• The Commission wants the power to quickly codify voluntary industry standards, which are currently unenforceable by the CPSC.
Government Policy
Tainted Exports Also Come From Countries Not Named China
By 7.14.07
Remember the Washington Post’s analysis of FDA Refusal Reports? The New York Times double-checked the Post’s work and found that China isn’t the only country exporting filthy salmonella-infested goods. Exports from India, Mexico, and the Dominican Republic have all been stopped at the U.S. border for failing to meet basic sanitary requirements.
Salmonella was the top reason that food was rejected from India, and it was found in products like black pepper, coriander powder and shrimp. “Filthy” was the primary reason food was stopped from Mexico, and the rejections included lollipops, crabmeat and dried chili.
Consumers Can't Sign Away Rights To Class Action Lawsuits
By 7.13.07
The Supreme Court of Washington State has ruled that consumers cannot sign away their right to participate in a class action lawsuit, according to the Seattle Post-Intelligencer.
$325 Million Amerquest Settlement Payout Might Average $812.15 Per Person
By 7.13.07
If you got a mortgage through Ameriquest from 1999-2005, you may be eligible for a $325 million settlement Ameriquest reached with 49 states over their shady lending practices, which included failing to disclose that the loans had adjustable rates, failing to disclose the terms of the loan, refinancing homeowners into inappropriate loans, inflating home appraisals, and charging excessive fees such as prepayment penalties and loan origination fees. Ameriquest did not admit wrongdoing.
Whole Foods CEO Caught Bashing Wild Oats Stock On Yahoo Forums
By 7.12.07
Back in 2005, when the (currently being opposed by the FTC) Whole Foods/Wild Oats merger was just a glint in the Whole Foods CEO’s eye… John “Anonymous Troll” Mackey was on Yahoo! forums bashing Wild Oats stock.
Get Your $100 Paxil Refund
By 7.12.07
US Citizens have until August 31 to claim a $100 refund if you bought Paxil for someone under the age of 18.
Walmart Will Now Prosecute Shoplifters As Young As 16
By 7.12.07
With increased shoplifting and employee theft hurting Walmart’s bottom line, the store says it will now go after first-time shoplifters who are as young as 16. Previously, it was Walmart’s policy to only prosecute first-time shoplifters who were at least 18.
Not Canceling The Account Costs AOL $3 Million
By 7.12.07
AOL has avoided what was certain to be an entertaining court battle by settling with 48 states and the District of Colombia over allegations that it made it, uh, difficult to cancel for the many customers who were fleeing to broadband.
Lawsuit: XBOX 360 Scratches Discs?
By 7.11.07
Brouwer said his Xbox 360 scratched two of his games, “Gears of War” and “Madden NFL 07,” and that Microsoft offered to replace the games for a $20 fee. He is seeking more than $5 million in damages, according to the court filing.
We’re assuming the $5 million is to replace everyone’s games (class action) and not just for him. This lawsuit deals only with disc scratching, an entirely separate issue from the “general hardware failure” that prompted Microsoft to extend the XBOX 360 warranty.
FCC Proposes New Rules To Further "Unlock" Cellphones
By 7.10.07
Sick of boring handsets with crippled features? So is FCC chairman Kevin Martin. He’s proposing “sweeping new rules” that would apply to the 700mhz spectrum that is soon to be vacated as television goes digital. What will the new rules be?
Under Martin’s proposal, to be circulated in the agency as early as Tuesday, mobile services in these airwaves would have to allow consumer choice.
TSA Confiscates Water Bottle, Misses Bomb
By 7.10.07
Federal inspectors were able to slip a bomb past the TSA 5 out of 7 times, according to the Albany Times-Union. Here’s the best part: One fake bomb was placed in the same bag as a bottle of water. The TSA opened the bag, took the water, and let the bomb on the plane.
Department Of Education Sends Warning Letters To 921 Colleges
By 7.10.07
The Department of Education wants you to know that they’ve sent warning letters to 921colleges and universities warning them not to limit students in their choice of lenders, according to the Chicago Tribune.
Jeff Baker, policy liaison at the Education Department’s federal student aid office, said a search of a student loan database showed that a vast majority of students at each of 921 campuses chose the same lender.
Subway Is Not Ashamed: First Fast Food Restaurant To Put Calorie Info On Menus
By 7.9.07
While the other large fast food chains sue the City of New York to keep calorie information off their menus, Subway has gone ahead and complied with the New York City regulation. Dunkin’ Donuts, meanwhile, submitted a sample menu meant to “prove” that putting calorie info on its menu just couldn’t be done… and the NYC Health Department responded by having its own graphic designer redo the sign to prove that it could be done.
By 7.8.07
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Judge Roy “Fancy Pants” Pearson is back! Fancy Pants recently lost a $54 million suit filed against his dry cleaner for a lost pair of pants. Now, Fancy Pants has filed papers asking the judge to reverse her verdict for failing to address his legal claims.
Hybrid Mileage Claims Spur Lawsuit
By 7.7.07
A California man shocked that his Honda Civic Hybrid’s gas efficiency didn’t match EPA estimates has decided to file a class action suit against Honda for false advertising. John True spent an extra $7,000 on the hybrid model after seeing advertisements that claimed average city fuel efficiency of 49 mpg. True was horrified to discover that after 6,000 miles of driving, he only averaged 32 mpg.
The lawsuit claims American Honda Motor Co. has misled consumers in its advertisements and on its Web site. The suit notes that while the Environmental Protection Agency and automobile window stickers say “mileage will vary,” some Honda advertisements read “mileage may vary.” That implies that it’s possible to get the mileage advertised, said William H. Anderson, a Washington, D.C., attorney for True.
True-Life-Tale Of Dealing With A Telemarketer Who Continually Ignored The Do-Not-Call List
By 7.6.07
I just got yet ANOTHER call from a third party selling life insurance policies for BoA. Sometime last month, I told them to stop calling me, and that just because I bank with BoA (I had…I terminated that week before last for reasons unrelated to this) doesn’t mean they’re allowed to keep calling despite my telling them to stop. If I had access to our call records at the moment, I’d list the time, date, and duration of each call, as well as the date I told them to stop.
Lawsuits: Tyson Ground Beef Sold by Walmart Put Me In The Hospital
By 7.5.07
A woman has filed a lawsuit after ground beef made by Tyson and sold by Walmart put her in the hospital for 3 weeks, she says. From KOTV:
Melinda Pierce says she bought some Tyson hamburger meat at the Muskogee Wal-Mart on June 4th and made enchiladas with it two days later.
Cable Companies Will Raise Set-Top Box Rates, Blaming Costs Incurred From FCC Forcing Them To Finally Comply With 11-Year-Old Law
By 7.5.07
Cable companies are using the government’s forcing them to ship new cable boxes with detachable cable cards as an excuse to raise rates on old set-top boxes, AP reports.
