Current Events in October 2015

American Honda Motor Co. is recalling 6,786 model year 2014-2015 Honda Accord Hybrids manufactured August 29, 2013, to May 30, 2015.

Electrical interference may cause the hybrid system to switch into fail-safe mode, disabling the gasoline engine, limiting the vehicle's speed to 40 miles per hour and functioning only on battery power. Once the battery is discharged, the vehicle will stall increasing the risk of a crash.

Honda will notify owners, and dealers will update the hybrid system software, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin November 6, 2015.

Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's number for this recall is JT7.

My internist is the ultimate geek. He has been lugging a MacBook from one exam room to another for years and is a pioneer at integrating software into every aspect of his medical practice.

So when I started a small community news site and offered him free ads for a year, he excitedly accepted. I designed and posted the ads but was puzzled when he didn't mention them on my next visit, even though he talked about other aspects of the site.

One day, he brought the site up on his laptop as we were discussing it and I realized why he hadn't seen his free ads: he was running an ad blocker. I said nothing but wondered how he would like it if I started running a payment blocker, something that would magically stop him from being paid for our visits. After all, how much does it take to give somebody a flu shot and lecture them about cigars?

This, on a much larger scale, is the dilemma now facing websites and their readers and advertisers. Websites, especially those that provide news and other content that is expensive to produce, need revenue. But readers are becoming fed up with the sheer number of ads and the obtrusive and noisy nature of many of them and are fighting back with ad blockers.

Survival threat -- or payback?

For sites already struggling to keep the lights on, this represents a real threat to their survival. But critics say sites have brought this on themselves by flooding their pages with huge pop-ups, auto-play videos and those follow-you-everywhere ads based on what Big Data thinks you're interested in.

Some sites are fighting back, installing software that blocks ad-block users. Others are putting together public relations and, yes, ad campaigns urging consumers to be a little more ad-receptive.

Ad-blocking is all anybody in the ad business is talking about these days. Last week, just in case you missed it, was Advertising Week, when the ad biz celebrates itself. But last week's conferences weren't quite as buoyant as usual, as advertisers and their agencies contemplated the prospect of consumers shutting them out.

Ideas bounced around just the way they do in the brain-storming sessions that produce the ads that fill our lives. Cries of, "better creative," "tighter targeting," and "ads people love" filled the air.

But AOL CEO Tim Armstrong shot down some of the more exuberant cries, berating his fellow media and ad execs for discussing the issue without any consumers in the room.

"Everyone is spending all their time talking about ad blocking right now," he said, AdAge reported. "Everyone should be spending all of their time talking about why consumers feel the need to block ads. ... Few things are more annoying than pop-ups on mobile."

Fox Networks Group President of Ad Sales Toby Byrne agreed and said publishers, marketers, and agencies should work to provide a "better ad experience."

Newspapers grouse

Newspapers, which used to complain constantly about such things as the cost of newsprint, now grouse bitterly about ad blockers, denouncing them as just another form of theft. This ignores the sad fact that many newspaper sites are so packed with ads and subscription come-ons that news-hungry readers are being driven away -- to Business Insider, the Huffington Post, Buzzfeed, and so forth.

Being a lifelong content producer, as we're now called, I have always eschewed ad blockers, regarding them basically as akin to stealing candy from babies. But duty calls, so a little while ago, I loaded a Google Chrome extension called AdBlock.

I hate to say this, but I should have done it years ago. Part of my daily drill involves looking at major newspaper sites, something that over the last few years has come to rival a dental visit. But today I whipped through five or six of the usual suspects in record time, even managing to look at a couple of Tribune and Gannett newspapers which have up until now been completely barricaded behind full-screen ad blitzes.

Not only are there fewer ads to sit through, the pages actually load like lightning, making it possible to see if there's anything worth reading before it makes the transition from news to history.

There's a lot more to this argument, and the giants of the Information Age are trying to figure out which side they're on. Consumers should do the same. Anyone who regularly reads, uses, or otherwise benefits from a site should be willing to look at a few ads or pay a few dollars.

But the reality is that, thanks to ad blockers, no one needs to voluntarily submit to a daily blizzard of ads that obscure the content and render the whole experience an exercise in frustration. It's up to publishers, advertisers, and marketers to figure out how to put out an appealing and profitable product.

Build it, as they old saying has it, and they will come.

The two major fantasy sports enterprises are under fire after a DraftKings employee admitted last week that he accidentally released information that he wasn't supposed to. But it turns out the same employee won $350,000 on rival FanDuel the previous week.

That raised the question – was this a case of insider trading? The data was the line-ups of players selected by participants. Critics charged that having access to that information before anyone else would give a player an advantage in fielding a team and thus increase the chance of winning.

“The majority of people in the community take umbrage with the lack of regulations and the sheer number of DK (Draft Kings) players using data that’s not publicly available,” Mike, a fantasy player, posted on the fantasy blog site Rotogrinders.

Denied wrongdoing

Both DraftKings and FanDuel denied that any of their employees did anything wrong or unethical. But the issue for players like Mike is whether someone with insider knowledge of who other players were picking for their fantasy teams would give the insider an unfair advantage.

As we reported last week, DraftKings and FanDuel are highly profitable and unregulated examples of one-week fantasy sports leagues, and a way for people who are knowledgeable about a sport to make a lot of money.

Instead of picking a particular team to beat another team, fantasy players assemble a “team” of actual players, winning points for how well those athletes perform in a particular game. In the case of football, participants “draft” a quarterback, two running backs, three wide receivers, a tight end, a kicker, and a team defense.

There is a fairly complicated formula that assigns points based on how each player performs in a game. For example, a player is awarded points for every touchdown their quarterback throws and for their total passing yards, but points are deducted for each interception.

Recent development

People have been playing informal fantasy sports for years, mostly for fun. It has only been recently that DraftKings and FanDuel has established weekly “seasons,” allowing players to compete for one set of games.

Players pony up an entry fee and can win huge sums if they happen to be in a large pool and win.

While the joint statement from DraftKings and FanDuel declared “nothing is more important than the integrity of the games,” The New York Times reports a DraftKings spokesman has acknowledged that employees of both companies had won big jackpots playing at other daily fantasy sites. Company policies prevent employees from playing on their own sites.

It's easy to purchase e-cigarettes on the Internet, researchers say. Too easy.

A study by the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine says e-cigarette markets who sell their products online are aggressive in their marketing and make purchasing e-cigarettes easy for all ages.

E-cigarettes are a relatively recent invention. Only around since 2007, they have sold millions because users inhale nicotine vapor, not tobacco smoke.

“We found e-cigarette vendors were highly engaged in promoting the culture of ‘vaping’ online, including posting images to Instagram, a social media site used by 52% of teens,” said Tim K. Mackey, first author of the study. “Despite the fact that 47 states prohibit the sale of e-cigarettes to minors, the results highlight the potential of the Internet to encourage e-cigarette initiation and underage purchasing. This is particularly concerning given that the FDA does not have specific proposed regulations for online e-cigarette sales."

E-cigarettes contain no tobacco but the courts have ruled that they are tobacco products. As such, they come under the regulatory control of the FDA, which has yet to enact regulations. Proposed regulations were issued last year and are currently being reviewed.

Increasing use by young people

While most states have moved into the vacuum to impose some regulations, such as setting age limits on who can purchase the products, e-cigarettes are finding their way to plenty of underage consumers.

The researchers point to data from the 2014 National Youth Tobacco Survey showing e-cigarette use tripled among middle and high school students from 2013 to 2014.

While the jury is still out on potential harm, e-cigarettes are growing in popularity, in part because these battery-operated devices that look and feel like a tobacco cigarette come in all sorts of flavors, like bubble gum and peach fuzz.

The researchers say people who use these devices exhale a mixture of volatile organic compounds, heavy metals, and ultrafine particles that usually contain aerosolized nicotine in a cloud of vapor.

The study looked at 57 online vendors and found that 68% of them displayed one or more health warnings about the devices on their website. But the authors said the notices were usually written in smaller fonts or placed discretely in the terms and conditions section of a website.

Hard to prove age

More disturbing, one-third of the vendors had no detectable way to determine the age of who was buying the e-cigarettes. Most required only a simple click to say the buyer was within the legal age limit.

“The study found that online e-cigarette vendors use a variety of sophisticated and aggressive marketing practices, including promotional offers and high social media engagement to promote the sale of their products,” said Mackey.

As a result, sales are booming. Industry analysts estimate that online sales make up 25% to 30% of the $2 billion annual e-cigarette market, which may account for a high presence of vendors on social media.

The researchers said the findings could impact the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s 2014 proposed regulations of e-cigarette use, sale, marketing, and manufacturing to include online monitoring of the laws.

Your home is likely worth more than it was a year ago according to recent statistics. At the same time, it is probably worth more than it was just a month ago in August.

According to the CoreLogic Home Price Index (HPI), home prices nationwide -- including distressed sales (which include short sales and real estate-owned (REO) transactions) -- rose 6.9% in August from the same time a year ago, and were up 1.2% from July.

“Home price appreciation in cities like New York, Los Angeles, Dallas, Atlanta and San Francisco remain very strong reflecting higher demand and constrained supplies,” said Anand Nallathambi, president and CEO of CoreLogic.

“Continued gains in employment, wage growth and historically low mortgage rates are bolstering home sales and home price gains. In addition, an increasing number of major metropolitan areas are experiencing ever-more severe shortfalls in affordable housing due to supply constraints and higher rental costs. These factors will likely support continued home price appreciation in 2016 and possibly beyond.”

Looking ahead

The CoreLogic HPI Forecast indicates home prices will increase by 4.3% on a year-over-year basis from August 2015 to August 2016 and remain unchanged month-over-month from August 2015 to September 2015.

The forecast is a projection of home prices using the HPI and other economic variables. Values are derived from state-level forecasts by weighting indices according to the number of owner-occupied households for each state.

“Economic forecasts generally project higher mortgage rates and more single-family housing starts for 2016.” said Frank Nothaft, chief economist for CoreLogic. “These forces should dampen demand and augment supply, leading to a moderation in home price growth.”

K-9 Kraving Dog Food is recalling Chicken Patties Dog Food shipped between July 13 – 17, 2015.

The product may be contaminated with Salmonella and Listeria monocytogenes.

No illnesses have been reported to date.

The recalled product was distributed to retail stores in Maryland.

Consumers should follow the Safe Handling Instructions printed on the package when disposing of it.

Customers who purchased the product can obtain a full refund or exchange by returning the product in its original packaging or bringing a proof of purchase back to their retailer.

Consumers with questions may call 1-800-675-1471 from 8:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m., Monday through Friday (EST).

General Mills is recalling a limited quantity of frozen Cascadian Farm Cut Green Beans produced on one day in June 2015.

The product may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes.

No illnesses have been reported in connection with this product.

The recalled 16-oz. bags of frozen Cascadian Farm Cut Green Beans have a "Better If Used By" date of 29JUN2017 printed on the package.

The product was distributed to retail establishments nationwide.

Customers should dispose of the recalled product and may contact Cascadian Farm consumer relations at 1-800-624-4123 for a replacement.

Texas Star Nut and Food Co. is recalling Nature’s Eats, Natural Macadamia Nuts and Southern Grove, Simply Raw Trail Mix.

The products may be contaminated with Salmonella.

No illnesses have been reported in relation to this product to date.

The products with the following lot codes are being recalled:

The products, sold between June 20, 2015, and September 9, 2015 were distributed to retail locations in Texas, North Carolina, Florida, Georgia and Tennessee.

Customers who purchased the recalled products should not eat or discontinue eating them.

Consumers may contact the company at 1-844-571-5555 for refund or product replacement information from 8:30am – 5:30pm Monday – Friday, (CST).

Ford Motor Company is recalling 283,413 model year 1998-2003 Windstars manufactured September 2, 1997, to July 3, 2003.

The recalled vehicles were previously remedied to safeguard against the rear axle cracking from corrosion, however, the remedy brackets may have been installed improperly. The incorrect bracket installations may limit the effectiveness of the service repair for the earlier recall.

If the brackets were not installed properly, the rear axle may fracture, affecting the vehicle handling and increasing the risk of a crash.

Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the brackets to verify their proper installation. If a bracket is found to have been installed improperly, the rear axle will be replaced. These repairs will be performed free of charge.

The recall is expected to begin October 19, 2015. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 15S27.

Hot on the heels of T-Mobile's  announcement that a security breach compromised sensitive information about 15 million customers, online trading platform Scottrade has revealed hackers have exposed 4.6 million of its clients.

In a statement,  Scottrade said it became aware of the breach in August when it was informed by the FBI. It said the agency asked the company not to reveal the breach while the investigation was at a sensitive stage.

“Based on our investigation and information provided by federal authorities, we believe the illegal activity involving our network occurred between late 2013 and early 2014, and targeted client names and street addresses,” the company said.

Targeted contact information

Although Social Security numbers, email addresses and other sensitive data were contained in the system accessed, Scottrade says it appears the thieves were only interested in clients' contact information.

“We have no reason to believe that Scottrade’s trading platforms or any client funds were compromised,” the company said. “Client passwords remained fully encrypted at all times and we have not seen any indication of fraudulent activity as a result of this incident.”

Company officials says they have discovered and secured the point in the system where they believe the hackers were able to get in. They say a leading cyber security firm has assisted with steps to further strengthen the system.

Targeting financial firms

In a recent research paper, security firm Trend Micro outlines how personally identifiable information (PII) is the most frequently stolen data in the retail industry. Christopher Budd, global threat communications manager at Trend Micro, said last week's T-Mobile's breach, which occurred at Experian, shows cyber criminals increasingly seek out financial data.

“This further reiterates how companies responsible for processing financial information continue to be a weak link in the chain,” Budd said.

Scottrade said it is in the process of directly notifying and offering identity protection services to approximately 4.6 million clients whose information was in the targeted database. The FBI, meanwhile, continues its investigation.

A matter of luck

The Trend Micro paper says while hackers are growing more sophisticated in their intrusion protocols, often they just get lucky. It says 41% of data breaches are caused when someone loses a device containing account logins and passwords.

“Overall, it accounts for 41% of all breaches compared to the 25% caused by hacking and malware,” the authors write. “Companies may often overlook the kind of sensitive information stored on their employees' laptops, mobile devices, and even thumb drives.”

When these devices get lost, stolen, and are left unprotected, that just makes a hacker's job that much easier.

Volkswagen's use of software to falsify emission measurements of its TDI diesel engines is estimated to have killed dozens of Americans, the Associated Press reports.

The news agency said it's likely that between five and 20 people died in the U.S. during each of the seven years the VW emission-falsifying software was in use -- a potential total of nearly 100 deaths.

The death and illness toll would be much higher in Europe, where VW sold millions of the "clean diesel" engines compared with fewer than half a million in the U.S.

The illegal software used by VW allowed its diesel cars to spew up to 40 times more nitrogen oxides (NOx) than allowed by U.S. clean air regulations. The nitrogen oxides contribute to smog, which is harmful to asthma sufferers as well as lung and heart disease patients.

Diesel engines also emit fine particulate matter, commonly called "soot," which can lodge in the lungs and cause severe health problems. Diesel engines are the third-largest human-made source of soot, estimated to cause about 15,000 deaths a year in the United States, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.

Heart attack trigger

A 2011 study in The Lancet concluded that traffic exposure is the single most serious preventable trigger of heart attack in the general public, causing 7.4% of all attacks.

The EPA says that diesel engines also contribute to acid rain and global climate change. The World Health Organization said in 2012 that diesel exhaust had been conclusively shown to be a cause of cancer in humans. 

However, a study earlier this year found no link between the exhaust from "new technology diesel" engines and lung cancer. The study, issued in January by the Health Effects Institute also confirmed that the concentrations of particulate matter and toxic air pollutants emitted from new-technology engines are more than 90% lower than emissions from traditional older diesel engines.

The study exposed laboratory rats, for 80 hours a week and up to 30 months, to emissions from a heavy duty diesel engine meeting 2007 U.S. EPA standards that use new filters and other control technology to reduce emissions significantly. In contrast to previous health studies, the study found that lifetime exposure did not induce tumors or pre-cancerous changes in the lung, although it said "a few mild changes" were seen in the lungs.

VW unaware

Volkswagen said it was unaware of any deaths resulting from the emissions tinkering. 

"General allegations regarding links between NOX emissions from these affected vehicles and specific health effects are unverified. We have received no confirmed reports that the emissions from such vehicles caused any actual health problem," the company said in a statement.

With interest rates near 0%, consumers understandably are reluctant to deposit their money in banks, looking for a higher rate of return elsewhere.

With fees on checking accounts meeting stiff resistance from consumers, who are finding alternatives at credit unions, community banks, and online-only banks, many banks are looking for income where they can find it.

One place is ATM fees. According to Bankrate.com's 18th annual checking survey, the average fee for using an out-of-network ATM rose 4% over the past year to a record $4.52 per transaction. The average fee has risen 21% over the past five years.

The numbers in the survey reflect both the ATM fees charged by the ATM operator and those charged by the consumer’s own financial institution.

Pricey ATMs in Atlanta

Naturally, the fees aren't the same everywhere. The survey found they were highest in Atlanta – $5.15 – edging out New York's average of $5.05.

While San Francisco can be a very expensive city, that doesn't extend to its ATMs. San Francisco's ATM fee averages $3.85 in San Francisco, a penny less than Cincinnati.

ATMs aren't the only area where banks are raising fees. The survey found the average overdraft fee rose to a record high $33.07, up 9% since 2010. Milwaukee has the nation’s highest average overdraft fee – $34.79 – and San Francisco again has the lowest, at $30.35.

Avoidable fees

“The most important thing for consumers to know is that all of these fees are completely avoidable,” said Greg McBride, Bankrate.com’s chief financial analyst. “Shop around for a bank or credit union that fits your lifestyle so that you can keep more of your hard-earned cash.”

You might have to look a little harder. Bankrate says 37% of non-interest checking accounts are completely free, the lowest percentage since Bankrate.com began these annual surveys in 1998.

Free checking accounts peaked in 2009, when 76% of checking accounts had no fees.

Your best alternatives when it comes to finding free ATM use and free checking are online banks, smaller independent banks, and credit unions.

For example, Ally Bank has no fee to use AllPoint ATMs in the U.S. and will reimburse up to $10 per billing cycle for out of network ATMs. Credit Union policies vary but nearly all have generous ATM reimbursement policies, as well as free checking accounts.

Access to funds

Meanwhile, the False Labeling Complaint Center, which describes itself as a consumer watchdog, said it is conducting an investigation of bank policies regarding access to customers' funds – especially for small business customers.

"We think there is a gigantic problem with banks in the United States of all shapes, and sizes playing games with the check deposits of small to medium sized businesses,” the organization said in a release.

It said it is concerned that small businesses are being denied access to funds received from customers, even after the customer's check has cleared. It said in some cases, small businesses are paying needless fees for insufficient funds.

Amid all the diet fads and weight loss advice is this often-overlooked bit of wisdom: going to bed at a decent hour will likely make it easier to keep the pounds off.

A study by researchers at the University of California, Berkeley say they have found a correlation between sleep and body mass index (BMI). BMI is the measure of a person's weight in kilograms divided by the square of height in meters. A healthy adult BMI range is estimated to be 18.5 to 24.9.

After examining data from a national sample of 3,300 youths and adults, the researchers found that for every hour of sleep the subjects lost, they gained 2.1 points on the BMI index. Granted, it was a slow process, with the weight gained over a five-year period.

Getting exercise and reducing screen time didn't seem to matter. Neither did getting more hours of sleep – going to bed late and rising late as well. What seemed to matter is what time the subjects hit the hay.

Total sleep time not a factor

"These results highlight adolescent bedtimes, not just total sleep time, as a potential target for weight management during the transition to adulthood," said Lauren Asarnow, lead author of the study.

The Berkeley study focused on three time periods - the onset of puberty, the college-age years, and young adulthood. The researchers were able to compare the bedtimes and BMI of teenagers from 1994 to 2009.

Adolescents in the study reported their bedtimes and sleep hours while researchers calculated their BMI based on their height and weight.

Cause not suggested

The study did not pinpoint a potential cause for the correlation between bedtime and BMI. It's possible that more late night activities lend themselves to snacking and unhealthy eating habits.

Other research shows many teenagers do not get the recommended nine hours of sleep per night and report having trouble staying awake at school.

Then again, it might be a matter or metabolism. The researchers say the human circadian rhythm, which regulates physiological and metabolic functions, typically shifts to a later sleep cycle at the onset of puberty.

September saw economic activity in the non-manufacturing sector grow again for the 68th consecutive month, albeit at a slower pace than in August.

The latest Non-Manufacturing Institute for Supply Management (ISM) report on business shows the non-manufacturing index (NMI) registered 56.9% in September -- down 2.1% from the August reading of 59 percent.

The Prices Index dipped 2.4% from the August reading to 48.4%, indicating prices fell in September for the first time since February of this year.

While the rate of growth cooled during September, and the trend of lower costs and little pricing power continues, Anthony Nieves, CPSM, C.P.M., CFPM, chair of the Institute for ISM Non-Manufacturing Business Survey Committee, says the purchasing and supply executives who were surveyed, “continue to remain positive about current business conditions.”

Industry performance

The 13 non-manufacturing industries reporting growth last month -- listed in order -- were:

1. Educational Services;
2. Construction;
3. Finance & Insurance;
4. Health Care & Social Assistance;
5. Utilities;
6. Wholesale Trade;
7. Real Estate, Rental & Leasing;
8. Professional, Scientific & Technical Services;
9. Management of Companies & Support Services;
10. Accommodation & Food Services;
11. Information;
12. Public Administration; and
13. Transportation & Warehousing.

The four industries reporting contraction in September were:

1. Mining;
2. Arts, Entertainment & Recreation;
3. Retail Trade; and
4. Other Services.

American Honda Motor Co. is recalling 37 model year 2003 Odyssey vehicles manufactured August 28, 2002, to August 30, 2002.

The vehicles were manufactured with air bag modules, preventing them from meeting the advanced air bag safety standards. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 208, "Occupant Crash Protection."

Air bags that do not meet the safety requirements increase the risk of occupant injury in the event of a crash.

Honda will notify owners, dealers will replace the passenger frontal air bag module, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin October 6, 2015.

Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's number for this recall is JU0.

Aspen Foods of Chicago, Ill, is adding about 561,000 pounds of frozen, raw, stuffed and breaded chicken products that appear to be ready-to-eat (RTE) to the products it recalled in July 2015.

The products may be contaminated with Salmonella Enteritidis.

The list of products, produced between August 25, 2015 and September 17, 2015 with “best if used by” dates of August 23, 2016 to December 15, 2016, recalled as part of this expansion, is available here.

A full list of products recalled as part of this expansion that are part of a variety pack, may be found here. 

The brands associated with this recall expansion include:

• Acclaim
• Antioch Farms
• Buckley Farms
• Centrella Signature
• Chestnut Farms
• Family Favorites
• Home Dining Selections
• Kirkwood
• Koch Foods
• Market Day
• Oven Cravers
• Rose
• Rosebud Farm
• Roundy’s
• Safeway Kitchens
• Schwan’s
• Shaner’s
• Spartan
• Sysco

Following the original recall on July 15, 2015, FSIS conducted intensified sampling at this establishment to ensure that the hazard responsible for the initial contamination had been controlled by Aspen Foods. Results from FSIS sampling revealed positive results that matched the outbreak strain of Salmonella Enteritidis to Aspen Foods products. With this and additional information, Aspen Foods chose to recall additional products in an effort to prevent additional illness. The scope of this recall expansion now includes all products associated with contaminated source material.

Consumers who purchased the recalled products should not consume them, but throw them away or return them to the place of purchase.

Consumers with questions may contact the company at (844) 277-6802.  

Pier 1 Imports of Fort Worth, Texas, is recalling about 2,500 Katerina swivel armchairs

The swivel armchair can tip back while rocking and consumers can fall off.

The company has received five reports of the chair tipping over in stores with consumers in them, including one report of a consumer who received contusions and scratches.

This recall involves Pier 1 Imports’ Katerina model outdoor patio swivel armchairs. The chair is black/brown powder-coated aluminum, and swivels and rocks. The chairs measure about 29 inches wide, 32 inches deep and 38 inches high. The chair has SKU number 2899742. Pier 1 Imports, Katerina and the SKU number are printed on the chair’s hangtag.

The chairs, manufactured in China, were sold exclusively at Pier 1 Imports stores nationwide and online at www.Pier1.com from December 2014, through July 2015, for between $375 and $580.

Consumers should immediately stop using the recalled swivel armchairs and return them to any Pier 1 Imports store for a full refund or for a store credit.

Consumers may contact Pier 1 Imports at 800-245-4595 from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. (CT) Monday through Friday, Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. (CT) or Sunday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. (CT), or online at www.Pier1.com and click on Product Notes & Recalls at the bottom of the page for more information.