July 10, 2012

Contact: NCL Communications, (202) 835-3323, media@nclnet.org

View NCL’s new July 2012 survey conducted by ORC International (PDF)

Listen to audio from today’s tele news event here.

Washington, DC – Cell phones are not just for teenaged children any more. Nearly six out of 10 (56 percent) parents of “tweeners” (children aged 8-12) have provided their children with cell phones, according to a new survey conducted by ORC International for the National Consumers League (NCL), the nation’s oldest consumer organization. Of those parents, roughly a quarter are facing higher bills than they had expected to pay in order for their child to have a cell phone.

The survey is part of NCL’s continuing commitment to providing advice to parents of pre-teens who are considering buying their children’s first cell phones.

Highlights of the NCL tweeners and cell phones survey include the following:

• Nearly six out of 10 parents with tweeners surveyed (56 percent) have purchased cell phones for their young children, ranging from a high of 62 percent in households earning over $100,000 a year to a low of 41 percent in households under $50,000 a year.

• Parents in a third of households earning under $50,000 are paying more for their tweener’s cell phone than they had expected. Overall, about a quarter of households (23 percent) report they pay more than they had anticipated would be the case.

• The 10-11 age range appears to be the “sweet spot” for pre-teens to receive a cell phone. Six out of 10 pre-teens were aged 10-11 when they received their phone. Twenty percent of 8-9 year olds and 15 percent of 12-year olds received a cell phone.

• Parents who are paying more than they thought they would for their tweener’s cell phone would: investigate parental controls offered by wireless carrier to control costs (62 percent); set a monthly budget with child (38 percent); cancel phone (23 percent); and switch to prepaid or postpaid unlimited plans (22 percent).

“Before the training wheels are coming off their bikes, many children are getting their first cell phones,” said John Breyault, NCL vice president of public policy, telecommunications and fraud. “Our survey underscores the fact that pre-teens are the new ‘growth market’ for the wireless industry. Given the increasingly young age at which kids get these devices, the multiplicity of choices in the cell phone market can be daunting for parents. That’s why it is imperative that parents have the information necessary to make informed buying decisions when it comes to their pre-teens’ first wireless devices.”

Graham Hueber, senior researcher, ORC International, said: “This survey clearly shows that the use of cell phones is now becoming more entrenched at an earlier and earlier age in the U.S. However, even a substantial portion of parents who are comfortable with putting a smartphone in the hands of an eight year old have qualms about the resulting costs and are open to considering options to lower their child’s phone bill. This is likely going to mean that more and more parents will look for ways to pull the purse strings a little tighter, such as setting a budget or exploring prepaid cell phone options.”

Other key survey highlights

• Tweeners aged 11-12 are more than twice as likely as those aged 8-10 to have a cell phone purchased by their parents, by a margin of 69 percent to 32 percent.

• The top three reasons parents buy cell phones for tweeners are safety (84 percent); tracking child’s after-school activities (73 percent); and child asked for one (16 percent.)

• Only 4 percent of tweeners with cell phones got a basic phone with no Web or texting access. About half (48 percent) are provided with a basic cell phone with texting, another 20 percent get a basic non-smartphone with texting and Web access, and 27 percent get a smartphone.

• 82 percent of parents said that the price of the cell phone service was an important part of their decision. About nine in 10 parents (92 percent) say they have tweener cell phone costs of less than $75 per month.

• 81 percent of parents of tweeners put their child on a contract-based cell phone plan and 15 percent opted for a prepaid cell phone service. More than four out of five parents (84 percent) added their child to an existing family plan.

• Most important issues for parents selecting a cell phone for a tweener: total price of service (41 percent); quality of network (34 percent); cost of texting service (29 percent); and price of handset (29 percent).

• More than half of parents (52 percent) who think they are paying too much for their tweener’s cell phone would consider switching to unlimited cell phone service as a way to cut costs. Six in 10 parents of tweeners in households earning less than $50,000 are not “aware of lower cost, unlimited, prepaid phone plans that would allow your child to make unlimited calling and texting.”

The survey also contained a number of good news findings:

• Only 16 percent of parents reported friction or disagreements with their child over cell phone use.

• Tweener cell phone abuse appears isolated. Fewer than one in 10 parents (8 percent each) reported “use of cell phone intrudes on family time” and “distracts your child from school work.” Only 3 percent reported such inappropriate use of a cell phone as “sexting” or cyberbullying by tweeners.

• Some parents are doing their research. Before purchasing a cell phone for their tweener, 48 percent of parents talked to other parents about their experiences, 33 percent checked handsets/service plans online, and 29 percent did same at one or more retail outlets.

• 89 percent of 10 parents of tweeners who bought cell phones for their child have no regrets.

Full survey findings are available here.

Tips from NCL

Before beginning the shopping for a tween’s cell phone, parents should ask themselves some basic questions in order to set expectations:

• Why does your child need a cell phone?

• Will the phone be used primarily to stay in touch with parents and for emergency use? Or will your child be using the phone for entertainment or to communicate with friends?

• How much do you want to spend per month on service?

• How much do you want to spend on the initial purchase of the cell phone itself?

• Is your tween mature enough to keep their minutes, texting, and data use within plan limits?

• Is your tween mature enough to use the phone responsibly and avoid viewing or sending inappropriate content?

• What is your tween’s school’s policy on cell phones in school?

• Does your tween have a habit of losing things or can he or she handle the responsibility of caring for a phone?

Methodology

The ORC International survey for National Consumers League presents the findings of a telephone poll conducted among a sample of 802 adults who are the parent of a child between the ages of 8 and 12.  The national survey was conducted during the period of June 15-20, 2012. The margin of error for the survey is plus or minus 3 percentage points at the full sample level.

About the National Consumers League

The National Consumers League, founded in 1899, is America’s pioneer consumer organization. Our mission is to protect and promote social and economic justice for consumers and workers in the United States and abroad. For more information, visit www.nclnet.org.

NCL gratefully acknowledges underwriting from TracFone Wireless, Inc., whose unrestricted educational grant made this survey possible.

MEDIA CONTACTS: Ailis Aaron Wolf, for NCL, (703) 276-3265 or aawolf@hastingsgroup.com; and Carol McKay, NCL, (412) 945-3242 or carolm@nclnet.org.

EDITOR’S NOTE: A streaming audio replay of the related news event will be available on the Web at https://nclnet.org as of 5 p.m. EDT on July 10, 2012.

June 28, 2012

Contact: NCL Communications: (202) 835-3323, media@nclnet.org

Washington, DC—The National Consumers League (NCL), the nation’s oldest consumer group, announced today that it is pleased at the Supreme Court’s action to uphold the individual mandate of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), a move that will extend health care coverage to more than 30 million Americans who currently lack it. NCL stands with other consumer, health, and worker groups, in support of the ACA. For decades, NCL has advocated for substantive reform to America’s health care system and was a staunch supporter of the Affordable Care Act when it passed in 2010.

“The Supreme Court’s landmark decision upholding The Affordable Care Act is a giant step toward the goal of providing health insurance for all Americans,” said Sally Greenberg, NCL Executive Director.  “We applaud the Court’s decision and look forward to broad implementation of the law. This decision brings the United States into league with the ever-growing number of nations – rich and poor – that have found it to be economically prudent to provide health care to their citizens. NCL hails this historic decision as a great victory for consumers, one that signifies a move toward a more patient-centered and cost effective health care system. We stand by the law, and the protections and coverage it has already afforded millions of Americans.”

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About the National Consumers League

The National Consumers League, founded in 1899, is America’s pioneer consumer organization. Our mission is to protect and promote social and economic justice for consumers and workers in the United States and abroad. For more information, visit www.nclnet.org.

June 20, 2012

 

 

 

 

Chairman Inez Tenenbaum
Commissioners Robert Adler, Nancy Nord and Anne Northup
U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission
4330 East-West Highway
Bethesda, Maryland 20814

 

SUBJECT: Agenda and Priorities FY 2014 

Dear Chairman Tenenbaum and Commissioners Adler, Nord and Northup:

On behalf of the National Consumers League,  I urge the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission to place the following issues among its top priorities in fiscal year 2014:

I. Table Saw Safety

On October 11, 2011, CPSC published an Advanced Notice of Proposed Rulemaking to consider whether to promulgate a mandatory performance standard to address the unreasonable risk of injury associated with table saws.  The National Consumers League, joined by Consumer Federation of America, Consumers Union, Public Citizen, and U.S. PIRG, submitted comments urging the Çommission to move forward with the rulemaking.

Our comments noted that tens of thousands of serious injuries occur every year as a result of contact with a table saw blade while in operation.  These injuries cost society well over $2 billion every year.[1] The benefits of reducing these injuries outweigh the costs to manufacturers of re-designing their saws.  The voluntary standard that has existed, with modifications, since 1971, now requires table saws to be equipped with a modular blade guard and riving knife.  While the latest version of the standard is a modest improvement over previous versions, blade guards, riving knives and other anti-kickback devices alone are not effectively addressing the tens of thousands of serious blade contact injuries that continue to occur.

We urged CPSC to enact a technology-neutral performance standard that would require manufacturers to equip table saws with safety devices that would mitigate injury when the operator comes in contact with, or in close proximity to, the spinning blade.

The comment period for the ANPR has passed, and we understand the CPSC staff is currently reviewing the comments to determine whether to recommend that the agency published a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking.  We hope that the Commission will publish an NPR soon, so that a standard can be enacted as quickly as possible.  With every day that goes by, approximately ten more people lose fingers in preventable table saw accidents.

We urge the Commission to budget staff time and resources in fiscal year 2014 for what we hope will be the final stages of the rulemaking process for a table saw safety standard.  It is long overdue.

II. All Terrain Vehicle Safety

We also urge the Commission to budget staff time and resources in fiscal year 2014 for All Terrain Vehicles.  We recognize in 2012 that the Commission is expected to complete its 2006 rulemaking. However, we urge the Commission specifically to commit resources to continuing research related to ATV safety in fiscal year 2014 and beyond.

III.  Fire and Carbon Monoxide Hazards 

We urge the Commission’s continued commitment to technical research in the areas of fire and carbon monoxide hazards. CPSC’s own data indicate that there are annually 386,000 fires, 2,390 deaths, 12,530 injuries and $6.92 billion property losses related to fires. Cooking equipment and heating equipment account for the largest shares of these fires. We need federal safety agencies with CPSC’s jurisdiction to continue research into ways to make cooktops and space heaters safer and less likely to start fires.

Regarding carbon monoxide, CPSC’s own data indicate that there are close to 200 unintentional, non-fire CO deaths a year from consumer products such as generators and gas fueled furnaces. This does not count the more than 200 deaths a year CDC attributes to CO exposure from automobiles. We urge CPSC to remain focused on technological solutions that will prevent  these useful products from silently killing consumers. Finally, both hazards can be mitigated by effective, and relatively inexpensive, alarms. We urge the Commission to make upgrades and updates to the smoke alarm and carbon monoxide alarm standards a priority in 2014 and beyond.

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[1] Caroleene Paul, Briefing Package, Recommended Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking for Performance Requirements to Address Table Saw Blade Contact Injuries, U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (September 2011) [hereinafter – “CPSC ANPR Staff Briefing Package”] pages 2-3.

June 14, 2012

Contact: NCL Communications, (202) 835-3323, media@nclnet.org

Washington, DC–Consumer Action and the National Consumers League jointly issued the following statement regarding the introduction in the Michigan Senate of SB 1186 and SB 1187, legislation protecting the rights of Michigan’s live event fans.

“Going to a concert or sporting event should be an exciting occasion for consumers. Unfortunately, consumers too often walk away confused and angry from the ticket-buying experience. This is because unscrupulous scalpers use sophisticated software bots to cut in line and grab the best tickets to the hottest events.  Artists, promoters and venues hold back thousands of tickets for fan club pre-sales, credit card users and VIPs. Even when they are lucky enough to buy tickets, restrictive paperless tickets dictate how – or whether – consumers can share or transfer their tickets, including whether they are permitted to give away tickets to charitable organizations or give them as a gift.

We applaud State Senator Joe Hune for his leadership in protecting live event fans and promoting competition in the market for tickets.”

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About Consumer Action

Consumer Action has been a champion of underrepresented consumers nationwide since 1971. A nonprofit 501(c)3 organization, Consumer Action focuses on consumer education that empowers low to moderate income and limited-English-speaking consumers to financially prosper. It also advocates for consumers in the media and before lawmakers to advance consumer rights and promote industry-wide change.

About the National Consumers League

The National Consumers League, founded in 1899, is America’s pioneer consumer organization. Our mission is to protect and promote social and economic justice for consumers and workers in the United States and abroad. For more information, visit www.nclnet.org.

June 6, 2012

Contact: NCL Communications, (202) 835-3323, media@nclnet.org

Washington, DC–The National Consumers League, the oldest consumer advocacy organization in the country, sent a letter to the American Crystal Sugar Company today expressing disappointment with the company’s prolonged lockout of 1,300 union employees.

“We are perplexed at the continued actions of the American Crystal Sugar Company,” said Sally Greenberg, NCL’s Executive Director. The sugar industry supports industry-wide price supports and other subsides that they claim help create and maintain American jobs. This program costs American consumers an estimated $3.5 billion each year. NCL pointed out the inconsistencies in American Crystal’s position. “They profess their commitment to creating American jobs while at the same time locking out workers, all the while enjoying the largesse of consumer funded sugar subsidies.”

“Sugar growers have long justified the continued existence of the U.S. sugar program by pointing to their role as job creators,” said Greenberg. “We find this argument specious in light of American Crystal’s prolonged lockout of over 1,300 workers.” For nine months, since August 2011, the American Crystal Sugar Company, a sugar-beet processing company headquartered in Moorhead, Minnesota, has locked out union employees from their jobs.

“American Crystal should illustrate its commitment to creating and maintaining American jobs by engaging in good faith negotiations with its workers,” said Greenberg. “It is also time for the American government to stop subsidizing a profitable industry that treats American workers so poorly.”

Read Greenberg’s letter here.

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About the National Consumers League

The National Consumers League, founded in 1899, is America’s pioneer consumer organization. Our mission is to protect and promote social and economic justice for consumers and workers in the United States and abroad. For more information, visit www.nclnet.org.