Even though there’s been talk of issuing a subpoena to Toyota President Akio Toyoda, compelling him to speak before Congress, the big boss at the recall-happy car manufacturer has decided to let others do the talking for him. [More]
Government Policy
What Are You Going To Do With Your Tax Refund?
By 2.17.10
What are you going to do with the money once you get your tax refund check? Take our poll and let us know! [More]
All Future Toyotas Will Have Override System To Cut Engine Power
By 2.17.10
According to Reuters, Toyota announced today that it would add a brake-override system to all future cars. The system would cut power from the engine when the accelerator and brake pedals are applied at the same time. [More]
Toyota Throttles Back On Production At Two U.S. Plants
By 2.16.10
With their sales sinking as they deal with the massive recall of 8 million vehicles, Toyota announced today that they are trimming back production at two U.S. factories in an effort to avoid an overstock of unsold automobiles. [More]
Morning Sickness Remedy Found To Contain Lead And Arsenic
By 2.16.10
Morning sickness sucks. And if you want to make it even worse, pick up some calabash chalk. The FDA is now saying the traditional morning sickness remedy — also called nzu, poto, calabar stone, mabele, argile or la craie — has been found to contain lead and arsenic. [More]
CARD Act: Who's With It, Who's Not
By 2.16.10
The CARD act is supposed to go into effect next week, Feb 22. As we get close to the deadline, is your credit card complying with the rules? Courtesy of BillShrink, this giant infographic is here to tell you the answers. Teaser: absolutely zero issuers are doing fair allocation of payments. [More]
Cash4Gold Stops Suing Whistleblowers; FL AG Launches Investigation
By 2.16.10
The lawsuit stemming from our post from last year, “10 Confessions Of A Cash4Gold Employee,” is all over. At the beginning of February, Cash4Gold stopped suing the two ex-employees Michele Liberis and Vielka Nephew. And just this Sunday, the Florida Attorney General announced they’ve opened a civil investigation into Cash4Gold. It seems you can still speak truth to power after all. [More]
Detroit Schools Teach Kids To Work At Walmart
By 2.16.10
Walmart is teaming with inner-city Detroit schools to offer classes on how to land entry-level jobs, the raw story reports, citing the Detroit Free Press. [More]
Utah Considering Making High School Senior Year Optional
By 2.16.10
In an attempt to save money while rendering its high school graduates even less prepared for adulthood than the likes of Arizona and Mississippi, Utah state senator Chris Buttars is proposing the state making senior year optional and let 11th graders roam free, the L.A. Times reports: [More]
Snow Thrower Wheels Still Exploding 4 Years After Recall
By 2.15.10
Recalls are imprecise and never fully successful, but how can they be improved? Jeff Gelles of the Philadelphia Inquirer took a look at the recall problem with snow throwers manufactured by a company called MTD, and sold under Yard Machines, Troy-Bilt, and Craftsman brands. The snow throwers used plastic wheel rims which sometimes exploded, so in 2006 the company cooperated with the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and announced a recall. [More]
Toyota Wants To Kiss And Make Up, Wants You To Keep Buying Toyotas
By 2.15.10
Now that Toyota has almost nearly completed its time in the naughty spot for dumping a few million potentially deadly vehicles on the market, the world’s largest auto manufacturer is looking to make nice. But instead of flowers, candy or poetry, Toyota is making plans to woo you back into their showrooms with increased cash incentives and improved maintenance plans. [More]
Man Spends $7K, One Year Battling Sonic Over $3.45 Overcharge, Resulting Arrest
By 2.15.10
Ray wanted his happy hour discount at a Sonic in Colorado, and wasn’t about to settle for paying more than double the $3.40 he thought he owed. Although his receipt read 4:11, meaning happy hour was over, Ray correctly insisted Sonic’s clock was fast. But the restaurant wouldn’t budge on the price and Ray ended up leaving in handcuffs, touching off a yearlong legal battle. [More]
Chicago Seeks Corporate Sponsors For Public Transit
By 2.13.10
Imagine giving public transit directions to your urban home in the future. “Oh, yeah, you take the Target Red Line, transfer at Comcast Station to the Apple Gray Line headed Fox Sports Westbound, and finally get off at Taco Bell Station.” Seem crazy? Well, you have to name transit stations something, and both Metra and the Chicago Transit Authority are exploring the idea of selling naming rights to stations. They’re not the first city to do this. [More]
H&R Block Upsells Tax Service, But Won't Downgrade
By 2.13.10
Tax Cat here with a reminder about using a free service to prepare your taxes. Beware sneaky upsells on “free” tax preparation options for people with simple tax returns. We’ve already seen a Consumerist reader get charged for this unawares with TurboTax, and now reader Shane reports that If you miss an option on H&R Block’s form, you’ll be paying extra for access to your own data. [More]
Toyota Recalls 8,000 Tacoma Pickup Trucks While They're At it
By 2.13.10
Toyota has recalled eight thousand Tacoma pickup trucks because of possible cracks in the driveshaft. Interestingly, this same part was used in some Ford and Nissan vehicles, but apparently Toyota management said, “what the hell, we’ll recalling everything else–might as well bring this one in too while we’re at it.” [More]
Whistleblower Nurse Acquitted
By 2.12.10
The West Texas nurse who went on trial this past Monday for reporting a doctor to the state board was found not guilty after just an hour of deliberation, reports the New York Times. The jurors who spoke to the Times after the case said it seemed pretty cut and dried to them. Now the nurse’s lawyers are focusing on their civil lawsuit against the county, the sherrif, the county attorney–who is described in the article as the surgeon’s personal attorney as well–and the hospital administrator who fired the nurse for going over his head. Hooray for whistleblowers! [More]
Anthem Blue Cross/WellPoint Makes Early Bid For Worst Company In America
By 2.12.10
As the United States continues to struggle to pull itself out of the current economic quagmire, it’s good to know that not all American companies are behaving like times are tough. Take Anthem Blue Cross of California, who announced this week that individual policy holders will see an average premium increase of 25% with some rate hikes set to reach 39%, prompting Congress and the White House to demand an immediate explanation. [More]
Microsoft Wouldn't Sell Xboxes To U.S. Army
By 2.12.10
Wired reports that the U.S. Army was interested in purchasing a bunch of Xbox 360s to aid in training, but it was turned down flat by Microsoft. [More]
