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Organic: Whole Foods Mocks FTC By Actually Lowering Prices In Colorado Stores
Now that the Whole Foods organic supermarket chain has finally completed its acquisition of former competitor Wild Oats Markets, it's time for the horrible price gouging we were warned about to kick in. That's why today Whole Foods announced a permanent price reduction at all Wild Oats stores in the Rocky Mountain Region, and stated that all Wild Oats stores in its hometown of Boulder will remain unchanged. Wait—what? Of course, this amounts to mostly a publicity stunt (or goodwill gesture, depending on your level of cynicism); at least one Wild Oats store in another part of the country has already been closed.One of the more interesting announcements following today's completed tender offer is that the company plans to pursue "a new experimental concept called Whole Foods Market Express, featuring a value-oriented product mix, grab-and-go offerings."Value-oriented products? Lower prices? Maybe the gouging will happen next year. It always takes a while for these acquisiti...

PSAs: Welcome, i-Caught Viewers
Hello to those coming to our site after watching us on ABC's i-Caught!Think of us as your new, daily, consumer action handbook. We give you tips for becoming a smarter shopper, as well as tools for fighting back when a company screws you over.Here are some of our stories on videos mentioned in the broadcast:Macbook SmasherBeware of Brad BensonRobert Mckee taped his Delta flight being stuck for 7 hours on the runwayMattel's online video apologyHere's a bit about us:How can I send you a video? You can upload it to a site like YouTube, Revver, or Vimeo, and email the link to tips@consumerist.comHow do I send you a story/tips/question? Email us at tips@consumerist.com. We can't promise a post, but we will read.What's the deal here?How can I become a commenter?How do you decide what stories to run?

Health: Vaginal Surgery Is All The Rage—But Is It Worth It?
Labiaplasty is exploding in popularity, but consumers aren't always thinking about the possible risks involved, says the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists—which is why they issued a warning to the public last week that these are not "accepted" or "routine" procedures."What we're concerned about is that there is no safety or efficacy data for these procedures," says Dr. Cheryl Iglesia, director of Female Pelvic Medicine and Reconstructive Surgery at Washington Hospital Center in Washington, D.C. "There are no studies in peer-reviewed journals that show long-term outcomes."The number of overall cosmetic plastic surgeries has surged more than 400 percent in the past decade, and in the past few years labiaplasty has emerged as one of the most popular procedures. Although there are sound medical reasons for the procedure, it's being requested more these days for solely cosmetic reasons, which has the OB/GYN organization worried enough to speak out about...

Credit Cards: Opt Out Of USAA's Arbitration Clause
USAA dropped a goose-egg in my mailbox today, a letter informing that there's a new arbitration agreement being added to my AMEX contract. Lovely, I just love being stripped of my constitutional rights to a trial with due process. I'm disappointed that USAA, which is otherwise renown for their customer service and concern for their customer's well-being, would resort to this chicanery. Maybe AMEX is making them do it, I dunno. In any event, the notice also says that I have until October 15, 2007, to opt out of the arbitration agreement without penalty simply by signing and mailing in a form, an option I will most certainly be exercising.

Chinese Poison Train: More Mattel Lead Painted Toy Recalls Tomorrow
Toy-giant Mattel will recall yet more toys covered in deadly lead-tainted paint, the AP reports.Anonymous sources indicated a Fisher-Price toy and its accessories and a Barbie playset would be the recalled items, and the recall would number into the hundreds of thousands.We're not surprised. As we predicted on August 18th in a post commenting on a video Mattel's CEO made after their last recall, that as companies audit their suppliers more intensely, they're going to find more defects.Mattel to Announce 3rd China Toy Recall [AP] (Thanks to super5at)(Photo: AP)

Bargains: Fall Is The Best Time To Buy Cars, Jeans, Wine And More
Did you know that the best time to buy wedding dresses is in November, right after Thanksgiving? For many items, fall is the best season to make a purchase, says SmartMoney's "Deal of the Day" section. This includes wine and cars in September, jeans and toys in October, sneakers in November, and those bargain-basement wedding dresses right before December begins: "The dynamic of the wedding industry is that most people get engaged at Christmas, and most people who are planning [a wedding] get distracted by the holidays," says Alan Fields, co-author of "Bridal Bargains." The result: very lonely bridal-shop owners anxious for business. Now we know what everyone's getting for Christmas! "Best Time to Harvest Deals in Autumn" [SmartMoney](Photo: Maulleigh)

Chinese Poison Train: Mattel will announce a new batch of recalls ...
Mattel will announce a new batch of recalls tomorrow. [AP]

Vehicles: September Is Last Month To Qualify For Hybrid Vehicle Tax Credit
If you're still thinking of purchasing a hybrid vehicle this year, time is running out to get in on the Alternative Motor Vehicle tax credit. We pointed out the official IRS schedule of expiring credits back in March, and now you've got less than 30 days to score a small credit (currently 25% of the original credit amount) on a Toyota or Lexus hybrid—after September 30th, the credit disappears for good. Honda tax credits may be cut by 50% after September 30th, but the verdict's still out on this one. Other AMV credits will continue to exist for a while; for example, alternative fuel vehicles will score you a credit until at least 2010, while fuel-cell vehicles can qualify for credits as high as $12,000 until at least 2014. Which is good, considering that only one car so far meets either category—the Honda Civic GX and the not-available-for-purchase 2006 Honda FCX, respectively.But remember, if you're subject to the alternative minimum tax, the credit won't...

Fewer Technicians: Comcast Testing "Do-It-Yourself" Phone Install Kits
Let's face it, you are probably smarter than your last Comcast technician—at least, you probably think you are.Comcast's new telephone self-install kit is for you, smarty pants. Comcast saves money, you save aggravation. (This is where you cross your fingers and pray that what we say is true.) Comcast tentatively plans to charge customers $250 for three cordless phones that link to their cable modems. The total time from opening the box to getting a dial tone is 30 minutes or less, Avgiris said.``It's for the customer who says, `I want the service, and I want it now,''' said Avgiris. Subscribers who want their wired phones to work still need a service call by a Comcast technician. Let's just hope it works. Install kits are being tested in San Francisco and are coming soon to Boston, Denver and Comcast's home town of Philly.Comcast Tests Do-It-Yourself Install Kits for Phones [Bloomberg](Photo:Spidra Webster)

Impotent Government: Mattel's Reputation With The CPSC Is Officially Crappy
Mattel is being investigated (again) by the CPSC over the timeliness of its latest batch of recalls. According to the WSJ, Mattel knows it is required to inform the agency within 24 hours of receiving information about a defect that could cause injury—it just doesn't do it because it thinks its not fair.Mattel Chairman and Chief Executive Robert Eckert said in an interview that the company discloses problems on its own timetable because it believes both the law and the commission's enforcement practices are unreasonable. Mattel said it should be able to evaluate hazards internally before alerting any outsiders, regardless of what the law says.By mandating that companies immediately report any incident that could conceivably expose a hazard, the commission's "standard might apply to almost anything," Mr. Eckert said. "It's very easy for anyone to apply the word 'could' backward," he added.The CPSC doesn't agree. "It's a statute; it's clear," said Julie Vallese, the...

Get What You Pay For: USDA Says Some Organic Milk Is A Rip-Off
If you're going to pay twice as much for milk because you like the idea that the cows have a yard to play in—that's your business—but you'd better be getting what you pay for. According to the USDA one "organic" milk producer that supplies milk to Wal-Mart, Costco, Target and Safeway has been cutting corners.From Fortune:Aurora Organic Daily, a private company based in Boulder, Colorado, says it never broke any rules. But Aurora, which operates large-scale organic farms in Colorado and Texas, signed a consent decree with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, promising to clean up its act."We're doing a transformation - cows reduced, pasture increased, all animals organic from birth and a significantly increased commitment to research," says Clark Driftmier, vice president of marketing at Aurora.An Aurora farm in Plattsville, Colorado, for example, which once had as many as 4,200 cows, will reduce that number to 1,250, even as most of the farm's buildings and...

Complaints: Verizon Keep Spraying Our Sidewalks With The Same, Three, Permanent, Dots
David would like to know if Verizon Fios techs can't afford glasses. Otherwise, why would it be necessary to spray paint their sidewalk three times within the past year? The dots are supposed to indicate where to dig up to install the vaunted "last mile" of information HOV lane, but it really seems like overkill. After all, it's not like they need to be concerned about the dots deteriorating. "It never goes away," David writes us. "Brushes, power washing, passage of time -- nothing."The spray marks the route of the Fios wires, so the techs know where to dig when a customer requests a node connection.David muses that the need to keep spraying in the same spot is to, "demonstrate that the wires buried under the sidewalk have not crawled away since the last time they graffitti'd the neighborhood..I understand the concept of imminent domain, and "all your sidewalks are belong to us" and all, but this is effed up."Surely, your readers have some ideas on how to shame these guys so...

Complaints: EECB Forces US Air To Help Stranded Marine With Dying Grandmother, But Not In Time To Say Goodbye
"Kurtto henri.dawes@usairways.com cc douglas.parker@usairways.com, anthony.mule@usairways.com, airconsumer@ost.dot.gov, ben@consumerist.com date Aug 23, 2007 5:08 PM subject Distressing travel not yet completed Ms. Dawes,My dilemma, which I am hoping that you can resolve satisfactorily, is of an urgent nature.My (step)son, a newly graduated US Marine, is stationed in California. My mother, his grandmother, has been ill for a long time, but earlier this week she became terminal. We let him know what was happening, and he arranged for Emergency leave through his command and the Red Cross."The earliest flight he could get was your flight #2793 on 8/22 from Palm Springs CA leaving at 9:00PM, connecting through Las Vegas, and arriving at 7:06AM at JFK airport. His ticket is #3721440267926.The flight was overbooked and they were going to put him on another flight that would have arrived at 9AM in Newark. Something else occurred and they didn't put him on that flight. If they had...

Travel: Flight Delays Will Only Get Worse, Say Experts
The New York Times looks at the country's most consistently late airplane—American Airlines Flight 1659, from Newark to Chicago—and asks industry professionals about the rapidly deteriorating quality of air travel in the United States. The short answer: it will take at least a decade to upgrade air traffic control systems to handle the new super-busy runways, so unless airlines stop "maximizing" their profits by scheduling flights so closely together or we build more airports, this is the new modern way to travel.What can you do to limit how much this affects you, short of not flying until 2017? Avoid Newark airport, which "has more than half of the chronically late flights." And try checking out flight histories at FlightStats or FlightAware (both covered previously here at Consumerist).Resources:FlightStatsFlightAware"Most Flights Are Late, and It May Only Get Worse" (New York Times)(Photo: Getty)

Really Guilty Pleasures: Microwave Popcorn May Cause Lung Damage
You probably thought the new, digitally zombified Orville Redenbacher was the most disturbing popcorn-related thing you'd see in 2007, but CNN is reporting (warning: video) that the butter flavoring in microwave popcorn causes permanent, debilitating asthma-like effects in popcorn factory workers. The chemical, diacetyl (pronounced DIE-ASS-UH-TEAL) has been known to be dangerous for some time. In 2004, a worker was awarded 18 million in damages, according to the CNN video. The EPA has been working on a draft study of the dangers of the chemical to consumers, but hasn't finalized it yet.So far one manufacturer, Pop Weaver, has announced that it has stopped using the chemical. ConAgra, the company behind the Orville Redenbacher and Act II brands, says it won't comment on the final report of the EPA draft until blah blah blah but it will remove diacetyl "in the near future." Until then, you eat ConAgra popcorn at your own peril.That's right! Popcorn. Causes. Lung damage. Welcome...

Money: My Best Financial Advice: Get Rich Slowly
The Consumerist asked some top personal finance bloggers to give a short summary of their single best piece of financial advice. Get Rich Slowly quipped, "Personal finance is easy. It's simple. There is one fundamental law that governs your money. If you master this, you have mastered the entire game: To gain wealth, you must spend less than you earn."Duhn duhn duhn! The universe's greatest secret has been revealed! Sure, chuckle chuckle, but really, that's the underlying principle of building wealth, one that some people don't seem to have mastered. For more details, see The Most Important Money Tip. — FREE MONEY FINANCE

Scams On The Internet: Don't Fall For The Nigerian Puppy Scam!
Bankrate has an extensive round up of the most common internet pet scams, including the infamous "Nigerian Puppy Scam." (Yes, apparently this exists.)Scammers post on Craigslist with a picture of an adorable puppy like Scooter (who belongs to one of our readers, not a Nigerian scammer), and a sob story. The puppy can be yours for only $100 in shipping! You go ahead and wire the money to the scammer.Sadly for you, there is no puppy and you've been had. Here are some pet-scam-avoiding tips from Bankrate:Dos: Check out referrals See the puppy in person Don'ts:Pay via wire transferBuy from an overseas sellerPurchase a puppy, sight unseen We can definitely see how this sort of scam works. One look at Scooter and your wallet flies out of your pocket and starts spraying money indiscriminately. Puppies are so cute.Pet scams [Bankrate](Photo:SIRBERUS)

Government: CPSC Has Only One Full-Time Toy Tester
The CPSC is so underfunded that they can only afford one full-time toy tester, and his impact test area is located in the swing area behind the door to his cramped office, NYT reports.The current administration has cut back the agency's budget during the past seven years, down to $62 million last year.When Suzanne Barone, the CPSC former poison prevention head, quit in frustration, she said, "Buyer beware, — that is all I have to say."Safety Agency Faces Scrutiny Amid Changes [NYT](Photo: Damon Winter)

Laws We Might Like: Credit Card Late Fees Might Be Unconstitutional?
Over at the Consumer Law & Policy Blog they've posted the abstract of a article that considers the constitutionality of credit card late fees. Apparently, there are "constitutional constraints upon the imposition of punitive damages." Neat. The article by Seana Shiffrin and is called "Are Credit Card Late Fees Unconstitutional?" State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Co. v. Campbell articulated serious and specific constitutional constraints upon the imposition of punitive damages. Justice Kennedy's majority opinion announced that, apart from exceptional cases, punitive damages should not exceed nine times the amount of the actual losses sustained by the plaintiff and should usually be far lower....The constitutional standards articulated in State Farm call into question the constitutionality of those statutes and regulations that authorize credit card issuers to charge legally enforceable late penalties but place no significant limitations on their size. What a lovely...

Videos: Customer Videotapes What She Says Is Escape From "Spot Delivery" Car Dealership Scam
This is a video a customer's daughter made after she says Brad Benson Mistubishi of NJ tried to scam her mother with a classic "spot delivery" scam.In this setup, a dealership lets you drive away before signing a contract, saying the "banks are closed." Then when you come back, surprise surprise, the financing terms have changed, costing you thousands more. Scam dealerships know that customers will find it hard to part with a car after forming an emotional attachment with it, but if someone tries to pull this on you, that's exactly what you need to do. Drive the car back to the lot, hand them the keys, thank them for the free rental, and get the heck out of there.That video was posted June 22nd. On September 1st, 3 days before it was set to appear on national TV as part of ABC's i-Caught, Brad Benson posted this rebuttal video.There's two sides to every story. Brad Benson Hyundai-Mistubishi has an unsatisfactory BBB record.RELATED: Beware of Spot Delivery! Don't Be Put "On The...

Laughing CSRS: AT&T: If The Stylus On Your Phone Breaks, Your Warranty Is Void
Reader Rob has an AT&T 8525. It came with two cheap plastic styluses, one of which broke while still in the phone. Now Rob can't get the stylus out of the phone. Other than that small inconvenience, the phone is fine. He called AT&T for help and they told him his warranty was void, then laughed at him.Rob writes:I've got an AT&T 8525, and I've had it since about mid-June. It was a refurbished model, and the stylus end (the end that screws in) was a little wobbly, but very functional still. We've got a little problem with it now, though. That tip on the stylus (a cheap, $3 part) has broken off. The phone is fine, but the stylus is broken. That in itself isn't a big deal, what sucks is that the stylus is still in the phone, and I have no way of retrieving it without opening the phone up and voiding the warranty. So, what am I to do? I call AT&T to tell them the situation... and I'm promptly informed that the warranty on my phone is now void because of physical...

Civil Rights: Circuit City Customer Arrested After Refusing To Show Receipt
Michael Righi got in trouble this Saturday for refusing to voluntarily show his receipt when exiting a Ohio Circuit City. According to his account, the manager and security guard followed him into the parking lot and prevented the car door from being shut or the car from moving. When Michael called 911, the cop ended up arresting him for not providing his driver's license. Under Ohio's "stop and identify" law, citizens are only required to give name, address, and date of birth. Some people in positions of authority seem to be so unused to people actually exercising their rights that they assume the person is a threat and should be stopped and contained until they can figure out what's going on.Michael writes, "I've always taken the stance that retail stores shouldn't treat their loyal customers as criminals and that customers shouldn't so willingly give up their rights along with their money."[michaelrighi] (Thanks to Tampabackup!)RELATED: TigerDirect Apologizes For Unlawfully...

Whoops: American Airlines' truck backs into American ...
American Airlines' truck backs into American Airlines' plane at O'Hare airport. No one was hurt. [Chicago Tribune]

Travel: United Airlines Hires Customer Service Specialist From Disney
The San Francisco Chronicle has an interesting article about the strategies that the big US carriers are taking to restore their tarnished (or completely obliterated, depending on how recently you've had to fly somewhere) reputation for customer service.United Airlines, for example, has hired the senior customer service executive for the Disney Company to overhaul United's customer service experience.Sadly, unless you're one of the 8% of frequent business travelers that make up 36% of United's profit, you might not see a big difference. "The skills I used at Disney are transferable and similar," Higgins, an upbeat woman, said at San Francisco International Airport, which United is using as a test bed."We're moving huge volumes of guests, we're providing individualized service, we're providing individualized meet-and-greet in the airport," she said. "We can do that especially well with frequent fliers and provide a more intimate experience." Putting passengers first [San Francisco...

US Hypocrisy Train: US Sends Substandard Products Overseas
Here's some depressing news: US companies increasingly export products that do not meet our safety standards, says the Washington Post. The Consumer Product Safety Commission says it's powerless to stop the flow of dangerous products. From the Washington Post:Companies notified the agency 97 times last year that they planned to export goods that did not meet some aspect of U.S. safety standards. That is up from 57 times in 2002, according to the agency.Among the types of goods exported were toys, lighters, fireworks, clothing, chemicals, carpets and pacifiers. They were shipped to Belgium, Ireland, New Zealand, Colombia, the Czech Republic and the Philippines, according to the CPSC. The agency did not identify the companies involved or reveal what standards the goods violate...."Our agency, through our governing statutes, cannot claim much moral authority over the Chinese, or any other foreign country, when it comes to our own export policy," Commissioner Thomas H. Moore of...

Followups: KEELOQ Maker Says Remote Car Entry Devices Not Hacked, Rebutting Researchers
Last week, researchers announced they had devised a way to steal cars by breaking the encryption used to encode the signals sent by keyless remote car entry devices using KEELOQ technology. On Friday, the company declared in press release that despite this, the system is secure, saying, "Microchip recognizes that the highly talented researchers have been successful at a theoretical attack of a block cipher. However, the KEELOQ security system implementation involves much more than just the cryptographic algorithm."The company did not deign to specify the inaccuracies, as it, "does not believe a public debate on how to steal vehicles benefits consumer security."Obviously, the researchers now have been double-dog dared to steal a KEELOQed car.Microchip Technology's KEELOQ Security System is Resistant to Recent Theoretical Code Cracking [BusinessWire]PREVIOUSLY: Researchers Hack Remote Keyless Car Entry Devices(Photo: jessicafm)

Recalls: Kroger Recalls Store Brand Potato Salad For E. Coli
Kroger has announced the recall of their store brand "mustard" and "southern-style" potato salad because it may contain dangerous e. coli bacteria. Oh no!What if you've eaten it? Most people become ill from e. coli after about 4 days. The main symptom of e. coli is bloody diarrhea accompanied by abdominal cramps. For more information about the symptoms and effects of e. coli, check out this Q&A from the CDC. The potato salad in question has a sell by date of Sep. 5. If you have questions for Kroger, you should feel free to give them a call at 866-221-4141.Mmm, delicious e. coli! Kroger recalls some potato salad on E. coli concerns [MarketWatch](Photo:axinar)

Recalls: Nation's Largest Car Seat Maker Recalls 19 Models
Dorel Juvenile Group, the nation's largest maker of car seats, is recalling 19 models of car seats, including the Eddie Bauer and Costco brands. The problem is with the harness that secures the child into the seat, according to a news release from the company. The company will mail repair kits and says that the car seats should not be returned to the retailer. The Chicago Tribune, however, has a few things to say about the car seats in question...From the Chicago Tribune:The safety notice comes six weeks after the Tribune reported that Dorel's Eddie Bauer 3-in-1 seat and a related Cosco Alpha Omega 5-point, two of the models recalled, had failed government crash tests in 2005. But the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, which regulates car seats, concluded there wasn't a safety problem after reviewing Dorel's own test results.The company's chief legal counsel, Bruce Weisenthal, said Friday that the recall is not connected to the government's tests. Weisenthal said...

Media Whoring: Meghann On ABC's i-Caught Tonight, 9/8 Central
Meghann is going to be on ABC's i-Caught tonight, 9/8 central. The segment is called, "Consumers Use Web Vids to Fight Back." Looking at the advance version of the story online, the MacBook smasher will feature prominently, and our Meghann Marco should have a lot of good quotes in there.With falling consumer electronic prices, computers coming bundled with simple video editing software, cellphones having video recording capabilities, and the growth of YouTube, it's increasingly easier and easier to make a video voicing your consumer complaint.Consumers Use Web Vids to Fight Back

Shopping: Morning Deals
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