Salmonella Outbreak! – National Consumers League

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Supermarkets, fast-food chains, and restaurants have pulled certain raw red plum, red Roma, and red round tomatoes, and products containing these raw, red tomatoes from their shelves and menus following an outbreak of salmonella.

Most people infected with salmonella suffer experience diarrhea, fever and abdominal cramps 12 to 72 hours after infection, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Yuck!

The Food and Drug Administration has posted a list of states which have not been associated with the salmonella outbreak.

Wishing Sen. Kennedy a Speedy Recovery! – National Consumers League

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NCL Executive Director, Sally Greenberg, and Chair of the Board of Directors, Jane King sent Sen. Edward M. Kennedy a letter to wish him well in his recovery. The Associated Press reported that Kennedy “felt like a million bucks” following his operation to treat his malignant brain tumor.

Those who feel so inclined may send Kennedy a few words of encouragement and other warm wishes by writing:

The Honorable Edward Kennedy
315 Russell Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510

Kennedy has long championed the rights of consumers and workers, and in 1973, he was the first recipient of our Trumpeter Award, which honors the work of leaders who have fought for social justice, and consumers’ rights to a fair and safe workplace.

We all wish him a quick recovery, and look forward to his return to the Senate!

Knock-knock: Don’t Let Deception in the Door! – National Consumers League

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You hear a knock at your door. You look through the peephole and see a salesperson. In this day and age, you can never be too cautious when it comes to who you choose to do business with.
NCL teaches consumers how to identify salespeople from honest door-to-door sales companies. These salespeople will:

  • Identify themselves and the company’s products they represent by name. They should explain the purpose of their visit upfront and present proper identification.
  • Respect your wishes. It’s a sign of fraud if they try to pressure you into buying something on the spot or refuse to honor your request to end the sales presentation.

For more information, including tips on deceptive sales tactics, read this month’s 2008 Consumer Calendar: Do We Have Tips for You! June’s tips are sponsored by The Southwestern Company.

Congratulations, Class of 2008! Now Pay Up – National Consumers League

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While millions of college students are frantically trying to land their first real job and secure affordable housing, many are also racking up the credit card debt.

The *U.S. Department of Education estimates that almost 25 percent of college students will take on credit card debt in order to pay for their education.

Savvy grads know that having a solid credit history pays off for a bunch of reasons. Here are a few: when applying for a job, securing loans and purchasing auto or homeowners insurance.

Need a crash course in building a positive credit history?

  • Use credit responsibly. Start establishing a good credit record now. The longer and more stable your credit history, the higher your credit score. Try to pay off your credit card balance in full each month. Only keep the credit cards you need, and don’t use more than 30 percent of the credit available to you on your credit cards. Use cash instead of plastic whenever possible.
  • Set up a budget and stick to it. Figure out exactly how much money you are earning and how much you owe. Write down all of your expenses for a couple of months to get a realistic sense of what you are spending, and where you may be able to cut back.
  • Pay bills on time. Consider setting up automatic payments so you are never late. This will help to build a strong credit history. A pattern of late payments not only lowers your credit and insurance scores, but late fees and interest payments can add up and make it harder to pay down the balance.
  • Monitor your Credit Report. Check your credit reports at least once a year. If there are mistakes, get them corrected quickly.
  • Visit the Insurance Information Institute’s Web site for more tips on chipping away at your debt, and building good credit.

Do you have any tips for recent grads? Share them here!

*Links are no longer active as the original sources have removed the content, sometimes due to federal website changes or restructurings.

What’s for Lunch? – National Consumers League

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According to researchers at Cornell University, the average person makes *more than 200 food choices a day! Isn’t that, well, nuts?

Most survey participants guessed that they only make 15 food-related decisions each day. What a disconnect! So, not surprisingly, the researchers found that we make many of these decisions – about portion size, for example – unknowingly, and end up *overeating without even realizing it.

The Washington Post recently *reported on America’s youth obesity crisis. So much bad news on this subject these days – where’s the good news? Here’s some: our LifeSmarts program offers key nutrition facts and resources – as well as tips on a variety of other subjects – to help students make better food choices and to become healthy and responsible consumers. Right now the program’s in “Spring Training.” Check it out!

 

*Links are no longer active as the original sources have removed the content, sometimes due to federal website changes or restructurings.

What’s next for the foreclosure crisis? Reality TV! – National Consumers League

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Groan.

According to *U.S. News and World Report, the mortgage and foreclosure crisis is hitting the airwaves, subject of a new reality tv series called The Foreclosure Shoppe. No matter your opinions of the reality tv genre, you’ve got to wonder about whether this kind of treatment will help bring the issue to new audiences or turn people off from learning about the issue.

With millions of Americans — and consumers from around the world — being exposed to the housing crisis, any focus on the issues can’t hurt, right? Here’s some news about consumers being affected by mortgage scams.

 

*Links are no longer active as the original sources have removed the content, sometimes due to federal website changes or restructurings.

Hitting the Pavement? Choose Sales Job Wisely! – National Consumers League

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With summer just around the corner, many teens are on the prowl for the perfect job. NCL has partnered with the Direct Selling Education Foundation to offer advice to young adults considering door-to-door sales jobs. We have created two new brochures filled with tips to help keep teens and consumers safe by avoiding joining or buying from unethical traveling sales crews, which have been known to cause harm to both crew members and consumers!

*Teens, be sure your contract spells out the terms of your agreement.

  • How, when, and in what form will you be paid?
  • Will the company pay for your living expenses (food, travel and housing)?  Will this be deducted from your income?
  • What are the working conditions?  Ask about the hours, travel, and living arrangements.
  • If you’re not completely comfortable with the answers, don’t agree to work for the company, it’s not worth the risk!

Want to learn how to spot the difference between a legitimate sales person and a traveling sales crew scam? Read more here.

Stay tuned for more tips from NCL this summer to help millions of teens avoid dangerous jobs.

 

*Links are no longer active as the original sources have removed the content, sometimes due to federal website changes or restructurings.

Good Ol’ Fashioned Spam – National Consumers League

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The Federal Trade Commission announced yesterday that it’s cracking down on deceptive telemarketing operations. Through Operation Tele-PHONEY, the FTC has filed federal district court complaints against 13 alleged bad guys. NCL was recently featured in a story on National Public Radio’s Marketplace about traditional, snail mail spam — something that many of us have come to forgotten with the focus, in recent years, on avoiding email spam and fraud. Read the story or listen to it here.

Free Lunches? Nope, Still Don’t Exist – National Consumers League

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Ever been invited to one of those investment seminars, followed by a fancy free lunch? It’s a popular tactic that so-called “experts” use to lure consumers to hours-long pitches for their investments or insurance products. They try to persuade potential suckers with impressive charts and handouts or glowing testimonials from other consumers who were “smart” enough to invest early. If that’s not enough, they resort to false promises of “your profit is guaranteed” and pressure tactics like “this offer is only available today” to bully consumers into paying.

Here’s some advice that you can count on:

  • Learn more! Sponsored by AARP and the AARP Foundation, to help consumers learn about safe investing.

Glitch Over Allergy Meds – National Consumers League

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Itchy eyes, runny nose and sneezing aplenty – do these symptoms sound familiar to you? Allergy season is here, and people are suffering! The Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America recently *issued the nation’s new top 100 “spring allergy” capitals, and Washington, DC, where NCL is based, is ranked 51st.

One of our colleagues recently hit a snag at the pharmacy when she requested a refill of her allergy prescription in advance of a business trip. Upon returning home, and running out of her meds, our staffer realized that the refilled pills were a different color and size – she had received the wrong drugs! The pharmacist was extremely apologetic, and issued the correct pills on the spot. Fortunately, since our colleague hadn’t taken any of the wrong pills, or had to suffer without them, all ended well.

This is a lesson for us all though: whenever taking drugs of any kind, prescribed, behind-the-counter, or over-the-counter, we need to pay attention! If something seems off to you—with the drugs themselves, if you notice any new side effects, or if you have any questions—talk to your doctor or pharmacist!

Have you experienced any hiccups at the pharmacy? Are you a fellow allergy sufferer? Feel free share your story here!

*Links are no longer active as the original sources have removed the content, sometimes due to federal website changes or restructurings.