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US Airways had the most consumer complaints of any airline for the month of September, with 2.13 complaints for every 100,000 passengers. [Phoenix Business Journal via Consumerama]
Government Policy
By 11.9.07
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Babies R Us Wendy Bellissimo Collection Convertible Cribs (entrapment, strangulation), Dollar Store Children’s Fashion Sunglasses (lead), Coby Electronics spheroid DVD/CD/MP3 Players (fire), Honda HRX217KHXA and HRX217KHMA Lawn Mowers (fire), Yamaha AC Power Adaptors used with keyboards and digital drum sets (shock).
Tell The FCC, Congress To Support Net Neutrality
By 11.8.07
Net neutrality advocates are gathering momentum to take Comcast to the woodshed for an old fashioned populist beating. Comcast believes that deliberately destroying connections to the popular communications protocol BitTorrent amounts to “reasonable network management,” which the FCC permits. Advocates figure if they can’t ride the net neutrality pony to Congressional passage now, it will forever lie dormant in the stable munching on BitTorrent packet hay.
UPDATE: Centex Offers New Home To Second Contest Winner
By 11.8.07
DENVER, Nov. 8, 2007 — The Denver division of Centex Homes has offered to give a house to Veronica Baca, one of the original finalists in a disputed home give-away contest in Denver. In addition, the Company has offered to provide furnishings for the home and payment for all reasonable legal fees that Mrs. Baca has incurred.
CPSC Head To Washington Post: My Trips Paid For By Manufacturers Were Okay!
By 11.8.07
A letter to the editor by CPSC chairperson Nancy was published in the Washington Post today. She feels that the Washington Post misrepresented the nature of several trips she took, trips which were paid for in full or in part by companies under her agency’s domain. Particularly, she got peeved about people saying how the CPSC has only one toy inspector.
Racial Slur-Dropping Debt-Collection Agency Settles With FTC For $1.3 Million
By 11.8.07
A debt-collection agency settled with the FTC for $1.3 million after thousands of complaints were lodged against the company for abusive and illegal practices. LTD used threatening language and racial slurs against debtors. They also threatened they would garnish debtor’s wages, something that can’t happen without a trial. Company managers were found to be complicit in its employees illegal actions. LTD collected debts for major credit card companies and retail chains.
By 11.8.07
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AquaDots (contain chemical that turns into date rape drug GHB after you eat it), Packaged Terminal Air Conditioners (PTAC) and Heat Pumps (PTHP) (fire), “Robot 2000” collectible tin robot (lead), Dizzy Ducks Music Box (lead), Winnie-the-Pooh Spinning Top (lead), Duck Family Collectible Wind-Up Toy (lead), Dollar Store Super Wheels (lead), Dragster and Funny Car toy (lead), Northern Tool & Equipment “Big Red” Wagons (lead).
Congratulations, You Won A House! Oh, Wait, Never Mind.
By 11.8.07
Veronica Baca thought she’d won a new home. She had been named a finalist in a contest. She pulled the lucky key that opened a prize door at halftime of a Broncos game. She toured the house. She agreed to let the company use her image in advertisements. She signed a form titled “Centex House Party Grand Prize Release.” She was even in the local newspaper.
Delta's Atlantic Southeast Airlines Is America's Worst Airline
By 11.7.07
The Department of Transportations Air Travel Consumer Report was released Monday and it confirms what we’ve all been thinking: Delta’s Atlantic Southeast Airlines is just stunningly terrible.
Recalled Date Rape Drug-Filled Toy Looks Pretty Cool
By 11.7.07
This is but one of millions of magical scenes you can create with Bindeez, a popular Australian toy whose beads were found to be metabolizable into rave party drug GHB. Low doses of GHB are said to induce, “euphoria, increased enjoyment of movement and music, increased libido, increased sociability and intoxication,” the same feelings we’re getting by looking at the splendor-laden craft project!
By 11.7.07
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Swimways “Skippy” Pool Toys (laceration), Hunter Fan Warm Mist Carefree Humidifier (fire), Polaris Industries Snowmobiles (fire), Hartz Mountain Corporation Recalls Vitamin Care for Cats (Salmonella).
Mattel Announces Recall Of 155,000 Toys
By 11.6.07
Today Mattel announced a recall of 155,000 Mexican-made toys being sold in countries throughout Europe and the United States. There’s no lead contamination this time around; the recall was announced “due to concerns that small pieces could detach from the toys and cause children to choke.” The product is the Laugh & Learn Learning Kitchen Toy, part of the Fisher-Price range.
White House Is Proposing Its Own Version Of Product Safety Plan
By 11.6.07
Today the White House will announce its own plan for how to tighten the country’s slack product safety practices. The proposal is being offered as an alternative to the one Congress has come up with, which the White House—along with industry trade groups and Consumer Product Safety Commission head Nancy A. Nord—think is too mean to manufacturers.
The White House version suggests stationing inspectors in other countries to inspect goods before they are shipped to U.S. shores, because “with $2 trillion in imports annually, inspections at the ports had become ineffective.” We’re not sure how the math works on that one—unless sharks or pirates consume large amounts of imports during transit, the same number of goods leave foreign ports and arrive at ours, and having inspectors all in one place where they can work together, instead of spread out in each foreign country, seems a more efficient use of resources. But we’re probably just stupid from too much lead.
Popular Australian Toy Filled With GHB
By 11.6.07
A toy that won the Australian Toy of the Year award this year has been recalled because it contains small beads that are filled a glue the body metabolizes into GHB. As in gamma-Hydroxybutyric acid, a party drug popular among ravers.
RIAA Defendant: Best Buy Replaced My Hard Drive During Warranty Repair
By 11.5.07
The RIAA defendant who lost her jury trial, Jammie Thomas, is telling her side of the story on p2pnet. Of particular interest: She claims that Best Buy made the decision to replace her hard drive, under the terms of her extended warranty, 6 months before she was served with the RIAA’s subpoena.
Drug Company Raided For Manufacturing Drugs In "Grossly Unsanitary" Secret Rooms
By 11.5.07
We hope you have not been using any drugs or vitamins from General Therapeutics Corp., because they’ve been busted for manufacturing the drugs in “grossly unsanitary” conditions, says the FDA.
Cellphone Jammers Are Effective, Illegal
By 11.5.07
The power to silence the annoying schmo yabbering away on their cellphone rests within a small black box the size of a cigarette pack. Selling for as little as $50, cellphone jammers can spew radio signals powerful enough to disrupt all nearby cell signals. The downside? It’s illegal.
The Federal Communication Commission says people who use cellphone jammers could be fined up to $11,000 for a first offense. Its enforcement bureau has prosecuted a handful of American companies for distributing the gadgets — and it also pursues their users.
