Kotex’s parent company Kimberly-Clark is totally willing to own up when one of its products is less than perfect. That’s why the company said it had intended to destroy a batch of tainted Kotex Natural Balance Tampons, which could contain unhealthy levels of bacteria and “metallic particles” that aren’t so good for you. But some odd villian thwarted that plan by swiping the tainted tampons and selling them to the public despite their unworthiness. [More]
Transportation & Infrastructure
Kotex Was Totally Going To Get Around To Destroying Tainted Tampons But Someone Stole Them First
By 9.5.12
U.S. Car Makers Post Double-Digit Sales Increases
By 9.4.12
Need some decent news to brighten up your dreary day? This may not do it, but it’s worth a shot: Chrysler, GM and Ford have released their August sales numbers and each of the automakers saw substantial year-over-year sales increases during the last month of summer vacation. [More]
Mr. Coffee Single-Cup Brewers Recalled Because No One Likes A Face Full Of Burning Steam
By 8.31.12
If there’s a Mrs. Coffee out there, she might be a bit displeased with her husband right about now. Numerous reports of consumers getting hit in the face with steam and scorching coffee grounds have prompted a recall of over 600,000 Mr. Coffee single-cup brewers. She’s never going to let this one drop. [More]
Man Announces "Toyota Sucks" On Roof — And Google Maps Takes Notice
By 8.27.12
Writing “Toyota Sucks” on your roof and turning your Toyota truck into an anti-Toyota billboard may seem like a slightly fruitless exercise. That is, until both of them end up on Google Maps, much to the amusement of the Internet. [More]
Red Vines Black Licorice Twists Recalled For All That Unsavory Lead
By 8.23.12
You might love it, you might hate it, or you might think it’s redundant to call it black licorice because really, as my dad says “red licorice” is just red chewy stuff and black licorice is just licorice. In any case, if you’re not in the mood to ingest lead, you shouldn’t eat Red Vines Black Licorice Twists. The company that makes it issued a voluntary recall yesterday for its 1-pound bags, after an investigation found high levels of lead. [More]
August Recall Roundup – Bye Baby Strangulation Bunting
By 8.22.12
Welcome to the Recall Roundup! This month, we have lead-contaminated licorice, overly snappy snap bracelets, flaming dryers and dishwashers, and machetes endorsed by Bear Grylls that can turn around and cut you instead. [More]
JetBlue Fined For Not Telling Passengers They Can Exit A Plane Stuck Indefinitely At The Gate
By 8.21.12
Know your rights, airplane passengers! If you’re stuck at the gate waiting to take off, you do not have to just sit there and take it, according to the Department of Transportation’s rules. JetBlue is on the line for $90,000 after failing to inform passengers that they were allowed to get off a plane stuck at the gate for hours at John F. Kennedy Airport in March. [More]
The 26 Top CEOs Who Made More Than Their Companies Paid In Federal Taxes
By 8.16.12
Once again, it’s time for the annual Institute for Policy Studies report on which top CEOs are earning more money than the companies they work for are paying out to federal government in taxes. [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]
Why Is Dealership Checking My Credit When I'm Paying In Full?
By 8.14.12
Brad and his wife drove a few hours to a car dealership, planning to pay cash for a new vehicle. Well, not cash exactly: they were putting part of the balance on a credit card (for airline miles or other rewards, we’re guessing) and had a cashier’s check for the rest. The dealer agreed to this deal over e-mail and over the phone. Then, when they reached the dealership, they were handed a credit application to fill out. Wait, why did they need their credit checked when payment in full was sitting right there in their hands? [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]
Walmart Oil Change Turns Into $3,000 Disaster And I Can't Even Get Store To Call Me Back
By 8.7.12
An oil change seems like a pretty simple procedure, at least as far as automotive maintenance is concerned. And yet, one Consumerist reader now faces nearly $3,000 in repairs to her SUV because someone at Walmart mucked up the all-important “refilling” part of the oil change. [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]
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]
Working For McDonald's Is Apparently Good Training For A Job At Volkswagen
By 8.2.12
Fast food jobs have been the butt of easy jokes since the first person asked if you’d like fries with that. But the volks at Volkswagen say that people who’ve worked behind the counter at McDonald’s are ideal for staffing the assembly lines at the company’s plant in Tennessee. [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]
Ford’s Steel F-150 Pickups Could Get Aluminum Body Makeovers To Save On Fuel Costs
By 7.27.12
Is it the end of the super steely era? Ford is reportedly mulling over a decision to use aluminum panels in its F-150 pickup trucks, which have utilized steel panels since the vehicle’s birth decades ago. The company has already moved toward technology that helps its vehicles save on gas, and this aluminum move is yet another, as it will cut 700 pounds out of the pickup. That’s a lot less truck to move. [More]
