Extended warranties purchased for major home appliances might be a waste of money, according to a J.D. Power and Associates study.
It found that on most major appliances, the extended warranties rarely are used and when problems occur, they can be corrected mainly by following instructions in the user’s manual.
Here’s the information.
Hundreds of pounds of smoked salmon dip and other seafood dips made by House of Thaller and sold through Kroger stores in several states, including Michigan, are being recalled because they made be contaminated.
For more information, check here.
About 64,000 circuit breakers marked with the “Square D” brand are counterfeit and somehow found their ways onto the market.
The counterfeits fail to trip when they are supposed to. Square D is trying to hunt them down and has a description of the bogus circuit breakers.
Check out the info here.
Some patio sets sold at Target stores have chairs that can collapse if you sit too far forward on them.
About 40,000 sets were sold and a number of injuries have been reported in connection with their use.
Details are here.
Some digital color printers made by Oki Data have a problem that could result in electrical shock.
Details are here.
About 30.2 million Americans — about 13.2 percent of the adult population — were victims of fraud last year, according to the Federal Trade Commission.
The most common scam people fell victim to involved weight-loss products, followed closely by foreign lottery scams.
More information, tips for avoiding fraud, and the rest of the top 10 scams can be found here.
The Federal Trade Commission reports that a bogus e-mail is circulating the invokes the FTC name. It warns against opening the e-mail because it contains a computer virus.
Here are details.
Owners of Simplicity or Graco cribs that were the subject of a Sept. 21 recall notice now can get a free repair kit that immobilizes the drop side of the crib that was said to be a potential cause of strangulation or suffocation of infants.
Details about how to get the kit can be found here.
The Federal Trade Commission has some basic advice on charitable giving in the wake of the devastating wildfires in California.
Check it out here.
Kroger
The agreement with Kroger is the 11th reached by the multi-state enforcement effort. Previous agreements include all 7-Eleven, CVS, Wal-Mart, Walgreens and Rite Aid stores and all gasoline stations and convenience stores operating as Conoco, Phillips 66, 76, Exxon, Mobil, BP, Amoco, ARCO and Chevron.
Under the agreement, all Kroger stores are required to: Check the identification of any person purchasing tobacco products who appears to be under the age of 27, and accept only valid government-issued photo IDs as proof of age; Hire an independent entity to conduct random compliance checks of Kroger stores; limit tobacco signage to brand names, logos and pricing and ensure that all tobacco advertising inside the store is confined to the area where tobacco products are sold; and train employees on state and local laws and company policies regarding tobacco sales to minors, including explaining the health-related reasons for laws that restrict youth access to tobacco.
Kroger also agreed to pay $325,000 for costs incurred by the states in the investigation.
Consumer Reports found that decaffeinated coffee marketed by some chain restaurants have surprising amounts of caffeine in them. It also found that amounts in caffeinated coffees vary greatly.
Here’s the report.
Robbie Ducky garden toolsets for kids sold at Jo-Ann stores have been found to contain high levels of lead. They are being recalled as part of an expansion of a previous recall.
Details may be found here.
Small football-player bobbleheads used for cake decorations are being recalled because the paint used on them contains high levels of lead.
Fortunately, the Detroit Lions is not among the various teams represented in the collection. Call it one of the perks of a poor record.
For details, check here.
Halloween pails sold at Family Dollar stores and adorned with a witch and a moon have lead levels in their green paint that exceeds federal safety standards.
About 142,000 were sold. If you have one, take it back to the store for a refund. Here’s more info.
Dissatisfaction with salespeople is hurting wireless sales, a study finds.