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Stories tagged: consumer protection
Fri., Oct. 10, 1997
Greenpeace Warns Of Lead Levels In Toys Environmental Group Says Some Vinyl Products Pose Risks
Some vinyl toys and products for youngsters contain levels of lead and cadmium that could pose health risks, the environmental group Greenpeace said Thursday. Greenpeace said its laboratory tests found …
Wed., Aug. 27, 1997
Office Supply Chain To Change Advertising
The Staples office supply chain has agreed to change its advertising after attorneys general in 13 states, including Washington, complained the company’s promise of “0 percent financing” was misleading. Staples …
Sat., Aug. 23, 1997
Burger King Looks For New Beef Supplies Spokane Restaurants Unaffected
Burger King offered hamand-cheese sandwiches instead of Whoppers for lunch Friday as the fast-food chain sought new beef supplies to replace hamburger recalled from a Hudson Foods plant here. Some …
Sat., Aug. 23, 1997
Tainted Trust Consumers, Not Government, Must Judge Unsafe Meat.
In spite of meat recalls, scientific advances and stepped up plant inspections, the federal government cannot ensure Americans’ food is free of dangerous bacteria. And experts say it probably will …
Fri., Aug. 22, 1997
Hamburger Plant Closes, Recalls 25 Million Pounds
Workers at the Hudson Foods plant in Columbus, Neb., process ground beef this week. The plant has been closed. Photo by Associated Press
Thu., Aug. 14, 1997
Unsolicited Loans Not-So-Easy Money Critics Point To Chance Of Theft, High Interest Rates
Victor and Debra Goldberg of Ithaca, N.Y., hold a $7,500 check that Debra received from Signet Bank. The “Instant Loan Check” carries a 13.99 percent interest rate if deposited. Photo …
Thu., Aug. 14, 1997
Industry: Clinton’s Call For Child-Safe Dosages A Bit Late Manufacturers Say Tests Began On Targeted Drugs 3 Years Ago
As President Clinton moved Wednesday to prod drug manufacturers into finding child-safe dosages for medicines, industry representatives politely suggested he was late to the game. A proposed new Food and …
Thu., Aug. 14, 1997
Drug Firms Telling Us What To Take Consumer Groups Say Doctors, Pharmacists Pressured Into Switching Patients’ Medication
An 86-year-old woman began experiencing nausea and weakness after her health insurer had her change from a blood pressure medication she had long used to one it preferred. A 63-year-old …
Wed., July 30, 1997
Pantyhose Firm Agrees To Refund Customers
The strings attached to a pantyhose giveaway will cost a Pennsylvania company more than $300,000, and Idaho will get 10 percent of it. Hosiery Corp. of America has agreed to …
Thu., July 17, 1997
Group Warns Consumers About Cash-Value Policies Term Life Insurance A Smarter Option For Most, Study Finds
The deal is enticing: Buy a cash-value life insurance policy and watch your money go to work in stocks and bonds - a double gain of insurance protection and financial …
Fri., July 11, 1997
Colville Car Dealership Loses License
The state has revoked a Colville used car dealership’s license, saying the business prevented customers from receiving car titles on time. The Car Lot, owned by Linda Brown of Colville, …
Sat., June 28, 1997
Investment Products To Be Based On Dow Index
Index funds have enjoyed a surge in popularity in recent years, and for good reason. They - particularly those based on the Standard & Poor’s 500 stock index - have …
Tue., June 10, 1997
Vacuum Repair Scam Targets Elderly
Spokane-area residents should be wary of a possible vacuum cleaner repair scam targeting the elderly, sheriff’s deputies said. So far, two people have complained to authorities that a man in …
Tue., June 10, 1997
Marshals Seize Uncertified Eye Lasers
Government agents seized more than $3 million worth of eye lasers from a Florida company Monday, the Food and Drug Administration announced, saying the company was selling unapproved machines to …
Thu., June 5, 1997
Consumers Warned About Sweepstakes
Eastern Washington and North Idaho residents should beware of calls from people promoting a fraudulent sweepstakes. The scam targets elderly people, said Lisa Stephens, president of the Spokane chapter of …
Tue., June 3, 1997
Phillips’ Gelcaps Pulled From Stores
Bayer Corp. said Monday it is pulling its Phillips’ Gelcaps laxative from stores nationwide, citing Food and Drug Administration concerns about a possibly cancer-causing ingredient. In a report last month …
Tue., June 3, 1997
West Indies Bank Targeted
A West Indies bank accused of soliciting uninsured deposits on the Internet faces a cease-and-desist order from the Idaho Department of Finance. European Union Bank claims to be the first …
Tue., June 3, 1997
Fda Proposes Rules To Restrict Ephedrine
The Food and Drug Administration proposed new rules Monday aimed at reducing the risks posed by a popular herbal stimulant that has been linked to seizures and deaths. Products derived …
Fri., May 30, 1997
Regulators Launch Crackdown Twenty States Take Action Against Stock Telemarketing Fraud
Securities regulators in 20 states, including Washington, have begun a crackdown against 14 brokerage firms accused of making unauthorized stock trades and other fraudulent sales practices. “They’re very impressive when …
Fri., May 30, 1997
Jenny Craig Settles Ad Complaint Company To Give More Data On Success Rates, Pricing
The Jenny Craig weight-loss program has settled a federal deceptive advertising complaint by agreeing to provide more complete information on success rates, health risks and pricing. The agreement, announced Thursday …
Thu., May 15, 1997
Fraud Of Seniors Will Be Topic
Senior citizens are often the target of consumer fraud over the telephone or through the mail. The South Hill Senior Center, 2727 S. Mount Vernon, is planning a free program …
Sun., April 27, 1997
Businesses Could Get Lawsuit Shield Change In Political Climate Helping Liability-Limits Measure
After nearly two decades of trying, a coalition of manufacturers appears within reach of succeeding this year in having enacted nationwide standards that would limit damages to people who are …
Tue., April 8, 1997
Refuse To Pay Outrageous Prices
Why are we such suckers? Why do we consumers allow ourselves to be gouged? We too often pay ridiculous prices because we crave convenience or can’t resist an impulse. Most …
Wed., March 26, 1997
Ftc Watching Weight-Loss Ads Agency Wants Consumers To Lose Pounds, Not Just Dollars
Cracking down on weight-loss claims that sound too good to be true, the Federal Trade Commission launched an awareness campaign Tuesday to prevent consumers from wasting their money - and …
Thu., Feb. 13, 1997
Man Who Sold False Hope To Bald Must Part With Profits
The man whose company reaped millions from a purported cure for baldness will forfeit 80 percent of his bankruptcy proceeds to settle a false advertising lawsuit, the government said Wednesday. …
Tue., Feb. 11, 1997
Smith Warranties Should Be Honored
A settlement agreement will give Washington customers of Smith’s Home Furnishings who bought warranties on purchases from the defunct chain most of their money back. General Electric Credit Corp., which …
Fri., Feb. 7, 1997
Warranty Sought To Help Disabled
Manufacturers should stand behind expensive devices that disabled people need to help them hear, read or walk, Sen. Denton Darrington said Thursday. Darrington, R-Declo, persuaded the state Senate to vote …
Sun., Feb. 2, 1997
Crackdown Fuels Debate Travel Agents, State Seek Consensus On Reforms
Efforts to regulate the travel industry in Washington have encountered turbulence barely a year after legislation intended to curb abuses took effect. While officials pursue civil and criminal charges against …
Sat., Jan. 25, 1997
Internet Shoppers Can Avoid Traps
Cyberspace shopping is exploding, thanks to the modern magic of the Internet. But old-fashioned consumer problems still await unwary shoppers. “Just as the case with mail- and telephone-order shopping, it’s …
Sat., Jan. 25, 1997
Brokers Dislike Shuffling Stock Certificates
Few brokers want their clients to take delivery of certificates representing the shares they have purchased. If you want the paper, you have to pay for it. Why? Brokers, especially …