Last week, a mother in Maryland sued the makers of caffeine-heavy Monster Energy drink, alleging that the beverage was not only behind the death of her teen daughter, but that the company knew of possible health risks and failed to warn consumers. [More]
Government Policy
CFPB Gives You Place To File Complaints About Credit Bureaus
By 10.22.12
Credit reporting agencies like TransUnion, Experian, and Equifax, provide reports and credit scores that effectively tell lenders what sort of human being you are. The amount of authority they have in a consumer’s life is astounding, especially when you consider the lack of oversight they’ve enjoyed. At least now the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is looking over their shoulder, and giving consumers a way to file complaints. [More]
Here’s What Happens When Banana Boat Ignites On Your Skin
By 10.22.12
On Friday, the makers of Banana Boat sunscreen recalled a slew of products over concerns that they could possibly ignite on a users’ skin. And while the idea of flaming sunscreen scored its share of giggles, the image here shows it’s no laughing matter. [More]
Think You Know How To End Robocalls? You Could Win $50,000
By 10.22.12
Even though the national Do Not Call registry has stopped most legitimate businesses from flooding consumers’ phone lines with unwanted robocalls, scam artists continue calling because they don’t really care about obeying the law in the first place. Thus, the Federal Trade Commission is offering a $50,000 prize for the person who can help put an end to robocalls. [More]
Banana Boat Sunscreen Recalled Because Your Skin Isn’t Supposed To Be Set On Fire
By 10.19.12
Considering that Banana Boat sunscreen products are supposed to keep you from getting sunburn, it’s a bit surprising that the stuff is being recalled because it could ignite while still on your skin. [More]
TSA Wants To Fire 25 Workers, Suspend Another 19 At Newark Airport For Misconduct
By 10.19.12
There’s been plenty of trouble stirring at Newark International Airport these days. In June we saw Transportation Security Administration workers get axed for falling asleep on the job and Air Marshals canned for boozing while training. Those employees will have company soon, as the TSA has proposed the firings of 25 employees and suspensions for 19 others at Newark for alleged misconduct. [More]
TSA Taking Controversial X-Ray Scanners Out Of Big Airports And Shipping Them Off To Smaller Ones
By 10.19.12
According to reports, the TSA is removing backscatter full-body scanners, which use very small amounts of ionizing radiation, from major airports and replacing them with less-controversial millimeter wave scanners. But those X-ray scanners aren’t going to the Museum of Bad Ideas; they’re being shipped off for use at smaller airports. [More]
AT&T Customer Complains To FCC About Being Unable To Use FaceTime Over 3G/4G
By 10.18.12
AT&T customers who want to use the iPhone’s FaceTime video chat over a cellular connection need to switch over to one of the Death Star’s shared data plans. Unfortunately, since AT&T is the company that convinced the Supreme Court that forced arbitration clauses are an acceptable way to avoid class-action lawsuits, angry customers with unlimited data plans can’t get together to sue the company. But what they can do is file a complaint with the FCC. [More]
Why Isn’t Jif’s Natural Peanut Butter Spread Labeled Just ‘Peanut Butter?’
By 10.18.12 — Updated: 9.26.13
Kate was confused at the grocery store. Side by side on the shelf were regular old Jif peanut butter and Jif’s “natural” peanut butter. Only the “natural” stuff was labeled “peanut butter spread,” while the standard, presumably less natural, Jif got to call itself peanut butter. “It makes me wonder, what about ‘natural’ makes it less than true peanut butter?” she wrote to us. “Why does it need to be called ‘peanut butter spread’, when traditional, sugar filled, [Jif] can be called ‘peanut butter’? Shouldn’t the natural product version be truer to the genuine article?” That would be the intuitive answer, wouldn’t it? It’s the requirements of the Food and Drug Administration that keep the “natural” variety of Jif from being declared plain old peanut butter. Here’s the relevant part of the FDA standards for peanut butter: [More]
Great Peanut Butter Recall Of 2012 Now Includes Bagged Nuts, Ice Cream, Candy
By 10.18.12 — Updated: 8.21.14
The Great Peanut Butter Recall of 2012 is now the Great Peanut Recall of 2012. What began with salmonella illnesses traced back to a few varieties at Trader Joe’s has expanded to include foods including peanuts processed by Sunland, but made by a variety of manufacturers. These products include candy, ice cream, and other tasty peanut-including treats. [More]
October Recall Roundup: High Chairs, Herring, And Metal Shards
By 10.16.12
In this months’ recalls: wood cleaner sprays users in the face, wooden porch swings collapse, there’s Listeria everywhere, and an unusual number of herring products are recalled for unrelated reasons That number: two. [More]
Seized Pirate Costumes Rendered Decidedly Scarier Due To High Levels Of Lead
By 10.16.12 — Updated: 10.24.12
Attention, Halloween lovers: While you might want to be perceived as dangerous this Halloween, there are some costumes that are so dangerous they’re actually harmful to your health. Shipments of pirate costumes coming from China were recently seized by authorities because they contained high levels of lead. The better to sink you with when you walk the plank, perhaps, but not so great for your health. [More]
Data Shows Bank Of America Is Also Bad At Dealing With Credit Card Complaints
By 10.12.12
Earlier this year, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau launched a complaint portal for people with credit card-related issues. Banks and card companies are not obliged to provide a happy ending to the complainant, but they are obliged to reply in a timely manner. And even with the bar lowered that much, Bank of America still manages to disappoint. [More]
8 Horrifying Things We Learned From Bloomberg Report On Inept, Ineffective Food Inspectors
By 10.11.12
During recent mass recalls of eggs and cantaloupe because of salmonella and listeria contamination, you heard a lot about FDA inspectors not catching this or that, and “How could no one notice all that filth?” Now a new report in Bloomberg Markets Magazine sheds a huge light at the sad state of food inspection in the U.S. [More]
It’s All The FCC’s Fault That Reader Can’t Watch His Local News Over Dish Network
By 10.10.12
Earlier this week, we shared a letter from reader Dale, who was sad that Dish Network didn’t provide him with his actual local broadcast stations, instead giving him the stations from a larger city that’s in his same state but farther away. “It’s the map,” customer service representatives insisted. Fortunately, many of our readers know more about Dish Network service than its own employees do, and wrote in to help straighten us–and Dale–out. [More]
Guy Nabbed At LAX In Body Armor Thought He’d Get Past Officials With Bag Full Of Weapons
By 10.10.12
We’re not sure exactly how this guy was planning on getting past airport security, decked out as he was in body armor and flame retardant leggings and carrying a laundry list of air travel no-no’s in his checked luggage: a smoke grenade, three leather-coated black-jack billy clubs, a collapsible baton, a full-face respirator, several knives and a hatchet. You know, no big deal. [More]
Equifax Caught Improperly Selling Lists Of People With Late Mortgage Payments
By 10.10.12
When you’re in financial trouble, one of your concerns is that your creditors will report you to the three major credit bureaus — Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion. But maybe you should be concerned that the bureaus are selling your sensitive information. [More]
Dying Woman Says TSA Humiliated Her By Refusing To Perform Search In Private
By 10.10.12
A woman dying from leukemia is mortified, claiming that TSA screeners at Sea-Tac airport in Washington state made her lift up her shirt and checked under her bandages in front of other travelers. [More]
