Under the Federal Trade Commission’s Fair Credit Reporting Act, companies are required to inform consumers when they are offered services with less favorable terms than those offered to consumers with better credit standing. That apparently wasn’t the case for Sprint. [More]
Government Policy
FCC Now Sharing Weekly Robocall Complaint Data For Use In Building Call-Blocking Tools
By 10.21.15
The FCC has been on a bit of a crusade this year to try and curb the scourge of robocalls, one of consumers’ biggest complaints. To that end, they’re now going to share a new tool to help build weapons for that fight: consumers’ complaints. [More]
Honda, Takata Sat On Commissioned Study Showing Chemical Could Cause Airbag Ruptures
By 10.21.15
While Takata’s shrapnel-shooting airbags have affected millions of vehicles from 11 automakers, Honda is perhaps the one car manufacturer that has felt the brunt of the deadly defect: not only has the company recalled millions of cars, its models have also been responsible for all eight deaths linked to the defect. And now, a new report suggests Honda and Takata kept quiet on a study that questioned the propellent used in the airbags for years. [More]
Regulators Drop Probe Into Walmart’s “Made In The U.S.A.” Labeling After Designation Dropped From Website
By 10.21.15
Four months after an advertising watchdog group called out Walmart’s website for selling more than 100 products labeled as “Made in the U.S.A.” even though they were manufactured in other countries, raising the watchful eye of federal regulators, the retailer announced it had removed the designation from its products. [More]
Toyota Recalling 6.5M Cars Worldwide Because Windows Should Not Start Fires
By 10.21.15
Ah, fall: the time of year when you need neither the air conditioning nor the heat on in your car, but just need to roll the window down a few inches to feel that lovely autumn breeze. Unless you are one of the 6.5 million people in the world who own certain model Toyota and Scion cars, in which case rolling down that window might just smell like your driver’s side door catching fire. [More]
Takata Recall Likely To Expand Beyond 11 Automakers Currently Affected
By 10.20.15
Just two days before regulators are set to hold yet another public meeting regarding options to speed up replacement of defective shrapnel-shooting, Takata-produced airbags linked to eight deaths and hundreds of injuries, the head of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration revealed it would likely expand the recall beyond the 11 automakers already involved. [More]
More Trouble For ITT Education Services: Agency Restricts For-Profit’s Use Of Federal Student Aid
By 10.20.15
Just a month after for-profit college operator ITT Education Services announced it had become the focus of a federal fraud investigation, the Department of Education revealed it had placed restrictions on ITT Technical Institute’s use of federal grants and loans. [More]
Supplement Company Owner Gets 30 Months In Prison For Selling Diet Pills Containing Unsafe Ingredients
By 10.19.15
One slogan used by the folks at now-defunct Floyd Nutrition on weight-loss “supplements” like ZXT Bee Pollen and ZXT Gold Infinity was “Offering the gift of health,” but a more accurate statement might have been “Offering the secret gift of drugs that were pulled from the market years ago for potential health risks,” or rather, “Offering products that will land this company’s founder in federal prison for two-and-a-half years.” [More]
Wireless Companies Have A Plan To Make Your Mobile Data Faster And Better… But It Might Break WiFi
By 10.19.15
Over the last couple of years we’ve all finally gotten used to 4G LTE being the mobile standard our phones use… so of course, the next network tech is already in development. The wireless companies’ plans for expanding LTE networks sound simple: piggyback off spectrum that’s sitting right there, available for anyone to use, so the metaphorical pipes can be bigger. Except that could cause big problems for basically all the wireless tech we already use. [More]
Small Number Of 2015 GM Vehicles Added To Massive Airbag Recall
By 10.19.15
With some 19 million vehicles already recalled for airbags that could explode and shoot deadly shrapnel at passengers, a few hundred more might seem inconsequential. But the latest General Motors cars added to the massive ongoing recall of vehicles with Takata airbags are the first from model year 2015. [More]
KIA Recalls 370,000 SUVs Because Cars Aren’t Supposed To Drive Away Themselves
By 10.15.15
It’s possible that Kia is working on a self-driving car, but there’s a difference between a truly autonomous vehicle and one that can unexpectedly shift into “drive” and roll away. [More]
Del Monte Recalls Granny Smith Apples Sold At 7-Eleven And Coremark
By 10.15.15
Fruit in convenience stores is a healthy snack option, but maybe not such a healthy option when potentially contaminated with bacteria that could make you sick. Del Monte Granny Smith (green) apples distributed to convenience stores in the central and mountain regions of the country may have Listeria bacteria, and have been recalled. [More]
Federal Trade Commission Opens Probe Into Volkswagen’s “Clean Diesel” Advertising
By 10.15.15
The list of state and federal agencies probing Volkswagen’s recent emissions scandal grew by one Wednesday: The Federal Trade Commission announced it has opened an investigation into the company’s advertisements that touted “clean diesel” vehicles, despite the fact the cars contained “defeat devices,” which are designed to cheat emissions tests. [More]
What Key Players Are Telling The FCC About The Charter / Time Warner Cable Merger
By 10.14.15
The three-way Charter/Time Warner Cable/Bright House merger hit one of its major milestones this week, as the first deadline for filing comments with the FCC has come and gone. As one might expect, consumer advocates and competing businesses are less than thrilled with the major merger plan. [More]
Borrowers With Federal Student Loans Made By Private Lenders At Greater Risk For Default
By 10.14.15
Consumers who took out federal student loans through private lenders are more likely to default on their debts than their counterparts who received federal loans through the Department of Education, in part because these borrowers have difficulty obtaining adequate information on repayment options. [More]
Dole Recalls Bagged Spinach Over Salmonella Concerns
By 10.14.15
If you recently purchased some Dole brand bagged spinach at the supermarket, it’s time to go check out the bag to see if it’s among the spinach being recalled for possible salmonella contamination. [More]
VW Moving Forward With New Emissions System, Electric Power For Future Models
By 10.14.15
Volkswagen’s immediate future is in a bit of a holding pattern. The company has a plan for how to properly handle diesel emissions in new vehicles, but it can’t implement it right away. Meanwhile, its 2016 lineup of diesels has yet to win approval from the Environmental Protection Agency. [More]
October Food And Supplement Recall Roundup: Beware Of Surprise Cheese Curls
By 10.14.15
In this month’s Recall Roundup for food and supplements, dried fruit doesn’t declare its sulfites, tortilla chips may have some cheese curls mixed in, sausage patties may have bonus metal shards, and plenty of pet food and treats may contain foodborne illnesses that can make you and your furry friends sick. [More]
