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Government Policy

Every Toy Recalled In The U.S. Shares The Same Label: Made In China

By consumeristcarey 6.19.07

The New York Times is reporting that China is responsible for each and every one of the 24 toy recalls issued this year. Chinese manufactures supply up to 80% of the toys sold on the U.S. market. A new record was even set last year after the CPSC yanked 467 Chinese products off U.S. shelves.

China’s own government auditing agency reported last month that 20 percent of the toys made and sold in China had safety hazards such as small parts that could be swallowed or sharp edges that could cut a child, according to a report in China Daily. Officials in China, of course, are fighting back, insisting that its food and other exports are safe and valuable, that new regulations are being put into place and that problem goods account for a tiny portion of all exports.

We wonder if the office of some Chinese official has a framed fortune reading: You shall tell many lies today. Lucky Numbers: 24 80 467 20. — CAREY GREENBERG-BERGER

cheap

AT&T's Secret $10 DSL

By Meg Marco 6.18.07

As part of a concession made to the FCC in order to get its mitts on BellSouth, AT&T is required to offer basic DSL for $10 a month to its entire 22 state coverage area for a period of 2 years.

choking hazards

CPSC Recalls DS-MAX-Made Toy Trucks For Choking Hazard

By consumerist.com 6.18.07

Neither CPSC nor DS-MAX U.S.A. Inc. is aware of any injuries with the toy trucks.

recalls

Fake Toxic Colgate Still On Store Shelves

By Meg Marco 6.18.07

The Herald News of New Jersey conducted an informal survey of local dollar stores and found that 4 out of 9 were still selling fake Colgate toothpaste flavored with a toxic chemical more commonly found in antifreeze. The FDA reminds you:

The counterfeit toothpaste can be easily recognized because it is labeled as “Manufactured in South Africa.” Colgate does not import toothpaste into the United States from South Africa. In addition, the counterfeit packages examined so far have several misspellings including: “isclinically” “SOUTH AFRLCA” “South African Dental Assoxiation”.

Colgate did not manufacture the fake toothpaste and claims that the health risk of the counterfeit paste is minimal.

safety

Chinese Poison Train Defeats FDA, The Prequel

By consumeristcarey 6.17.07

Ten years ago, the FDA tried and failed to identify the driver of the deadly Chinese Poison Train. The investigation started when diethylene glycol produced by a state-owned company was mixed into fever medicine, killing 88 Haitian children.

The F.D.A.’s efforts to investigate the Haiti poisonings, documented in internal F.D.A. memorandums obtained by The New York Times, demonstrate not only the intransigence of Chinese officials, but also the same regulatory failings that allowed a virtually identical poisoning to occur 10 years later. The cases further illustrate what happens when nations fail to police the global pipeline of pharmaceutical ingredients.

The Chinese Poison Train hides behind a veil of secrecy and lies, after the jump…

he said, she said

TSA Uploads Video Of "Sippy Cup" Incident On Special "MythBusting" Website

By Meg Marco 6.16.07

The TSA has uploaded the incident report and surveillance video that they claim shows the “sippy cup terrorist” Mom intentionally dumping her child’s water on the floor of the airport after having claimed “she was an officer and flashed her Secret Service badge and credentials and said that she should be exempt from all this and this was a stupid policy and this whole thing was [redacted].” We’re guessing that last word was bullshit, but like we said, that’s just an educated guess.

networks

AT&T's New Copyright Protection Plan: Read Everyone's Data!

By consumeristcarey 6.16.07

AT&T has announced a plan to keep pirated content off their network by peeking at everyone’s data to see if it contains copyrighted material. The plan, which the telecom somehow claims will “not violate user privacy,” will only target repeat offenders.

chinese poison train

Recall Round-Up: The Toy Is Full Of Kerosene And Other Adventures

By Meg Marco 6.15.07

The jewel decorations on the shoes can detach, posing a choking hazard to young children. Units: About 1,800 Manufactured in: China

lawsuits

New Lawyer-Rating Site Avvo Already Under Fire

By consumerist.com 6.15.07

TSA

What's The Matter With American Air Travel?

By Meg Marco 6.15.07

The Economist has a special report that considers the various problems with the American airline industry. Of particular interest is a survey of 519 airline passengers that posed the question, “What, if anything, do you dislike about taking a trip by plane?” The answer, overwhelmingly, was “Security measures.”

lawsuits

Judge Suing Dry Cleaner For $54 Million Cries In Court

By Meg Marco 6.14.07

“Never before in recorded history have a group of defendants engaged in such misleading and unfair business practices,” Pearson said in his opening statement. You don’t get a lot of firsts in recorded history in D.C. Superior Court, though I should add that Marion Barry was in the building for his day in traffic court, and the pants suit easily outdrew the ex-mayor-for-life.

It gets better. One of Fancy Pants Pearson’s witnesses testified, comparing the Mom and Pop dry cleaner to Nazi Germany:

“At 89, I’m not ready to be chased,” she said. “But I was in World War II as a WAC, so I think I can take care of myself. Having lived in Germany and knowing the people who were victims of the Nazis, I thought he was going to beat me up. I thought of what Hitler had done to thousands of Jews.”

Wait. It gets better.

TSA

TSA Detains Mother, Threatens Arrest Over Sippy Cup Full of Tap Water

By Meg Marco 6.14.07

UPDATE: TSA released video of the incident: TSA Denies “Sippy Cup” Incident, Creates “MythBusting” Website In Response

internet

FBI: 1 Million US Computers Have Been Taken Over By Botnets

By Meg Marco 6.14.07

The FBI has tells us that they’ve found 1 million US computers that have been compromised and are being controlled and used for evil.

trains

1.5 Million Thomas & Friends Toys Recalled Due To Lead Paint From China

By Meg Marco 6.13.07

Way to go, China! You’ve turned our “Chinese Poison Train” into something literal. Good job!

readers

Home Depot Accuses You Of Attempting Return Fraud

By Meg Marco 6.12.07

Here at the Consumerist we realize that return fraud is a very serious problem for retailers. Nevertheless, this story puzzles us. Dana bought a thermostat from Home Depot, but it turned out to be incompatible with her heating and cooling system. When she brought it back, the customer service person accused her of bringing in an empty bag and receipt, shoplifting a thermostat and then trying to return the stolen unit. It’s a common scam…. but…

first horizon

Ask The Consumerists: What Do I Do About Credit Cards I Never Requested?

By Meg Marco 6.12.07

I’ve gotten two of these unwanted cards in the last 12 months after signing up with two different financial institutions for two different reasons. The first was a mortgage I signed, the second for a business checking account where I was the primary account user. I’ve worked hard all my life to maintain good credit, and I don’t want these things to affect my excellent rating. What should I do now?

Read Beau’s letter and our advice, inside.

ftc

FTC: Wild Oats Whole Foods Buyout Bad For Consumers

By Meg Marco 6.11.07

The FTC thinks that Whole Food’s buyout of competitor Wild Oats would lead to increased prices and decreased quality according to a statement issued on June 5. They’re planning to block the buyout. “Whole Foods and Wild Oats are each other’s closest competitors in premium natural and organic supermarkets, and are engaged in intense head-to-head competition in markets across the country,” said Jeffrey Schmidt, Director of the FTC’s Bureau of Competition. “If Whole Foods is allowed to devour Wild Oats, it will mean higher prices, reduced quality, and fewer choices for consumers.”

recalls

Beef Recall Expanded To Eleven Western States

By consumeristcarey 6.11.07

5.7 million pounds of beef distributed by United Food Group may be infected with E. coli. The beef bears sell-by dates from April 6-April 20; though the beef won’t be found on supermarket shelves, it might still be in your freezer.

The recalled products were shipped to stores in Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington and Wyoming. They were sold under the brand names Moran’s All Natural, Miller Meat Company, Stater Bros., Trader Joe’s Butcher Shop, Inter-American Products Inc. and Basha’s.

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