The Federal Trade Commission has put a stop of a family that used “healthcare conferences” to tout business opportunities in selling a “healing tea” that they marketed under various names, including “Prophet 3H.”
Details are here.
Archive for December, 2007
Feds end profits from Prophet 3H herbal tea
Friday, December 21st, 2007Another warning on fentanyl painkiller patch
Friday, December 21st, 2007The feds are issuing another warning about use of the fentanyl painkiller patch because it’s so powerful and can have side effects.
Here is the latest warning.
Some GFS green beans have botulism
Friday, December 21st, 2007Botulism has been found in some large, six-pound institution-sized cans of Gordon Food Service canned green beans.
Apparently, none were distributed within Michigan, however. Here is the data from the Food and Drug Administration.
Super Magnet toys are a hazard
Friday, December 21st, 2007Super Magnet toys sold at dollar stores and other merchandisers are being taken off the shelves because they can harm kids if ingested.
Details are here.
Teething rings can break apart
Friday, December 21st, 2007Empire Silver sterling silver teething rings can separate and spill beads inside into babie’s mouths and might choke the tots.
Here is the recall notice.
Pressure cookers can leak, burn
Friday, December 21st, 2007Manntra pressure cookers have lid sealing problems that can pose a burn hazard, so they are being recalled.
Details are here.
Girls’ hooded sweatshirts recalled
Friday, December 21st, 2007Jewel brand hooded sweatshirts for girls, sold at Marshall’s and other stores, are being recalled because they have drawstrings that are said to be a strangulation hazard.
Here’s the recall notice.
Warmer dishes get a little too warm
Friday, December 21st, 2007Lenox covered warming dishes in various themes are being recalled because the warming candle beneath them can cause the dish to scorch and smoke.
Get details of the recall here.
DeWALT cordless drills can catch fire
Thursday, December 20th, 2007About 346,000 DeWALT cordless drills have trigger switches that can overheat and cause a fire.
Details of a recall for repairs are here.
Tipsy snowman can cause inferno
Thursday, December 20th, 2007Christmas candles sets sold by Specialty Merchandise include a snowman candle that can topple and set afire both his exterior and that of a companion Christmas tree candle.
Those are the cold facts behind a recall of the sets.
Help if your mortgage lender closes its doors
Wednesday, December 19th, 2007The Federal Trade Commission has a new brochure that tells homeowners how to manage their mortgage if their mortgage lender shuts down.
You can find it here.
Some funeral homes bury prices
Wednesday, December 19th, 2007A federal survey of dozens of funeral homes in nine states (not including Michigan) found that funeral directors routinely violated a federal rule requiring the bereaved to receive a price list before viewing caskets and an itemized list of charges before they begin making funeral arrangements.
Read the details here.
Wooden block toys have lead
Wednesday, December 19th, 2007Some toys that involve wooden blocks in pull-behind carts have been found to have paint on them with high lead levels.
The sets are the Soldier Bear toy brand. The recall notice is here.
Honda lawnmowers recalled
Wednesday, December 19th, 2007About 167,000 walk-behind Honda lawnmowers are being recalled because the blades keep spinning when the power lever is released.
The company is offering a free repair. The recall notice is here.
Lessons from the Video Professor
Tuesday, December 18th, 2007Hey, all you Wikipedia posters: Read this fascinating article on ConsumerAffairs.com about how the guy who offers free computer lessons on disks on those Video Professor TV ads is trying to crack down on people who make nasty comments online about his business practices.
In a nutshell, some customers who take up the offer of a free disk find that they then are billed $79 monthly thereafter for lessons they really didn’t want. Regardless, this has generated a lot of online gripes from unhappy customers. Video Professor got particularly upset with one Wikipedia poster and subpeonaed the IP addresses of those who posted on the Wiki site. The Wiki people TURNED OVER the data. Then the Video Professor is seeking the names behind the Comcast IP addresses. Comcast says it doesn’t plan to turn over the names.
However this comes out, it certainly has implications for Wikipedia users and before it’s over, it might set some new legal precedents involving online chatter. For the time being, it might be a good practice to be very careful about what you post on Wikipedia.