A New Zealand boy suffered third-degree burns after his Chinese-made pajamas, a brand recalled for containing 500-900 times the safe levels of formaldehyde, caught fire after he sat near a gas heater.
Government Policy
Walmart Offers Owner $2,000 For Killing Her Chihuahua With Toxic Chicken Bestro Jerky Strips It Would Rather Quietly Pull Than Officially Recall
By 8.21.07
Walmart pulls Chinese-made Chicken Bestro Jerky Strips from shelves after customers complain about their pets getting sick. No full recall announced, but they put a transaction block on the item. Then a woman’s Chihuahua dies from a toxic bacteria after eating the strips. Now another woman says her dog died from eating the strips.
By 8.20.07
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Remember that guy JetBlue and the TSA wouldn’t let on a plane for wearing an Arabic shirt? He, joined with the ACLU, have just sued them for racial profiling. [Seattle Times]
5 Things To Do To Avoid Lead Poisoning
By 8.20.07
Consumer Reports has five things parents can do to avoid poisoning their children with leadly toys:
American Airlines Sues Google Over Trademarked Search Terms
By 8.20.07
American Airlines has sued Google over search terms that include words that American Airlines has trademarked. For example, if you search Google for “Aadvantage,” American Airline’s frequent flier program, Google will display a link to the program, but also show ads from competitors.
FDA Reverses Course, Decides Now Might Not Be The Time To Close Half Its Field Labs
By 8.18.07
Bowing to pressure from Congress, the FDA has decided not to close more than half of its field labs. The ill-timed plan to consolidate seven of the agency’s thirteen labs in the name of efficiency and modernization was already under review by a Presidential panel, and had raised the ire of the powerful Chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, John Dingell, who recently introduced legislation to block the reorganization.
New York Decries CPSC's Inability To Impose Mandatory Recalls, Announces Initiatives To Combat Lead Poisoning
By 8.18.07
New York Governor Eliot Spitzer is taking action to ensure the prompt removal of recalled products, responding to the CPSC’s unwillingness to ask for, or accept, the authority to impose mandatory recalls. The following proposals do not require approval by the Legislature, and will go into effect immediately:
Class Action Status Requested For Malicious Prosecution Suit Against RIAA
By 8.18.07
Remember Tanya Anderson? After the RIAA’s case against the 42 year-old single mother for downloading gangsta rap was dismissed with prejudice, Tanya turned around and sued the RIAA for fraud, racketeering, and malicious prosecution. Now, her lawyers have filed papers in federal court asking to grant her suit class action status. From Ars Technica:
Mattel CEO's Online Video Apology For Millions Of Toy Recalls
By 8.18.07
Mattel CEO Bob Eckert posted a video apology for the millions of lead-tainted and faulty magnet toys they were forced to recall. In it, he apologizes, has himself and his company take full responsibility for the issue, and outlines specific new steps to insure product quality and step up inspection processes. This is the best corporate apology video we’ve ever seen.
Cingular's Class Arbitration Waiver Ruled "Unconscionable" By 9th Circuit Court Of Appeals
By 8.17.07
Like many many companies, Cingular has a little thing in their contracts saying that if you use their service, you void your right to a class action lawsuit and instead have to go through “mandatory binding arbitration,” which is basically an extra-judicial corporate court exempt from many of the basic rules and laws and procedures and rights of real court. Well, today, that clause was ruled “unconscionable” by the 9th Circuit Court Of Appeals. Therefore, lawsuits can proceed against Cingular and go to real court, not monkey court. Hooray!
Toy Recalls Causing Headaches For Thrift Stores
By 8.17.07
It’s hard to tell what you need to take off the shelf when you buy your product by the pound and aren’t really sure what you’re getting. That’s the problem thrift stores are facing now that so many toys have been recalled.
Store manager Jeremy Lamb said recalls are nothing new to him and his employees. They regularly receive them from their Seattle-based corporate office and they’ll handle the Mattel recall like any other: The recalled toys will be pulled from the shelves and tossed in the trash compactor, he said.
FTC Appeals, Still Trying To Stop Whole Foods/Wild Oats Merger
By 8.17.07
A judge has ruled in favor of the Whole Foods/Wild Oats merger, but the FTC has announced they will appeal the decision and are asking that the merger be blocked pending that appeal.
By 8.17.07
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Regal King Gourmet Seafood Ready-to-Eat Seafood Dips (bacterial infection), Clarion N.I.C.E. P200 Navigation and Entertainment Systems (fire), Confidence, Inc METABOSLIMTM Apple Cider Vinegar brand dietary supplement (undeclared drug ingredient).
Notorious "ID Theft Gang" Arrested
By 8.17.07
We weren’t quite sure there even was something called an “ID theft gang,” but there must be because the ringleader of one has been arrested. A Russian con artist was caught posing as Charles J. Wyly Jr., friend of President Bush and former head of the craft-store chain Michael’s. The con artist was trying to pass a $7 million dollar check to a New York gold dealer.
By 8.16.07
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The probably soon-to-be-ex-judge suing a Korean dry cleaner for $54 million over a pair of pants has decided to appeal his suit and continue on his depraved quest for guaranteed satisfaction. [Washington Post]
It's Easy To Miss News Of Product Recalls
By 8.16.07
It may seem crazy to loyal readers of the Consumerist, but people often important news when it comes to product recalls. NPR introduces us to James Millard Wilson, an art student in Baltimore who missed the news of the American Medical Optic (AMO) Complete MoisturePLUS Multipurpose Contact Lens Solution. He used to solution and got a painful eye infection that could have lead to blindness if he hadn’t gone to the hospital.
Consumer Reports Advises Families With Small Children To Avoid Magnet Toys
By 8.16.07
Consumer Reports is advising families with small children to stay away from magnet toys and products for adults that have small, strong magnets.
By 8.16.07
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Mandatory binding arbitration is so bullshit that the opposing attorneys don’t even show up to the hearings. [Credit Slips]
