedding day has to include a long list of very expensive things," she said.

"Most people don't have the kind of wealth it takes to put on a wedding like we see in movies or on TV shows, and credit cards make it all too easy to purchase the illusion of it -- at a very high price down the line."

TheKnot.com, a site devoted to wedding planning and preparation, frequently conducts surveys of its members to find their primary stresses when it comes to the big day.

In a survey for Bank of America in 2004, 70 percent of TheKnot.com respondents planned to spend $10,000 or more on their wedding, and 15 percent planned to put the costs on their credit cards.

In another survey conducted for American Express in August 2006, TheKnot.com surveyed 500 newlyweds found that 80 percent named "money" as their prime source of stress from the wedding; 14 percent of the respondents admitted to going over the budget limits they'd set for the wedding.

American Express conducted the survey as part of the launch of its credit card co-branded with TheKnot.com, specifically designed to cut costs on wedding-related purchases.

Dvorkin emphasized that much of the problem was cultural.

"Men, we really don't care. Just give us a few beers and we're happy," he joked. "But women get it drilled into them that this is their big day, and that they need to show off their catch to their friends and their family, and their family's friends, and so on."

Interestingly, Dvorkin noted that it's the wives who most often come to use his service, as they tend to be more pragmatic and upfront about dealing with the spiraling debt problem.

"Men tend to stick their heads in the sand and hope everything'll be okay," he said. "The women I've encountered are much more like, 'Hey, we got a problem.'"

Cut the Costs Before Cutting the Cake

Everyone we spoke with for this article said the same thing when asked how to prevent credit card debt from weddings -- stick to your budget and be creative and cheap.

"If you can't afford a $25,000 wedding, don't have one," Dvorkin said. "I've had two weddings myself. I know from experience that you can have a great day without breaking the bank."

CCCS provides a "wedding planner brochure" that details potential costs couples can run into when planning for a wedding, and suggestions to avoid them. The advice includes:

• Start saving immediately. Put aside 15-20% of your combined disposable income into a high-yield savings account, or open a Certificate of Deposit (CD) to get more interest off the money you've already saved, and use that to cover the heaviest wedding costs.

• Be creative. Dvorkin's tips include having weddings in public parks and beaches, or during the morning or afternoon, rather than renting out expensive halls for the evening. Couples can design their own invitations, bake their own wedding cakes, and craft their own floral arrangements and even wedding gowns to save money.

• Keep it simple. Invite your family and your closest friends, but draw the line at your sister's friend's cousin. Set limits on who can be invited and who can't, and stick to them.

Outside the Loop

Stefanie from Lisle, Illinois, is currently planning her wedding to her longtime boyfriend, and was "shocked by the complexity and costs" of everything that came with the wedding day. "Both of us wanted a downtown Chicago wedding," she said.

"After we started seeing the quotes (plates starting at $160.00, plus 20% gratutity, and over 10% for tax), we had to reconsider a Chicago wedding. We could have used our credit cards and we could have gotten a loan but the idea of being in that much unsecured debt for one day was not some thing we wanted. So instead we found a nice place in the suburbs of Chicago."

"Do your research. Get quotes, compare, and interview your vendors," Stefanie said. "Consider carefully what you want to purchase so you are not stuck with $200 of silk flowers or 50 vases you have no intention of using."

There were things Stefanie didn't want to scrimp on, such as the wedding photographer, and as she says, "ultimately it's up to the couple to decide what's important to them."

Anjie K. from Frederick, Maryland, foreswore a traditional expensive wedding in favor of a simple ceremony in front of a fireplace.

"We spent maybe $85 for the day (license, fee, and lunch) and at the end of the day, we were married just as legally as if we'd done the fairytale thing," she said.

"If we had it to do over again, I'd do it the exact same way. It was a beautiful day done our way, and our credit thanked us."