Recalls: Childrens’ Shoes, Furnaces, Garlic Press/Slicers

Posted by on 23 Sep 2009 at 2:55 am under Recalls and Warnings

Clarks Children’s Shoes Recalled by C & J Clark America Due to Choking Hazard (Thu, 17 Sep 2009 15:00:00 GMT) Molded rubber pieces on the sole of the recalled shoes can detach, posing a choking hazard to infants and young children.Furnaces Recalled by Northwest Manufacturing Due to Fire Hazard (Thu, 17 Sep 2009 15:00:00 GMT) The temperature gauge can fail and cause fire in the fuel storage hopper, posing a fire and burn hazard to consumers.

Garlic Press/Slicers Recalled by Trudeau Corporation Due to Laceration Hazard (Wed, 16 Sep 2009 18:00:00 GMT) The garlic duo’s slicer blades can break during use, posing a laceration hazard to users.

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Best Internet-Ready TVs

Posted by on 28 Aug 2009 at 8:23 am under Consumer, Electronics

The September 2009 issue of Wired includes a test of four top Web-ready TV sets. On a scale of 1-10, the sets scored as follows:

8) Excellent, with room to kvetch.
Sony KDL-46Z5100

7) Very good, but not quite great.
Samsung UN46B8000
LG 47LH50

6) A solid product with some issues.
Panasonic TC-P42G10

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Free Sample: Natural Acne Solutions

Posted by on 14 Aug 2009 at 11:56 am under Free Samples, Health and Beauty

Free samples of Burt’s Bees® Natural Acne Solutions are available online to visitors who complete an online form.

Natural Acne Solutions™ products are clinically proven to help reduce and prevent acne for naturally clear, smooth and healthy-looking skin. The 4-step product regimen works so well that even a dermatologist’s daughter, Annalisa, chooses Natural Acne Solutions™ products for her skin. Find out more, then skip the synthetics and get beautiful, clear skin, naturally!

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Free Samples: Shampoo and Conditioner

Posted by on 09 Aug 2009 at 1:49 pm under Health and Beauty

John Frieda Collection is offering free samples of its Brilliant Brunette® Liquid Shine Illuminating Shampoo and its Brilliant Brunette® Liquid Shine Illuminating Conditioner.

Formulated with an exclusive Shine-Infusing Complex, Brilliant Brunette® Liquid Shine Illuminating Shampoo and Conditioner penetrates damaged areas within the hair while it polishes the exterior of each strand to optimize the reflection of light and create a crystalline shine.

To receive samples, complete an online request form.

This free sample offer is good thru December 31, 2009 or while supplies last. Allow 6-8 weeks for delivery. Offer limited to legal US Residents, aged 18 or older. Limit one per person and per household. Must be at least 18 years old to participate.

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Top 10 Consumer Complaints

Posted by on 31 Jul 2009 at 3:00 pm under Consumer

Complaints about cars, homes and credit the top concerns of consumers across America in 2008, according to a survey of state and local consumer agencies. Debt collection topped the list of the fastest growing complaints.

Following are the complaint categories that most frequently appeared in the agencies’ top ten lists. Their ranking in the top ten in 2007 is noted in parenthesis.

Top Consumer Complaints for 2008

1. Auto: (1) Misrepresentations in advertising or sales of new and used cars, lemons, faulty repairs, leasing and towing disputes

2. Home Improvement/Construction: (2) Shoddy work, failure to start or complete the job

3. Credit/Debt Collection: (3) Billing and fee disputes, mortgage-related fraud, credit repair, debt settlement, predatory lending, illegal or abusive collection tactics

4. Utilities: (5) Service problems, billing disputes with phone, cable, satellite, Internet, electric and gas services

5. Retail Sales: (4) False advertising, defective merchandise, problems with rebates, coupons, gift cards and gift certificates, nondelivery

6. Services: (9) Misrepresentations, shoddy work, failure to have required licenses, failure
to perform

7. Household Goods: (6) Major appliances and furniture, problems with nondelivery,
misrepresentations, faulty repairs

8. Landlord/Tenant: (10) Unhealthy or unsafe conditions, failure to make repairs or provide
promised amenities, deposit and rent disputes, illegal eviction tactics

9. (tie) Internet Sales: (7) Misrepresentations, nondelivery in online purchases; Home
Solicitations: (8) Misrepresentations, nondelivery in door-to-door, telemarketing and
mail solicitations, do-not-call violations

10. Health Products and Services: (not in top 10 in 2007) misleading claims, failure to
deliver.

The survey was conducted by the Consumer Federation of America (CFA), the National Association of Consumer Agency Administrators (NACAA) and the North American Consumer Protection Investigators (NACPI)

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Top 10 Standup Comedy DVDs

Posted by on 27 Jul 2009 at 5:07 pm under Entertainment

The Guardian has selected its top ten live standup comedy shows on DVD as follows:

  1. Richard Pryor: Live in Concert
  2. Eddie Izzard: Unrepeatable
  3. Monty Python Live at the Hollywood Bowl
  4. Sarah Silverman: Jesus Is Magic
  5. Stewart Lee: 90s Comedian
  6. Bill Hicks Live
  7. Billy Connolly Live at the Royal Albert Hall
  8. Comedian
  9. Beyond the Fringe
  10. An Audience with Victoria Wood

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Sustainable Market Index

Posted by on 16 Jul 2009 at 3:58 pm under Consumer

Walmart has announced plans to develop a worldwide sustainable product index for evaluating the sustainability of products.

“Customers want products that are more efficient, that last longer and perform better,” said Mike Duke, Walmart’s president and CEO. “And increasingly they want information about the entire lifecycle of a product so they can feel good about buying it. They want to know that the materials in the product are safe, that it was made well and that it was produced in a responsible way.

“At Walmart, we’re working to make sustainability sustainable, so that it’s a priority in good times and in the tough times. An important part of that is developing the tools to help enable sustainable consumption.”

The company will introduce the initiative in three phases, beginning with a survey of its more than 100,000 suppliers around the world. The survey includes 15 questions that Walmart’s suppliers will use to evaluate their own sustainability efforts:

Material Efficiency: Reducing Waste and Enhancing Quality
1. If measured, please report the total amount of solid waste generated from the facilities that produce your product(s) for Walmart for the most recent year measured.
2. Have you set publicly available solid waste reduction targets? If yes, what are those targets?
3. If measured, please report total water use from facilities that produce your product(s) for Walmart for the most recent year measured.
4. Have you set publicly available water use reduction targets? If yes, what are those targets?

Natural Resources: Producing High Quality, Responsibly Sourced Raw Materials
1. Have you established publicly available sustainability purchasing guidelines for your direct suppliers that address issues such as environmental compliance, employment practices and product/ingredient safety?
2. Have you obtained 3rd party certifications for any of the products that you sell to Walmart?

People and Community: Ensuring Responsible and Ethical Production
1. Do you know the location of 100 percent of the facilities that produce your product(s)?
2. Before beginning a business relationship with a manufacturing facility, do you evaluate the quality of, and capacity for, production?
3. Do you have a process for managing social compliance at the manufacturing level?
4. Do you work with your supply base to resolve issues found during social compliance evaluations and also document specific corrections and improvements?
5. Do you invest in community development activities in the markets you source from and/or operate within?

“The questions aren’t complicated but we’ve never before systematically asked for this kind of information. The survey is a key first step toward establishing real transparency in our supply chain,” said John Fleming, chief merchandising officer, Walmart U.S.

Walmart will ask its top tier U.S. suppliers to complete the survey by Oct. 1. Outside the United States, the company will develop timelines on a country-by-country basis for suppliers to complete the survey.

As a second step, the company is helping create a consortium of universities that will collaborate with suppliers, retailers, NGOs and government to develop a global database of information on the lifecycle of products — from raw materials to disposal. Walmart has provided the initial funding for the Sustainability Index Consortium, and invited all retailers and suppliers to contribute.

The final step in developing the index will be to translate the product information into a simple rating for consumers about the sustainability of products. This will provide customers with the transparency into the quality and history of products that they don’t have today.

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10 Best Gluten-Free Cooking Gadgets

Posted by on 12 Jul 2009 at 1:15 pm under Kitchen Supply

Examiner.com’s Gluten-Free Food Examiner Jen Cafferty ranks the top 10 kitchen gadgets for gluten-free cooking:

1. Mandoline
2. Food Dehydrator
3. Microplane Grater
4. Washable Cutting Boards
5. Comfortable and sharp paring and chef’s knives.
6. Measuring cups and spoons.
7. Parchment Paper.
8. Good tongs.
9. A gas grill.
10. Waffle maker.

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Free Samples: Fiber One Cereal and Bars

Posted by on 10 Jul 2009 at 2:12 pm under Free Samples

General Mills is offering free samples of two of Fiber One products.

Complete an online form and receive samples of Fiber One Honey Clusters and Fiber One Oats & Chocolate Bars plus $5 worth of coupons.

Fiber One Honey Clusters Ingredients
Whole Grain Wheat, Corn Bran, Wheat Bran, Inulin, Sugar, Whole Grain Oats, Crisp Oats (Rice Flour, Whole Grain Oats, Sugar, Malt Extract, Salt, Bht [Preservative]), Brown Sugar, Corn Syrup, Toasted Oats (Whole Grain Oats, Sugar, High Fructose Corn Syrup, Soybean Oil, Honey, Brown Sugar Molasses), Salt, Wheat Bits (Whole Grain Wheat, Corn Starch, Corn Flour, Sugar, Salt, Trisodium Phosphate, Baking Soda, Color Added), Barley Malt Extract, Honey, Modified Corn Starch, Malt Syrup, Tripotassium Phosphate, Color Added, Cinnamon, Natural and Artificial Flavor, Sucralose, Walnut Meal, Almond Meal, Nonfat Milk, Vitamin E (Mixed Tocopherols) and Bht Added to Preserve Freshness. Vitamins and Minerals: Calcium Carbonate, Zinc and Iron (Mineral Nutrients), Vitamin C (Sodium Ascorbate), A B Vitamin (Niacinamide), Vitamin B6 (Pyridoxine Hydrochloride), Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin), Vitamin B1 (Thiamin Mononitrate), A B Vitamin (Folic Acid), Vitamin B12.

Fiber One Oats & Chocolate Bars Ingredients
Chicory Root Extract, Chocolate Chips With Confectioners Shellac (Chocolate Chips [Sugar, Chocolate Liquor, Cocoa Butter, Dextrose, Milk Fat, Soy Lecithin], Ethanol, Shellac, Hydrogenated Coconut Oil), Rolled Oats, Crisp Rice (Rice Flour, Sugar, Malt, Salt), Barley Flakes, High Maltose Corn Syrup, High Fructose Corn Syrup, Sugar, Canola Oil, Honey, Glycerin, Maltodextrin, Palm Kernel Oil, Tricalcium Phosphate, Soy Lecithin, Salt, Nonfat Milk, Peanut Oil, Cocoa Processed With Alkali, Natural Flavor, Baking Soda, Color Added, Almond Flour, Peanut Flour, Sunflower Meal, Wheat Flour. Mixed Tocopherols Added to Retain Freshness.

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Go Online for Coupons

Posted by on 09 Jul 2009 at 8:31 am under Consumer, Coupons

Manufacturer’s coupons are increasingly available online. They can be printed at home and used at most stores.

Look first at the manufacturer websites of your favorite brands. Many print-from-the-web coupon sites are also available, offering coupons from dozens of manufacturers. These issuers often have a cap on the number of coupons they distribute, so its a good idea to act quickly on any that are of interest and to browse for new offers frequently.

Five top online coupon sites:
Couponmom.com
Smartsource.com
Redplum.com
Coolsavings.com
Workingmom.com

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