UPDATE: We asked BP to expound on the statement it shot off to Consumerist that didn’t address the long wait times and busy signals customers were reporting, and a rep told us: ” We apologize for the long hold times. We are adding operators today. Another option is to file a claim by e-mail. ” [More]
Quality & Safety
Johnson & Johnson Promises To Kick All Harsh Chemicals To The Curb By End Of 2015
By 8.15.12
Johnson & Johnson is going forward with plans to take out any of the nasty chemicals consumers have taken issue with recently, by pledging not only to remove “chemicals of concern” from baby products by 2013, but also to reformulate adult products with safer ingredients by the end of 2015. [More]
Recall: Babies Fall Out Of Bumbo Seats At Ground Level, Too
By 8.15.12
Babies: they comprise the future of our species, and they’re awfully cute, but they’re top-heavy. And early in their lives, their muscle control is pretty poor. The Bumbo baby seat is an adorable piece of molded plastic designed to let your baby sit up and look around before it has developed sufficient muscle control to sit up on its own for extended periods. They’re immensely popular, but frequently misused, and not wriggle-proof. So the Consumer Products Safety Commission has announced yet another voluntary recall on the seats. [More]
Canon Recalls 68,000 Rebel Cameras Because You Shouldn't Have An Allergic Reaction To Digital Photography
By 8.15.12
While some people might think they are allergic to the overly Photoshopped images in their friends’ Flickr and Instagram feeds, that’s not quite the same as an actual camera that could cause an allergic reaction for the person taking those photographs. [More]
Did You Buy Disney Or Marvel Vitamins? There Might Be A Refund Waiting For You
By 8.14.12
I prefer to get my vitamins the old-fashioned way (i.e., in the shape of Flintstones characters), but for those of you who prefer your vitamins in the shape of Disney characters or Marvel superheros, the Federal Trade Commission wants you to know you might be due a refund. [More]
FDA Tells Hershey's It Has No Right To Claim Chocolate Syrup With Vitamins Is Nutritious
By 8.14.12
Listen — we all know that gooey, sweet chocolate syrup is very delicious. But nutritious? Now that is a bold claim, and one the Food and Drug Administration is warning Hershey’s not to make on its labels. It told the company in a warning letter that it can’t just go around calling things fortified and such just to make its syrup seem healthy. [More]
Luxury Cars Aren't Doing So Well In New Crash Tests But Hey, Check Out That Leather Interior!
By 8.14.12
There you are, rolling along in your nice luxury car with custom leather interior, awesome speakers and one of those voice-activated virtual assistants offering to find you a late-night taco joint and all is well with the world. Unless maybe, you get in an accident and discover that just because your car is fancy, it might not hold up so well in a crash. A new test by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety has resulted in some failing grades for luxury and near-luxury automakers. [More]
I Want My Trans Fats Back: Consumerist Readers Speak Out About Recipe Changes
By 8.10.12
Last week, we asked you, the members of the Consumerist Hive Mind, what prepared food items you’ve abandoned or fallen out of love with due to a recipe or ingredient change. What we learned from reading the responses: Consumerist readers love their junk food almost as much as Consumerist editors do. [More]
Over 1 Million GE Dishwashers Recalled As Flames Shouldn't Be Part Of The Rinse Cycle
By 8.9.12
If it’s too hot, sure, you need to get out of the kitchen. But it shouldn’t be literally too hot because your dishwasher is on fire. To that end, GE is recalling around 1.3 million of its dishwashers due to a possibility for the heating elements to fail and cause fires. [More]
Sears Recalls Dehumidifiers Because Fire Is Not A Safe Dehumidification Method
By 8.6.12
Yes, it’s a story about a Sears appliance, but not about its misdelivery or problems with getting it repaired. Well, sort of. If you bought a Kenmore-branded dehumidifier from Sears or from Kmart between 2003 or 2009, unplug it right away and get in touch with the company. More than a hundred overheating units have been reported to the Consumer Products Safety Commission, and some have caught fire or melted. [More]
The Maker Of Buckyballs Embarks On Impassioned Campaign To "Save Our Balls" From CPSC
By 8.3.12
The maker of Buckyballs, those powerful tiny magnet desktop toys that can be harmful if swallowed, isn’t going down without fighting the Consumer Product Safety Commission. Last week the CPSC convinced 11 retailers, including Amazon, to pull the toys from sale and sued Buckyballs’ company, Maxfield & Oberton, to get it to stop selling them. But instead, the head of the company is embarking on a media blitz to “save our balls.” [More]
New Law Would Forbid Rental Car Companies From Renting Recalled Cars
By 8.2.12 — Updated: 9.8.16
For years, consumer advocates have been calling for legislation that would make it illegal for rental car companies to rent out or sell vehicles that are currently under a safety recall. That notion is inching closer to becoming a reality with the introduction of the Raechel and Jacqueline Houck Safe Rental Car Act. [More]
What Recipe Changes Have Turned You Off A Favorite Food Item For Good?
By 8.1.12
It’s probably happened to most of you at some point in your eating experience. You go to bite into — or take a sip of — an item you’ve come to really enjoy, only to find there is, say, more salt, or less chocolate, or just some new ingredient. And with that, the relationship is over… [More]
Safeway Says This Tiny Pile Of Sad Chicken Covered In Gloop Is Supposed To Be A Gourmet Meal
By 8.1.12
We aren’t sure in what world a paltry pile of pale chicken covered in some kind of gelatinous gloop accompanied by a whole lot of rice with bits vaguely resembling vegetables could be considered part of any “Gourmet Club.” But Safeway said its “Safeway Select” branded Orange Chicken meal is fine frozen dining and showed a lovely picture on the package to that effect. Consumerist reader Doug in Seattle sent in evidence to the contrary after he purchased the family pack meal. [More]
Print & E-Book Copies Of Bestseller Pulled After Author Admits To Making Up Bob Dylan Quotes
By 7.31.12
Making up quotes from say, one of the most admired, researched and beloved American music icons might’ve seemed like a good idea to New Yorker magazine staff writer Jonah Lehrer when he was writing his book Imagine: How Creativity Works, but those fabricated words are going to cost his publishers a pretty penny. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt said it’ll pull the book entirely from the market after Lehrer admitted to putting words in Bob Dylan’s mouth that he never said. [More]
Consumer Reports Pits Pretty Food Packaging Picture Against Paltry Reality
By 7.30.12
We’ve all fallen for it before: Cruising down the grocery aisle, deciding what to pick when suddenly, there it is — a box bearing a beautifully shot photo of a tantalizing snack, delicious gourmet dish or some other form of tempting cuisine. That fantasy can come crashing down, as plenty of customers have complained to our hardworking siblings at Consumer Reports that the packaging on many products just doesn’t live up to the reality. [More]
Some Retailers Pull Magnetic Desktop Toy Buckyballs After CPSC Files Complaint
By 7.27.12
The Consumer Product Safety Commission has dealt a swift blow to the makers of desktop magnetic toys Buckyballs after filing an administrative complaint against them earlier this week. The agency says it’s already convinced 10 retailers, including Amazon.com, to stop selling the tiny yet powerful magnets over concerns that children are swallowing them. We’ve already heard from one reader who had a Groupon deal refunded because of the CPSC’s filing. [More]
Ford Recalling 484,600 Escape SUVs Because Drivers Should Be Able To Ease Off The Gas
By 7.26.12
As if scary fires weren’t enough, it seems Ford is having even more problems with its Escape SUVs. This time the problem is focused on an issue with some models having sticky gas pedals — not quite ideal if you’d like to slow down your car at some point. Ford is now recalling 484,600 Escapes from 2001 to 2004 after discovering the problem. [More]
