Although General Motors appears to a be on a safety recall-announcing spree, it has resisted recalling 1.8 million trucks and SUVs despite a four-year long investigation by federal regulators into an issue that can cause the brake lines to fail. While brake failures could lead to crashes –which one would assume is a safety issue – the manufacturer maintains the problem is a simply matter of routine maintenace [More]
Government Policy
Ford Issues 6 Recalls Covering 101,000 Vehicles
By 7.8.14
In an effort to show GM that it’s not the only U.S. car maker who can issue a huge number of recalls, the folks at Ford have announced six separate recalls covering a total of 101,000 vehicles. [More]
Foster Farms Recalls Chicken After USDA Inspectors Finally Link It To Salmonella Case
By 7.7.14
Nearly a year and a half after people began falling ill from an antibiotic-resistent strain of salmonella, one chicken production company is recalling a small number of their fresh chicken products. However, some consumer advocates say Foster Farm’s recall doesn’t go far enough to protect consumers. [More]
Send Us Your Questions For GM CEO Mary Barra
July 7, 2014
General Motors CEO Mary Barra has only been on the job since January, but she’s already had to deal with an historic number of recalls, investigations by Congress and federal regulators, and seemingly endless lawsuits. We’re sure that many of you have questions you’d love to ask her; now is your chance. [More]
Reminder For Travelers: Knives Belong In Checked Baggage, Not Concealed Inside Your Shoe
By 7.7.14
Using consumer products for purposes other than their intended function is usually just inconvenient — have you ever tried eating soup with a fork? It’s the worst! — but when you get weapons and the Transportation Security Administration involved, it’ll likely lead to some hefty consequences. Case in point: a knife hidden in a shoe. [More]
Am I Completely Screwed If My Student Loan Co-Signer Dies?
By 7.7.14
Imagine this scenario: You’ve been out of college for several years, have a good job and you have no problems making your student loan payments in full and on time. Then tragedy hits; your parent dies or declares bankruptcy. If this loved one was a co-signer on your student loan, this change can trigger an often-overlooked clause that allows the lender to claim you are in default on your loan, potentially wreaking longterm havoc on your credit and finances. [More]
Charge Electronic Devices Before Flying Back To U.S. Or You Might Not Be Allowed On Plane
By 7.7.14
If you thought you could escape the probing playfulness of the TSA by traveling abroad, you were mistaken. The agency recently announced that travelers flying directly to the U.S. from certain, unnamed overseas airports will be required to power-up their carry-on electronics devices in order to board their flights. [More]
Regulators Question Chrylser’s Slow-Moving Pace To Fix Jeeps Recalled In 2013
By 7.3.14
Following criticism for a lack of action in the recent General Motors ignition switch defect, federal regulators aren’t holding anything back when it comes to keeping car manufacturers accountable for fixing safety issues on their vehicles in a timely manner. Or so it appears after the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration issued a hard deadline for Chrysler to answer for delays in fixing vehicles affected by a recall last year. [More]
Feds Update, Expand Rules Covering How Airlines Report Their Animal-Safety Records
By 7.3.14
When you’re flying with your pet, sometimes it’s not possible to keep your beloved Mr. Saucypants in the plane cabin with you. But banishing him to the cargo hold below can be a daunting prospect, which is why U.S. regulators have expanded how many airlines must report on their animal-safety records. [More]
Amazon Willing To Pick Fight With Feds On In-App Purchases
By 7.2.14
Earlier this year, Apple agreed to refund $32.5 million to customers of its App Store in order to settle charges from the Federal Trade Commission that the computer company did little to protect users from inadvertent in-app purchases. The FTC is looking to reach a similar deal with Amazon over its app store, but the online giant has said the government will probably have to make its case in court. [More]
Which Fireworks, If Any, Are Legal In My State?
By 7.2.14
Like many kids whose families made biannual treks down I-95 to Florida, I used to beg my mom to please let me stock up on all the brightly colored and colorfully named fireworks you could buy at places like South of the Border. And every year on July 4th, I’d still be stuck with my stupid sparklers while the kids down the block set off their Fiesta Bombs and Earth Shakers. But hey, at least I wasn’t breaking the law, no matter how awesome it would have been. [More]
T-Mobile: We Shouldn’t Be Sued Over Bill-Cramming Because We’re Not Doing It Anymore & We’re Super-Sorry
By 7.1.14
Earlier this afternoon, the Federal Trade Commission filed a complaint against T-Mobile, alleging the wireless carrier made hundreds of millions of dollars off of bogus premium text-messaging charges “crammed” onto customers’ bills. The response from T-Mobile CEO John Legere isn’t exactly what you would describe as contrite. [More]
FTC Helps Stop Debt Collection Operations Attempting To Solicit Allegedly Fake Payday Loan Debts
By 7.1.14
There are few things more disruptive and frustrating than receiving a phone call demanding you pay a debt. Those feeling are amplified a thousand times when you don’t actually owe a debt. Yet, that was the case for consumers contacted by a Georgia-based company that was recently shut down at the request of the Federal Trade Commission. [More]
T-Mobile Accused Of Making A Ton Of Cash From Bogus Charges On Phone Bills
By 7.1.14
T-Mobile, a company that has tried to position itself as being consumer-friendly, has been accused by federal regulators of being anything but friendly. The self-described “Un-carrier” has been accused in federal court of making hundreds of millions of dollars off of so-called “premium” text-messaging subscriptions that were often never requested by subscribers. [More]
Feds Warn Consumers Against Taking Pension Advances
By 7.1.14
Unfortunately, not everyone currently in retirement has enough cash on hand to stay afloat, even those fortunate enough to receive a pension from their former employer. That’s why it might be tempting to solve a short-term money problem by taking out a pension advance, which pays you a lump sum now for signing over your pension payments to the lender for anywhere from a few years to a decade. Today, the Federal Trade Commission warned consumers to think twice before agreeing to one of these loans. [More]
Regulators Open Investigation Into Dodge Ram Because Locking Wheels Are A Cause For Concern
By 7.1.14
For the second time in as many months the Dodge Ram is at the center of a probe by U.S. regulators. This time an issue with the truck’s fastener can cause the rear axle to lock or detach, and in some cases cause the vehicle to enter an uncontrolled spin. [More]
Debt Collection Scammers Calling Victims’ Family & Co-Workers To Squeeze Money From People
By 7.1.14
A debt collection scam operates on two principles: That lots of us have debt, and that the con artist is good enough at his art to trick some of us into believing we have to pay immediately. But some scammers are bringing outside parties into their grift, contacting victims’ families and co-workers in the hopes that this will result in pressure to pay up on the bogus debt. [More]
Graco Recalls Harness Buckles On 1.9 Million Infant Car Seats
By 7.1.14
It’s not a great week for Graco: Hot on the heels of Consumer Reports’ announcement that one of its strollers is a safety risk, the company says it’s recalling the harness buckles on 1.9 million infant car seats, due to difficulty opening the buckle. [More]
