Home / consumerist.com rss archive / September-12-2007


Graphs: Installing CFLs Halved Family's Electric Bill
Blogging Away Debt made this graph to show how much their family reduced energy consumption by installing compact fluorescent light bulbs. The chart shows a decrease of around 2-3 average kilowatts per hour per day. 3*24*7*4 = 2016 fewer kw per month, resulting in electrical bills that were about a half as much as before.A Few Changes Made a Big Difference in Our Electric Bill [Blogging Away Debt]

Chinese Poison Train: Mattel, Lead, Congress, Matthew 19:24
Testifying before congress today, Mattel CEO Robert Eckert demonstrated the size of the aperture it's easier for a camel to pass through than for a lead toy manufacturer to get into heaven. [NYT]

Savings: Start A Coupon Train
A nifty idea for increasing the benefits of coupons is to start or join a coupon train.At its most elemental, all you need is at least two people to start clipping coupons. One person puts all the coupons they don't want in an envelope and mails it to the next person. They take out the coupons they want and put coupons they don't want back in. They then mail it to the next person on the list.From there, coupon trains can be organized under a jillion different principles, and purposes It's like a chain letter of savings!Coupon Trains - Introduction [Grocery Coupon Guide via Frugal For Life]Coupon Train Forums [Families.com](Photo: Getty)

Obesity Epidemic: L.A. Considers Temporarily Banning New Fast Food Restaurants In South L.A.
NYC isn't the only big city picking fights with fast food restaurants these days. Citing high obesity rates in her mostly working-class district, Los Angeles councilwoman Jan Perry has proposed a 2-year ban on new fast food restaurants in parts of South L.A., in the hope that it will make room for healthier restaurants to compete.The Los Angeles Times says that South Los Angeles has the "highest concentration of fast-food eateries" and "far fewer grocery stores" than the rest of L.A. They also point out that "30% of adults in South L.A. are obese, compared with 20.9% in the county overall." The policy director of a local advocacy organization says that with the low income levels and limited transportation options, many South L.A. residents are "almost a captive audience for these restaurants, unfortunately."Critics are saying it's a perfect example of a nanny welfare state policy, and that there are better ways to entice "healthier" restaurants to set up shop. But Mark Vallianatos,...

Shopping: Good Laptop Bags For Guys
Buying a decent bag for your laptop can turn into an epic quest if you're at all picky—there are a hundred bulky or badly built bags our there, and some flat-out ugly ones that look like they were designed by camels. A member of Ask Metafilter posted the following request earlier today: "I need a bag for a man with a computer." His qualifications included that it should be padded, stylish, affordable, and not too bulky. Some of the suggestions offered so far include:AcmebooqChromeCrumplerSFBagsTimbuk2Ours is made by Australian company STM, and while it does have one big design flaw (a huge front flap that makes one-handed operation difficult), it was affordable, padded, and small, and we like it.What's your choice for a decent, affordable, padded laptop bag?"I'm a boy. I need a bag. Does that make me a bag boy?" [Ask Metafilter](Photo: S Baker)

Harmful To Humans: Mental Floss has a fun quiz that asks you ...
Mental Floss has a fun quiz that asks you to match actual warnings to popular drugs. It's a good way to brush up on your side effect trivia, so you'll know what to take to increase your gambling addiction but not interfere with your sleep driving. (Sadly, we only got 3 out of 10 correct.) [Mental Floss via BoingBoing](Photo: Getty)

ESPN Doesn't Speak French: FCC Talks "A La Carte" Cable
FCC Chairman Kevin Martin thinks your cable bill is too high. According to USAToday, Martin is going after "tying," a practice broadcasters use to bully cable companies into carrying more channels on basic cable. More channels (think ESPN 8 "The Ocho") mean higher cable rates, says Martin. He thinks curbs on tying will help stop cable bill increases for consumers."The problem for consumers is that they have to pay higher rates for a bunch of channels they may not want or watch," Martin says, "Cable TV rates have continued to rise above the rate of inflation. I'm hopeful that this would help control the rate of increase of cable rates."The cable companies are with Martin on this one. Cable operators have tried to get around tying for years, says Matt Polka, president of the American Cable Association, which represents hundreds of small cable TV operators. "At a time when (cable consumers) are screaming for choice, there is none, largely because of consolidation and control of...

Recalls: Organic Pastures Dairy Company Grade A raw ...
Organic Pastures Dairy Company Grade A raw cream (Listeria monocytogenes), Great Wall Brand Chinese Wolfberry (undeclared sulfites), Cook's Essentials Convection Ovens with Pull-Out Rotisserie and Deni Convection Ovens with Rotisserie (fire, electrical shock)

Funny: Subway Cheese Scam Protest Tshirt Designed
For only $12.95, you can protest Subway's cheese geometry scam in this fetching tee.A writeup on Digg says, "The Subway cheese "problem" has been bothering a good friend for quite some time, and after he saw the latest news on the Consumerist a day or so ago, he decided to make a protest t-shirt. I may have to wear one into my local subway as soon as the shirt shows up."Tongue firmly lodged in cheek, to get every last morsel of improperly laid isosceles cheese from our Subway sandwich that we deserve, we might just buy one.Scam Tee [Spreadshirt]

And The Winner Is: Americans spent more than $9 billion on ...
Americans spent more than $9 billion on the cholesterol drug Lipitor in 2004—more than any other drug, according to government estimates released today. "Cholesterol drugs in general raked in the most money for their makers," followed by stomach acid drugs. [Reuters](Photo: Getty)

Keeping The Flock Healthy: Researchers find that shopping malls can ...
Researchers find that shopping malls can encourage healthier "incidental activity" by placing signs next to stairwells that read, "Take the Stairs," which caused a 190% increase in stair activity over three weeks. Or, just do what most the stores in NYC do and make sure at least one escalator is out of service at all times. [Reuters](Photo: Getty)

Smoking: China Puts Skulls on Cigarette Packs, Bypasses Toys For Now
China's had such a bad safety record lately that it's a little surprising to find out their latest plans for health warnings on packs of cigarettes: skulls, blackened teeth, and diseased lungs, covering at least 30% of the pack's surface area. The move is an attempt to curb the growing market of smokers in the country, where the average age of people who start smoking is as low as 10 in some areas.Youth expert Zhao Cuiping says the skull idea isn't so good if you're trying not to attract teens: "In analysis over the past decade on what young people like, they far prefer skulls and other scary images to cats or dogs." However, a CNN article from 2002 says the graphic warnings have been successful in Canada. Just yesterday, we saw a teen girl with a pink rhinestone skull-and-crossbones on her bag, but to be fair, we have yet to see any bedazzled lung tumors. Maybe the next generation will take that up.China cigarette packs to get skull health warnings [Reuters]RELATEDList of...

Identity Theft: 5 Ways To Make Sure You're Actually Talking To Your Credit Card Company
When you consider the risk and high cost of identity theft, it pays to be skeptical whenever someone calls you and claims to be from your credit card company. How can you verify that they're legit? Reader Cathy points us to bloggingawaydebt.com, which offers five simple things to do if you want to make sure you're not being scammed.One thing is to ask the person to tell you your balance and due date: "They are allowed to give out that info, and it should be correct. If not, a red flag should go up." You should also call the number on the back of your card and speak to someone in their fraud or security department if you are suspicious.We've had similar phone calls in the past, and we always tell the person that we'll call the number on the back of the card and navigate back to their department that way. It's earned us a few amused responses, but it's a relatively easy way to be safe.What Do You Do If A Credit Card Employee Calls You? [bloggingawaydebt.com](Photo: Getty)

Policy: Delta Changes Rules, Charges Up $70 For Same Day Flight Change
Reader Will has had it with Delta Airlines. Here's why:I travel a lot on business. I'm on travel right now, in Orlando. Luckily for me, my business this morning was completed ahead of schedule, and as I left my vendor's office, I phoned Delta Air Lines to move up my return flight time a few hours. This kind of thing happens all the time; up until Delta joined the ranks of the bankrupt airlines, making a change on the day of a flight was free, assuming seats were available on the alternate flight. A while back Delta tacked on a $25 fee, which was annoying but not a show-stopper. It's worth $25 for me to not waste half a day waiting on a flight.Unfortunately, I've just discovered that Delta has changed the rules again. Now it's a $50 fee to make a change, plus another $20 if you make the change over the phone. It's "only" $50 if you put in for a change on Delta's web site--but you can't make a change on the web site if your original booking wasn't directly through Delta. Like...

Warranty Repairs: Microsoft Presents: UPS And The Case Of The Vanishing XBOX 360
Reader Daniel's XBOX 360 went missing after he shipped it back to Microsoft via UPS. UPS did not give him a receipt. Now that they've lost the package, Microsoft won't send Daniel a new XBOX 360 because he has insufficient proof that he shipped it in the first place. Daniel has a signed letter from the UPS manager stating that UPS did indeed pick up the package, but that's not good enough.July 5th - 360 kicks the bucket with the three red lights. I call Xbox, determine that its really broken, and get a person who helps me set up the repair order. July 13 - Receive the box.July 19 - I have the box all set up; I have the 360, sans faceplate and hard drive, in the Styrofoam padding and placed in the box. Box is sealed up with that awesome tape that came with the return box. Box is brought to Business and shipped via UPS. The unit was picked up by the driver, NO pickup receipt was given, and apparently the box was NOT scanned on pickup. I have been told that they do that at the...

Chinese Poison Train: Testifying before congress today, Mattel ...
Testifying before congress today, Mattel CEO Robert Eckert demonstrated the size of the aperture it's easier for a camel to pass through than for a lead toy manufacturer to get into heaven. [NYT]

Safety: Design Flaws In Toys Cause Far More Injuries Than Lead
Lead isn't what you need to watch out for with American toys—it's design flaws and the policies of irresponsible toy companies, says E. Marla Felcher on Slate. One study "recently found that of all the toys recalled since 1988, 76 percent involved design flaws. Kids choked, were strangled, and were burned by toy makers' design mistakes."The reason so many toys were recalled this summer is not that there weren't enough regulations. It's that toy makers were ignoring the regulations that are already on the books. And the new testing proposal won't stop them from continuing to do so.Not surprisingly, the toy industry's recent calls for third-party testing are focused entirely on lead, which is a good sign that they're more about pre-Christmas damage control than safety. A lobbyist for the Toy Industry Association told Slate that third-party testers would start with lead and the move on to things like "small parts," but did not mention design flaws.There's also speculation...

Obesity Epidemic: L.A. Considers Banning Fast Food Restaurants In South L.A.
NYC isn't the only big city picking fights with fast food restaurants these days. Citing high obesity rates in her mostly working-class district, Los Angeles councilwoman Jan Perry has proposed a 2-year ban on new fast food restaurants in parts of South L.A., in the hope that it will make room for healthier restaurants to compete.The Los Angeles Times says that South Los Angeles has the "highest concentration of fast-food eateries" and "far fewer grocery stores" than the rest of L.A. They also point out that "30% of adults in South L.A. are obese, compared with 20.9% in the county overall." The policy director of a local advocacy organization says that with the low income levels and limited transportation options, many South L.A. residents are "almost a captive audience for these restaurants, unfortunately."Critics are saying it's a perfect example of a nanny welfare state policy, and that there are better ways to entice "healthier" restaurants to set up shop. But Mark Vallianatos,...

Video Wars: Apple May Be Plotting iTunes Movie Rental Service
According to CNNMoney, Apple may be plotting an iTunes movie rental service that would allow iPod users to rent and watch a movie for 30 days without purchasing the entire film. Rumors place the rental fee at about $2.99. "Rights management" software would allow the movie to be played on either an iPod or iPhone for the duration of the rental period. CNNMoney points out that Video On Demand has proved lucrative for cable and satellite providers—and none of them have as many customers as Apple.That being said, we've never really understood the desire to watch a whole movie on an iPod. To each his own, we guess.iTunes movie rentals? Maybe soon [CNNMoney](Photo:Earth2Kim)

Money: Personal Finance Roundup
A Visual Guide to the Morningstar Mutual Fund Comparison Tool [Generation X Finance] "This tool allows you to compare one fund against another, or many other funds and display the results in an easy to read format."Don't panic if your 401(k) plan stinks [MarketWatch] "What if your defined-contribution plan at work features a lineup of mutual funds that seems lackluster? Here are five suggestions." Cash Out and Live Off Your Investments [Smart Money]"Books about early retirement are steady sellers, and virtual communities of would-be escape artists thrive on the web. Fortunately, it doesn't take an enormous nest egg to fund a life-changing move. We interviewed financial experts and early retirees to find out how to get out while you're young." Insurance you didn't know you had [MSN Money] "Your home, auto and medical coverage could be better than you think. Here are 11 scenarios for which you might be pleasantly surprised to learn you can file a claim." — FREE MONEY...

Complaints: Comcast Installs Cable With Extreme Incompetence
This above pictured pile of cables is but the beginning of Glen's magical mystery tour into the wonder of having a Comcast contractor install cable..."They took apart one of our phone jacks in our office room for some reason and left it hanging."Our story begins with the sales call. It was a door-to-door salesman, and after going through everything I was satisfied with what was being offered. I made sure that everything (except one thing, and that would come back to haunt me) was written down. All the fees being waived? In writing, each listed separately. Cost? In writing. I filed away the paperwork and waited for the installation. Having read about installation horror stories (on the Consumerist), I decided to stay home and supervise the installation that Comcast was going to be doing. It's a good thing I did.The rest of the wall jack was left on the desk.8/7/2007 - Installer shows up. He is a Comcast contractor with the company J&L Cable. As I start to talk to him about...

Obesity Epidemic: Burger King To Offer Healthier Menu Options For Kids
Burger King knows you don't want your kids to be fat, but it does want your money. Introducing: "Apple Fries!"They're not what you think. "Apple Fries," a 35 calorie alternative to french fries, are raw apples cut to look like thick fries, then washed with lemon to keep them from turning brown. They're part of BK's new healthier kids menu, according to Business Week:Burger King Holdings Inc., the world's second largest hamburger chain, said it has set nutritional guidelines to follow when targeting children under 12 in advertising, including limiting ads to Kids Meals that contain no more than 560 calories, less than 30 percent of calories from fat and no more than 10 percent of calories from added sugars.In that vein, Burger King is building a Kids Meal that will contain the flame-broiled Tenders, organic unsweetened applesauce and low-fat milk, for a total of 305 calories and 8.5 grams of fat. It will be available in restaurants sometime in 2008, the company said.The fast-food...

Subprime Meltdown: The dollar hit a new all-time low against ...
The dollar hit a new all-time low against the euro overnight as investors freaked out over impending interest rate cuts and fears of an extended housing recession. [Wall Street Journal]

Public Safety: Community Organizes To Purchase A Pay Phone After AT&T Removed Their Only One
Elena Tyrrell is the postmistress of Canyon, California. After AT&T removed the town's pay phone, she organized an effort to buy a new one for her town, according to NPR. NPR: "It seems the pay phone wasn't paying its way. However, the community's post mistress fought the good fight and we hear that once again there is a pay phone in Canyon. ...NPR: "So why is it important for Canyon, California have a pay phone?"Tyrell: "Well, we're in a deep canyon where cellphones don't work most of the time. And, actually, to have a pay phone is good for all kinds of safety reasons. Fires. Accidents. Or just giving directions. NPR: "Well, I imagine nestled where you are, people could get lost pretty easily?"Tyrell: "Yeah, they do." NPR: "Well you're the postmistress, you know your way around... is that how you ended up leading the fight to get the pay phone back?"Tyrell: "Yeah, because I was here one day and one of my customers came in and said "Elena, someone is... AT&T is out there...

Insiders: 6 Tips From An Insurance Claims Adjuster
One of our readers is an insurance claims adjuster, the guy who comes out to inspect damages, and he sent in 6 tips to help consumers through the claims process.Essentially he advises people that they'll get more from being armed with facts and behaving like a professional adult than through histrionics.6. Be forthright and cooperative, you may not like all the answers you get, but be polite.5. Do your research. Call your agent and as for a copy of your policy language if you don't have it. Look and see what is covered and what isn't. Maybe you don't have rental car coverage like you thought you did? Most insurance does not automatically cover rental cars.4. Your agent is not a claims adjuster and typically will give incorrect advice. Be forewarned.3, When your car is totaled, they will do research in your market to value your car compared to what equivalent models can be sold for. So check your local autotrader, classifieds, etc. to get an idea of what a car comparable to yours...

Marketing: Attention: Starbucks Is Officially A Family Destination
According to an article in MSNMoney, Starbucks has admited that its a family destination and, while it won't be marketing to children directly, it is exploring how to add more kid and teen friendly items to its menu—without causing health advocates to freak out.Starbucks spokesman Brandon Borrman said there are still no plans to market specifically to children, and grown-ups need not worry that the Cartoon Network will be playing on the flat-panel screen of their neighborhood Starbucks anytime soon.But Borrman said Seattle-based Starbucks is considering whether to add new drinks or drink sizes that better meet the needs of kids or teens. ..."We need to be realistic about who comes into our stores, so if we have children who are coming into our stores that are on their own, we want to make sure that we have products that are appropriate to that age group," Borrman said. "Do we have an alternative to a venti-size caffeinated beverage that would be more appropriate?"Borrman...

News From The Swamp: Liveblogging The Senate Appropriations Subcommittee Hearing On Toy Safety
Today is a big day for Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL). Starting at 11am, the Chairman of the powerful Appropriations Subcommittee on Financial Services and General Government will kick off a series of hearings examining the toy industry's seemingly magnetic attraction to lead paint. Durbin, whose Subcommittee has jurisdiction over the Consumer Product Safety Commission's budget, will grill toy industry representatives, consumer advocates, and members of the government over plans to protect America's children from the dangers silently lurking on toy shelves by establishing an independent testing regime.The Subcommittee will haul not one, but two Consumer Product Safety Commissioners to testify, along with the heads of Toys R Us and Mattel, who recently agreed to start testing their products for lead paint contamination. Representatives from Consumers Union and the official-sounding American National Standards Institute will round out the motley crew of pedoprotectionists.Starting...

Cars: 10 Ways To Boost Your MPG
ForbesAutos interviewed Wayne Gerdes, a "hypermiler" who can squeeze 84 miles per gallon out of a regular Ford Ranger pickup truck, or 180.1 mpg from a hybrid electric Honda Insight. Here are 10 of his techniques for achieving startling fuel economy:10. Turn off the A/C9. Install a scangauge8. When pulling into a parking lot, try to coast up to the highest point in the lot, so then you can coast out upon exit7. If you're idling over 10 seconds, turn off the engine6. Driving over the speed limit increases wind resistance, consuming more fuel5. Rather than trying to maintain a constant speed, focus on maintaing a constant engine load4. Drive like you have no brakes; coast whenever possible and avoid needless braking3. Change your air filter yearly2. Use the lowest weight oil recommended for your car1. Inflate tires to maximum pressureWe also covered some of Wayne's more unorthodox methods in a previous post, "Potentially Insane Ways To Increase Your Fuel Efficiency."The Pursuit...

Real Estate: Deceptive Mortgage Advertising Language To Watch Out For
In an almost comical case of too little too late, the FTC wagged a big finger at deceptive mortgage ads Tuesday. Here's some of the red-flag advertising language they warned consumers to watch out for:"Low "Fixed" Rate!": Just how long is it really fixed for?"Very Low Rates!": What's low, the interest rate or the "payment" rate? Does this only apply for a introductory period? Is the payment so low that with interest you're actually increasing the loan balance?"Very Low Payment Amounts!": ...Because it's an interest only loan and you'll be due for a big lump sum payment?"Mortgage rates near 30-year lows!": Again, for how long is this good for?"Important Notice From Your Mortgage Company. Open Immediately!": Does your mortgage company really use exclamation points on its official correspondence?"You are eligible to take part in an exclusive interest rate reduction program. This financial institution has been licensed to negotiate your existing adjustable mortgage to a new fixed...

Sesquipedalian: Snobs use big words to advertise their exemption ...
Snobs use big words to advertise their exemption from dirty work, wrote Thorstein Veblen in The Theory of the Leisure Class, "they are reputable because they are cumbrous and out of date, and therefore argue waste of time and exemption from the use and the need of direct and forcible speech." [Seth's Blog]

Shopping: Morning Deals
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