We know: Those big eyes, huge paws, and soft fur in online puppy ads for popular breeds can be seriously beguiling when you’re looking for a new fuzzy friend. But don’t let the cuteness overload tempt you into falling for a scam that will ultimately leave your arms empty and your wallet hundreds of dollars lighter. [More]
Food & Personal Care
Raw Dairy Products Cause 840 Times More Illnesses Than Pasteurized
By 5.10.17
Unpasteurized cow’s milk — and the cheeses made from it — have a small but growing number of fans who prefer it to the pasteurized products that make up the overwhelming majority of what’s available. However, those “raw” milk products are responsible for nearly every case of dairy-related foodborne ailments in the U.S. [More]
New Coca-Cola CEO Blames Online Shopping For Sales Decline
By 5.10.17
When you shop online, you’re skipping an important part of the retail experience. No, not waiting in line or dodging cosmetics kiosk workers. You also don’t take the kind of in-mall break that involves soft drinks or a bottle of water or iced tea, and that’s a problem for Coca-Cola. [More]
Dunkin’ Donuts Shareholders Want Company To Look Into K-Cup Waste
By 5.9.17
Dunkin’ Donuts has a partnership with Keurig Green Mountain to package the chain’s coffee in plastic K-Cups for brewing in homes and offices. The company makes a lot of money from selling these pods, but some shareholders concerns about the amount of trash that results from K-Cups, and they want Dunkin’ to put some serious thought into this aspect of their business. [More]
Customers Urged To Return 16.9-Ounce Bottles Of Pepsi Over Metallic Flecks
By 5.9.17
After more than a dozen consumers in Michigan reported tasting something more in their bottles of Pepsi than they bargained for, the state’s health department issued a warning that customers should return certain 16-ounce bottle of the soda that may contain flakes of metal. [More]
Customer Accuses Burger King Of Bogus BOGO Deals
By 5.9.17
Typically, when presented with a “buy-one-get-one” coupon, customers expect to pay the original price for one item and then get the second one free. But one Burger King customer claims the fast food chain actually increases the price on the first sandwich so you’re not truly getting two for the price of one. [More]
Häagen-Dazs Giving Out Free Kiddie-Size Cones This Afternoon
By 5.9.17 — Updated: 5.25.17
If you’re looking for a refreshing treat this afternoon, find out whether there’s a Häagen-Dazs location near you. If so, you’ll be able to get a free cone of the shop’s smallest size from 4 PM to 8 PM today. [More]
Cotton Swab Injuries Send 12,500 Kids To Hospital Each Year
By 5.8.17 — Updated: 5.9.17
We all know that we’re not supposed to stick things in our ear, but we’re also told that ear wax is icky and should be removed post-haste. This contradictory set of priorities might explain why thousands of kids show up at the hospital each year with swab-related ear injuries. [More]
Bumble Bee Agrees To Plead Guilty To Tuna Fish Price-Fixing, Pay $25 Million Fine
By 5.8.17 — Updated: 5.9.17
Bumble Bee Foods, one of the nation’s largest producers of canned tuna, has agreed to plead guilty to federal criminal charges that it conspired with competing companies to fix the price of this common pantry seafood item. [More]
Perdue Recalls Organic Chicken Sausage Due To Plastic Pieces
By 5.8.17 — Updated: 5.9.17
Perdue’s Harvestland chicken sausage advertises that it’s made from chicken that’s never been exposed to antibiotics, and that it doesn’t contain nitrates, nitrites, or animal byproducts. Now the product is being recalled because of a problematic additive: Customers have found pieces of blue plastic in their sausages. [More]
Still Playing Catch-Up Online, Target Tests Next-Day Deliveries For Pantry, Household Items
By 5.8.17
After years of not doing much as online competitors like Amazon and Walmart.com made it easier to buy things like paper towels, detergent, and condiments without leaving your house, Target is finally testing a program that will give some of its customers the ability to get one-day shipping on household items. [More]
Bar Owner Shames Dine-And-Dashers On Facebook, Gets Them To Pay Tab
By 5.8.17
Dining and dashing is never a good idea, but with advances in technology and the power of social media the consequences of such an action are even greater now. To that end: A Wisconsin bar owner was able to shame five diners into paying their tab after calling them out on Facebook. [More]
Pinnacle Foods Recalls 20 Varieties Of Pancakes And Waffles For Possible Listeria
By 5.8.17 — Updated: 5.10.17
Listeria monocytogenes is a foodborne bacteria that can cause serious complications, and that can survive freezing temperatures. That’s why Pinnacle Foods, maker of Aunt Jemima brand frozen waffles and pancakes, is recalling 19 varieties of frozen products after finding Listeria in the plant where they were manufactured. [More]
Brooklyn Café Accuses Starbucks Of Copying ‘Unicorn’ Beverage Name
By 5.5.17
While the Unicorn Frappuccino has vanished from Starbucks stores, the beverage’s legacy continues in court. A coffee and juice café in Brooklyn claims that it was serving a much healthier brightly colored “Unicorn latte” at the end of last year, and is suing Starbucks for $10 million for trademark infringement. [More]
Medical Marijuana Safe From DOJ Prosecution — For Now
By 5.4.17 — Updated: 5.10.17
Although Attorney General Jeff Sessions is not a fan of marijuana, federal law has prohibited the Justice Department from using any of the funding it receives from Congress to prosecute medical marijuana in any state where it’s legal. Thanks to a new omnibus spending bill that just passed the House and Senate, it’ll stay that way — at least for the moment. [More]
Report: Owner Of Joe’s Crab Shack Prepping For Bankruptcy
By 5.4.17 — Updated: 5.5.17
Sure, the first part of the year has been littered with a number of retail bankruptcies, but it wasn’t long ago that several restaurant chains were dealing with similar financial issues. Now, it appears we’re revisiting that trend: A year after its failed no-tipping policy experiment at Joe’s Crab Shack, Ignite Restaurant Group is reportedly prepping for bankruptcy. [More]
Canada Recalling Bombay Sapphire Gin That Contains Dangerous Amount Of Alcohol
By 5.4.17 — Updated: 5.10.17
While you might think that an especially boozy cocktail sounds like a fun idea, it could actually prove very dangerous if you aren’t aware your gin is almost twice as strong as it’s meant to be. In an effort to prevent from happening, Canadian regulators are recalling a Bombay Sapphire Gin that contains 77% alcohol by volume instead of the stated 40%. [More]
Starbucks Giving Out Rewards Stars For Bottled Beverages And K-Cups
By 5.4.17 — Updated: 5.9.17
One handy feature of the My Starbucks Rewards program is that you don’t have to actually go to a Starbucks. Customers can earn program “stars” for purchases of Starbucks branded bagged coffee that they brew at home. Now the program has expanded to more products. [More]
