Consumer alert!

With longer and sunnier days at hand, sunglass buyers should make sure the glasses they select provide 100 percent ultra-violet protection, according to the Mayo Clinic.

Some locksmiths aren’t what they seem — mainly local or licensed, according to the Federal Trade Commission.
The agency says that although locksmiths might be listed in your local phone book, they might be out-of-state firms. Others might not be properly trained.
For their keys to hiring a reputable locksmith, click here.

The Food and Drug Administration is advising asthmatics and others who use CFC- propelled albuterol inhalers to switch now to HFA-propelled products because CFC-powered propellants will be banned from sale at the end of the year.
CFCs long have been associated with depletion of the earth’s ozone layer.
Details are here.

Ace Hardware ranks first in customer satisfaction among home improvement stores, according to a survey by J.D. Power and Associates. Lowe’s Home Improvement Warehouse was next, followed by Menard’s, Sears and Home Depot and True Value.
Details of the study are here.

More counterfeit checks are circulating in connection with mystery shopper scams. Checks being used now bear the names of Golden Bank of Houston, Texas and Comanche National Bank of Comanche, Texas.
Scam checks are becoming almost epidemic as economic conditions in the nation continue to worsen. An article in today’s Monroe Evening News discusses one of the latest scams.

“Sky Champion” wireless toy helicopters sold at Walgreens stores have a rechargeable battery that’s considered a fire hazard.
Find a photo and details of the recall here.

Makit & Bakit jewelry and suncatcher craft kits made by QuinCrafts of Dexter, Mich. are being recalled because of excessive lead content.
Here’s the recall notice.

About 730,000 Candlsense candle warmers sold at Wal-Mart stores are being recalled because the heating elements in the base can detach and start fires.
There have been 11 incidents reported involving the candle warmers, which are designed to heat jar candles to the point that they will emit odor without the candle having to be lighted.
Details of the recall are here.

Outdoor benches sold at JoAnn Fabric & Craft stores are being recalled because they can collapse.
Details are in the recall notice.

Meijer Inc. said it will offer free pre-natal vitamins in all of its pharmacies starting June 1. The announcement was made today by Nat Love, Vice President Drug Store for the Grand Rapids, Mich.-based retail chain.
“As a family-focused company, offering free pre-natal vitamins is just another way we can help the many families that make up our core customer base,” said Nat Love, vice president of drug stores for the chain. “Just as our free antibiotic program was designed to help our customers get healthy during these tough economic times, offering free pre-natal vitamins will help our customers stay healthy during a very important time in their lives.”
Like Meijer’s free antibiotic program, the free pre-natal program willl include well-known brands such as NatalCare Plus, Ultra Natal Care, Natal Care Glosstabs, Advanced NatalCare, and NataTab Rx.

OrvalKent Co. said some lots of its Amish macaroni salad might be contaminated with E. coli bacteria.
Among the brands affected are some Yoder’s salads marketed in Michigan.
For details about the recall, click here.

University of Michigan researchers have concluded that some anti-aging therapies actually work, helping lines and wrinkles disappear.
A summary of the findings is here.

Poor problem-solving, long wait times and extra fees all contributed to an overall decline in customer satisfaction with large retail banks, according to a new study by J.D. Power and Associates.
To see how Midwest banks compare on a range of criteria, click here.

The Food and Drug Administration is proposing new regulations that would provide clearer warnings about the effects of prescriptions drugs on women who are pregnant or nursing.
A summary of the proposal may be found here.

Some Little Tikes toy cell phones are being recalled because they have small parts that can come off, posing a choking hazard to toddlers.
Details are here.