Consumer Warning

BBQ Beware - Beef Recall From Valley Meats - 96,000 Pounds

Weekend BBQers beware, a huge beef recall from Valley Meats LLC of Coal Valley, Ill. may have you checking your labels.  According to a report from the Quad Cities, WQAD.Com, the government calls this a Class One recall. That means there is a reasonable chance that eating this product will cause serious health problems.
 
The Chicago Tribune has this on the recalled beef and how to spot it. "The beef was produced in March 2009 and distributed in 10-pound to 40-pound packages, sold under brand names including Grillmaster, J&B, Thick 'N Savory, 3S, Klub and Ultimate. All of the recalled beef products bear the establishment number "EST. 5712" inside the USDA's inspection mark.

A list of the recalled products -- all of which were produced on March 10 and packaged under a variety of labels -- is posted at http://www.fsis.usda.gov/

Phone calls about your car warranty, be careful, it’s probably a scam

In recent weeks, I’ve been contacted by several people saying they’re being bombarded by “warranty” phone calls.  The messages are pre-recorded and indicate that your car warranty is about to expire and you need to renew it. People with newer cars and older vehicles (such as myself, I have an early 90’‘s Nissan) are receiving these calls.

Now the South Carolina Department of Consumer Affairs is reminding consumers to be wary of these pre-recorded messages and also any information received through the mail.  The office says these are scams and that it first warned consumers last August.  Now the office is putting out a new warning, saying it’s clear the warranty scams haven’t stopped and that the economy is making it worse.

According to the South Carolina Department of Consumer Affairs, the post card and telephone warnings direct consumers to call a toll-free number. Consumers who called these numbers were often asked for a “down payment” before they could even get information about the warranty. In many cases, the automobile was 10, 15 years or even older. The Department says it was was made aware of these scams by the South Carolina Automobile Dealers Association as well as complaints from consumers.

Now Consumer Affairs says the scam is taking a “treacherous” turn. It says con artists are attempting to align the scam with the economic downturn - something that consumers hear about daily in the news. One consumer complained that she received a telephone call, supposedly from a marketing firm representing “the Big Three Insurance companies for car warranties,“ and that the called warned that her Chrysler warranty would not be honored once Chrysler is in bankruptcy. She says the caller used high pressure tactics saying she needed to purchase a new warranty. The red flag for this consumer? She doesn’t even own a Chrysler.

Read full story [News 3]

Jewelry Scam Prompts Consumer Warning in Oregon

The attorney general of the state of Oregon is warning consumers about a jewelry scam in which a company offers free jewelry for the cost of shipping and handling. Consumers in Oregon have reported receiving an offer that arrives through the mail on what looks like a green U.S. Postal Service tracking notice. "It says $50 worth of jewelry has been sent to you, but you must pay a processing fee of $6.95. The card gives a toll free number." The company involved, Consumer Clearinghouse Distributors, owned by Emerson Direct of Naples, Florida, has been investigated in the past.

Jewelers have valued the offered piece, a so-called pearl-and-diamond, "gold-toned" necklace, at about $1. "It costs another $1 to ship the junk so the company is making approximately $4.95 per hit," according to the attorney general. Although the card carries a disclaimer that the promotion is not affiliated with the postal service, it is barely visible; the card is clearly designed to look like postcards used by the U.S. Postal Service and parcel delivery services.

Exercise With Caution - 3 Million Fitness Balls Recalled

EB Brands is recalling about 3 million fitness balls -- those large, inflatable balls that people use for crunches and other exercises -- after getting 47 reports of fitness balls that burst because of overinflation.

Reported injuries related to the recalled fitness balls include a fracture and bruises.

The recall includes fitness balls sold in 55, 65, and 75-centimeter diameter sizes in various colors with the Bally Total Fitness, Everlast, or Valeo logos printed on the balls, which were sold nationwide from May 2000 to February 2009 for between $15 and $30.

Don't head to the store to try to return the fitness balls.

Instead, contact EB Brands to get a copy of the updated instructions on how to safely inflate the ball.

Call EB Brands at 800-624-5671 between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. Eastern time Monday through Friday or visit the company's web site.

State issues warning on door-to-door food sales

Wisconsin's state consumer protection agency is warning residents about door to door sales rip-offs.

"While some door-to-door meat companies provide a valuable service, others may mislead and sell food at two or three times the price found in local stores," wrote Glen Loyd, spokesman for the Dept. of Ag., Trade, and Consumer Protection in a email to reporters.

Loyd cited a specific example where an elderly woman paid $1,300 -- when she thought her check was only for $14.

Salesmen may also use untrue statements to say why their food products are available at such a significant discount or level of quality.

"The meat is inspected at the packing plant for wholesomeness by the USDA and may be used by some restaurants, but this is no assurance of quality," wrote Loyd. "Meat can be wholesome but at the same time be of low quality."

DATCP has some advice for anyone thinking about buying food from door-to-door salesmen:

Always ask for price per pound and compare with food advertised in the paper.
Never buy without getting a receipt with the company's name and address and two copies of your three-day right to cancel.
Ask about the USDA grade of meat. If it is ungraded, you have no way of determining quality.
Ask to see the seller's license from the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection.

Attorney general issues warning over 'foreclosure consultants'

Indianapolis - Vulnerable, confused and in need of help. That's how Indiana's Attorney General describes the victims of a suspected widespread mortgage fraud. The state is taking action against companies advertising financial help for those in need.
Five companies, five lawsuits. Indiana Attorney General Greg Zoeller filed suit in several central Indiana counties where a handful of out-of-state companies took money from Hoosiers, promising to stop their home from being foreclosed upon.

The investigation began with a consumer complaint.

"If they promise you can keep the home without ever having made an inquiry into your situation, that's beyond the pale," said Greg Zoeller, Indiana attorney general.

An in-depth investigation by the attorney general's office showed inconsistent, misleading action or little action at all. The red flag was this: none of the companies had a surety bond in place. That's a $25,000 bond that is meant to protect the consumer and required by state law.

That is the foothold for the lawsuits. But Zoeller is also troubled by the companies' predatory nature. Since foreclosure notices are public documents, he says these "foreclosure consultants" would swoop in with a simple phone call or even a knock at the door.

"It'll be this, almost as if there was an answer to a prayer, you have this problem, you're in a crisis, and suddenly someone shows up offering help," said Zoeller.

Read full story [Eyewitness News]

CDC: Rocket fuel chemical found in baby formula

ATLANTA (AP) — Traces of a chemical used in rocket fuel were found in samples of powdered baby formula, and could exceed what's considered a safe dose for adults if mixed with water also contaminated with the ingredient, a government study has found.

The study by scientists at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention looked for the chemical, perchlorate, in different brands of powdered baby formula. It was published last month, but the Environmental Working Group — a Washington, D.C.-based advocacy organization — issued a press release Thursday drawing attention to it.

The chemical has turned up in several cities' drinking water supplies. It can occur naturally, but most perchlorate contamination has been tied to defense and aerospace sites.

No tests have ever shown the chemical caused health problems, but scientists have said significant amounts of perchlorate can affect thyroid function. The thyroid helps set the body's metabolism. Thyroid problems can impact fetal and infant brain development.

However, the extent of the risk is hard to assess. The government requires that formula contain iodine, which counteracts perchlorate's effects. The size of the infant and how much formula they consume are other factors that can influence risk.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration, aware of the debate over perchlorate in food and water, has not recommended that people alter their diet or eating habits because of the chemical.

The study itself sheds little light on how dangerous the perchlorate in baby formula is. "This wasn't a study of health effects," said Dr. Joshua Schier, one of the authors.

The largest amounts of the chemical were in formulas derived from cow's milk, the study said.

The researchers would not disclose the brands of formula they studied. Only a few samples were studied, so it's hard to know if the perchlorate levels would be found in all containers of those brands, a CDC spokesman said.

"This study provides no data on potential health effects of perchlorate. Health authorities continue to emphasize that infant formula is safe," said Haley Curtis Stevens of the International Formula Council, which represent formula manufacturers.

Earlier this year, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said it was considering setting new limits on the amount of perchlorate that would be acceptable in drinking water. A few states have already set their own limits.

The EPA has checked nearly 4,000 public water supplies serving 10,000 people or more. About 160 of the water systems had detectable levels of perchlorate, and 31 had levels high enough to exceed a new safety level the EPA is considering.

CDC: http://www.cdc.gov/

Consumer group warns of sweepstakes letter scam

BBB warns of prize scheme

The Better Business Bureau of Southern Arizona is warning the public of a potential scam that tries to convince people they've won $1 million from Publishers Clearing House.
The letters claim the recipient has won $1 million as the second place winner of a drawing sponsored by Reader's Digest Magazine, according to the BBB.

They also include a check for up to $5,900 and instructions to call a representative named in the letter. The consumer is then instructed to cash the check and wire $4,000 to Publishers Clearing House to receive the rest of the winnings. The check is fraudulent and any money sent by wire transfer can't be recovered, the BBB says.

Source [Arizona Daily Star]

Log Splitters Recalled for Amputation

The Consumer Product Safety Commission is re-announcing a 2007 recall of log splitters, made in the U.S. by Brave Products Inc. of Streator, Ill. About 8,000 log splitters were recalled in 2007 and 4,000 were recalled in 2005. The recall was announced because a defect can cause the splitting wedge to extend rapidly and unexpectedly.

The company has received 85 reports of incidents, including one hand amputation that might have been caused by the defect. The splitters were sold by Ace, True Value, and Do It Best hardware stores, as well as independent power equipment dealers around the country between January 2002 and April 2007. Details: by Web at http://www.logsplitters-ironoak.com, http://www.braveproducts.com or http://www.cpsc.gov

Chamber Gift Certificates Invalid After Company Files for Bankruptcy

"We didn't know this was coming,” says Eau Claire Area Chamber of Commerce President Bob McCoy. “We feel bad about it. I personally have some of these sitting at home. We have thousands of dollars sitting here at the chamber, so we're in the same boat.”

McCoy says his group is searching for a solution to replace the chamber gift certificates, now invalid, because the company backing them, Certifichecks, filed for bankruptcy.

"Five hundred chambers across the country were shocked and caught off guard that this company filed Chapter 7, which doesn't even mean a reconstruction, it means they're out of business,” says McCoy.

The chamber told more than 500 local retailers to stop accepting the gift certificates immediately. Retailers like Festival Foods, which says it sees at least one hundred gift certificates a week.

"It was just a shock to hear that something you see on an every day basis is just going to go away in an instant,” says Michael Siakpere of Festival Foods.

Festival Foods says most of its customers who have tried to use them have been understanding of the situation.

And the Chamber of Commerce hopes to bring back the gift certificates.

"The chamber will most likely implement a program that we own, we run, and it's banked locally, because the businesses like having that availability of money kept locally,” says McCoy.

Read full story [Gray Television]