Consumer Confidential: Toys, toys and soda pop

Here's your wonderfully Wednesday roundup of consumer news from around the Web:

-- Get the lead out. That's the message from the California attorney general's office to six major retailers found still to have toys on their shelves containing lead. "These products must be removed from store shelves at once to protect our kids from toxic lead exposure," Atty. Gen. Jerry Brown told Walmart, Target, TJ Maxx, Sears, Walgreens and Tuesday Morning. More info is available here.

--Speaking of which, the Consumer Products Safety Commission is trying to get the word out to parents about new federal rules regarding toy safety. Here's what they have to say.

--Don't go looking to Costco if you want to score some Coke (as in cola). The retail giant has removed Coca-Cola products from its shelves because of a pricing dispute with the sugar-water maker. Both sides are trying to remain diplomatic amid the spat, but it's clear things have escalated to an ugly level. Maybe not a bad time to try some fruit juice instead.

-- David Lazarus

  

Fed proposes new rules to protect gift card users from fees

The Federal Reserve today proposed new rules that would protect gift card users from fees and other unexpected restrictions.

Gift cards have been the most-requested holiday item for the last several years, but many shoppers complain about the fine print, which can include hefty charges and quick expiration dates. According to the Fed, more than 95% of Americans have received or bought gift cards.

Under the proposed rules, gift cards would not expire until at least five years from the purchase date. Service and inactivity fees could only be charged once a month and only after a card had been inactive for at least a year.

“Concerns have been raised regarding the amount of fees associated with gift cards, the expiration dates of gift cards and the adequacy of disclosures,” the Fed said.

“Consumers who do not use the value of the card within a short period of time may be surprised to find that the card has expired or that dormancy or service fees have reduced the value of the card. Even where fees or terms are disclosed on or with the card, the disclosures may not be clear and conspicuous.”

The Fed said the new provisions would be slated to take effect Aug. 22.

The proposal includes retail gift cards that can be used at a single merchant or affiliated group of merchants, and “network-branded” gift cards that can be redeemed at any store that accepts the card brand.

-- Andrea Chang

California Consumer is moving to Money & Co.

California Consumer has moved to a bigger, brighter, newer home. You can now find it in our Money & Company blog.

You will still be able to find all the news, recalls, and consumer affairs articles, but now in our uber-business blog. 

Before you click the link, make sure to bookmark the new url: http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/money_co/consumer/

File photo by Boris Yaro / Los Angeles Times

Consumer Confidential: Sentiment, streets, Star Trek

Here's your finish-line-Friday roundup of consumer news from around the Web:

-- Consumer sentiment took a little tumble this month as the realization set in among many that jobs may not be a big factor in the economic recovery, at least not right away. Optimism among consumers is now at the weakest level in three months. Seems to me, though, that consumers have been pretty snippy for a long time now, so this isn't going to change the economic landscape much.

-- They take their privacy seriously in Switzerland. The country's privacy watchdog says he'll drag Google to court to make the Web giant change how it's photographing streets as part of grand plans to map the world. Swiss authorities want to ensure that all faces of Swiss folk are obscured, and that nobody gets a glimpse of private areas, such as walled gardens. Google says it'll fight for its right to take pictures of stuff, whether you like it or not.

-- When makers of the new "Star Trek Online" video game started working out the concept of the huge, multi-player setting, they originally didn't want to include allowing players to sit in Capt. Kirk's chair on the bridge of the Enterprise. In fact, they figured they wouldn't include the bridge of any starships. Happily, cooler heads prevailed, and the game makers now say that, yes, you can Kirk out as much as you want. Beam me up.

-- David Lazarus

Consumer Confidential: Foreclosures, cleaning products and video games

Here's your thick-as-Thursday roundup of consumer news from around the Web:

-- Things are still tough on the housing front but maybe not as tough as before. Market researcher RealtyTrac said foreclosure filings were down 3% last month from the month before, but were up 19% from a year earlier. Analysts say we aren't out of the woods yet, but the trend line suggests that the housing market is gradually improving. About time too.

-- Is it possible to keep your home too clean? A new report says yes. The group Women's Voices for the Earth says many households overdo it with disinfectant products, making people more vulnerable to asthma, hormone imbalances and other health problems. "Companies are working hard to convince consumers, and especially moms, that they need to regularly disinfect every surface in their homes to protect their families from illness," Alexandra Scranton, a staff scientist with the group. "But that’s simply not true, and it may not be healthy."

-- I wrote the other day about visiting with people in line at a Best Buy store for the latest "Call of Duty" video game. Today, I can close the loop by reporting that Activision Blizzard sold $310 million worth of games -- 4.7 million copies -- within the first 24 hours of "Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2" going on sale. And that's just in North America and Britain. Could it be that a few of us have some aggression issues to work out?

-- David Lazarus

T.J. Maxx to open store in Burbank this Sunday

Off-price retailer T.J. Maxx will open a store in Burbank on Sunday, bringing its total number of Los Angeles-area locations to 37.

At nearly 25,000 square feet, the store will feature a new format including redesigned dressing rooms, a revamped checkout area and new store signage. The store will be located at 1651 N. Victory Place; grand opening hours are 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.

The Framingham, Mass., retailer said the store would add about 60 full- and part-time jobs to the area and would receive 10,000 new items each week.

-- Andrea Chang

Doughnuts for vets

The Times’ Brand X blog reports that companies are offering a number of freebies and discounts for veterans today:

Today is Veterans Day and to say "Thank You" to the brave men and women in our armed forces, and those who have served the country in the past, there are several companies offering freebies and sales that vets might want to take advantage of this holiday.

Click here for the post and a list of stuff.

Happy Veterans Day!

-- Sharon Bernstein

Most Wal-Mart stores to stay open overnight on Thanksgiving

Wal-Mart Stores Inc. will keep most of its U.S. stores open overnight on Thanksgiving to lessen the Black Friday frenzy that led to the trampling death of a store employee a year ago, the company said today.

The retail giant is hoping that the extended hours will prevent long lines from forming because shoppers will be able to wait inside the stores before the chain’s day-after-Thanksgiving specials go on sale at 5 a.m.

Black Friday, which falls on Nov. 27 this year, is notoriously the most hectic shopping day of the holiday season, with shoppers pushing and jostling for deals on electronics, apparel and toys. Last year, a mob of bargain-hungry Black Friday shoppers stormed a Wal-Mart in Valley Stream, N.Y., trampling temporary worker Jdimytai Damour.

Some industry watchers are worried that crowds could be even more aggressive this year, as frugal shoppers have indicated they will rely heavily on discounts and specials.

In addition to keeping stores open, the Bentonville, Ark.-based chain has store-specific safety plans in place and is also planning to spread out its deals around its stores to better control crowds, company spokeswoman Daphne Moore said. 

“Customer and associate safety is a top priority for us, and this year is no different,” she said.

-- Andrea Chang

Caption: Shopper America Payan buys groceries and household items with her two sons at a Wal-Mart in Rosemead. Credit: Don Bartletti / Los Angeles Times

Consumer Confidential: Games, games and games

Here's your tasty-Tuesday roundup of consumer news from around the Web:

--Activision's new video game, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, went on sale shortly after midnight today. Industry analysts expect the shoot-'em-up to be one of the fastest-selling titles ever, with as many as 13 million copies estimated to be sold by the end of the year. I stopped by a Best Buy outlet in West L.A. where Activision was planning a big launch party. Javier Rivera, 25, was first in line for the new Call of Duty. He said he'd gotten there at 5 a.m., meaning that he planned to stand around for 19 hours to get his hands on the game. "I'm not working today," he explained. "I am working tomorrow." But not very alertly, it's safe to assume.

--Maybe guys like Rivera are one reason that game retailer GameStop says it expects sales to remain brisk this holiday season, even though analysts say consumers aren't buying as many titles as they used to.

--Speaking of high-stakes games, the head of Bank of America, Ken Lewis, says history will vindicate his company's big-bucks purchase of brokerage Merrill Lynch & Co. Right after it vindicates the invasion of Iraq, that is.

— David Lazarus

H&M to open store at Westfield Century City on Thursday

Cheap chic retailer H&M will open a store at Westfield Century City on Thursday.

To celebrate the opening, the store will offer the first 200 shoppers an H&M T-shirt and an Access to Fashion Pass, a shopping card containing a value from $10 to $300.

The store opens at noon at the mall, which is located at 10250 Santa Monica Blvd.

-- Andrea Chang

Consumer Confidential: Strollers, shakes and spam

Here's your make-my-Monday roundup of consumer news from around the Web:

--Heads up if you've got a little one. Maclaren, which makes some very popular strollers, has recalled about 1 million folding strollers that can cut or even cut off kids' fingertips. So far, the company says mishaps have resulted in at least 12 kids' fingertips being amputated. The kids apparently get their fingers caught in side hinges when the stroller is being opened or closed. For more info, check out www.maclaren.us/recall or call 877-688-2326.

--The economy might still stink, but things are looking up at the golden arches. McDonald's says its global sales rose 3.3% last month as consumers worldwide answered a hankering for Big Macs, fries and shakes. This was especially the case in Asia, the Middle East and Africa, where sales jumped 4.7%. Who says the United States isn't spreading sunshine throughout the world?

--The website Tagged.com has agreed to pay $500,000 to the New York attorney general's office to settle charges that it routinely hijacked people's e-mail accounts and sent marketing pitches to everyone they know. This is a relatively common ploy among social-networking sites and has sparked outcry among many Net users. If you've had a similar experience with either Tagged.com or some other site, don't hesitate to let California Atty. Gen. Jerry Brown know about it.

-- David Lazarus

Adventure Playsets recalled for rotting wood beams

About 275,000 Adventure Playsets wooden play sets have been recalled because the plastic-coated wood of its horizontal ladder can rot and weaken over time and pose a fall hazard, the Consumer Product Safety Commission said.

More than 6,700 additional sets were recalled in Canada by the government organization Health Canada.

The play sets were manufactured in the U.S. and distributed by Adventure Playsets, based in Amarillo, Texas, the commission said.

This recall involves Adventure Playsets wooden play structures with swings, slides, and ladders.

Each set has a horizontal ladder that functions both as monkey bars and as a swing beam, as well as an end ladder coated with plastic.

The instruction manuals for the recalled play sets have the name "Adventure Playsets" and one of the following model numbers printed on the cover: 

-- Bellevue 1-AP048, and 1-AP012 

-- Belmont 1-AP003

-- Dakota 1- AP046

-- Durango 1-AP016 and 1- AP018

-- El Dorado 1-AP016

-- Madison 1- AP006 and 1-AP015

-- Sedona 1- AP002

-- Sherwood 1-AP049

-- Tacoma 1- AP017 and 1-AP051

-- Ventura 1-AP008 

-- Yukon 1-AP052

Adventure Playsets has received more than 1,400 reports of rotting ladders and 16 reports of injuries, which included nine emergency room visits, the commission said.

The Bellevue, Tacoma and Durango swing sets were previously recalled because of a fall hazard and detaching frames, the recall said.

The sets were sold at Toys R Us, Walmart, Academy Sports and Outdoors, Menards and Mill stores across the nation, and online at Walmart.com, ToyRUs.com, Willygoat.com and in the DMSI catalog, the agency said. 

The recalled play sets were sold from January 2004 to December 2007.

Consumers can call Adventure Playsets at (877) 840-9068 for more information or contact the company online at www.adventureplaysets.com.

-- Nathan Olivarez-Giles

Top photo: The Dakota, one of the recalled Adventure Playsets play sets. Bottom photo: A swing beam on a recalled play set. Credit: Consumer Product Safety Commission

Jelly Belly recalls mislabeled jelly beans with peanut ingredients

The Jelly Belly Candy Co. is recalling about 6,000 "49 Flavors" jelly bean containers that contain peanut-butter-flavored jelly beans but don't list peanut butter or peanut flower as ingredients on the label.

The mislabeled candy was shipped Sept. 29 to independent candy stores across the country -- no major chain stores were involved, said Tomi Holt, a spokeswoman for the Fairfield, Calif., company.

The candy was sold in 7.5-ounce cylinder-style packages branded with the Jelly Belly logo and "49 Flavors," Holt said.

The tubes also had white stickers on the bottom that listed one of four product codes: 090925, 090928, 090929 or 091001, she said.

No incidents of allergic reactions from those with peanut allergies have been reported to the company, Holt said.

Consumers with questions about the recall are asked to call Jelly Belly at (800) 522-3267. The company will send customers who bought the recalled candy a new tube of jelly beans.

-- Nathan Olivarez-Giles

Program takes on fearful flying

Can an application on an electronic hand-held gadget really change your life? Whoopi Goldberg says it can.

The Academy Award-winning actress and co-host of ABC’s “The View” claimed her fear of flying kept her off airplanes until she tried an application developed for Virgin Atlantic Airways for the iPod and the iPhone called Flying Without Fear.

“The program works, I was a skeptic,” she said in a statement.

The Flying Without Fear “app” costs $4.99 and uploads onto iPod and iPhone devices. The program begins with an introduction from Sir Richard Branson, Virgin Atlantic’s president, and includes a video-based explanation of a flight, frequently asked questions, relaxation exercises and fear therapy, plus a “fear attack” button with breathing exercises for emergencies.

There may be one snag to this program: Most airlines make passengers put away all electronic devices during takeoff and landing. If you feel a panic attack coming on during takeoff, you’re going to have to wait until the plane reaches cruising altitude before you can switch on your iPhone to begin your breathing exercises.

But if Whoopi can do it, so can you.

--Hugo Martin

Photo: Richard Branson. Credit: Getty Images

Consumer Confidential: Jobs, DVDs and gold

Here's your full-frontal-Friday roundup of consumer news from around the Web:

--The unemployment rate hit 10.2% last month. OK, we've seen it coming for weeks, and President Obama and Fedatollah Ben Bernanke have been doing their best to prep us for the eventuality. But now that it's here, well, it stings a bit. The pencil pushers say things will probably grow even worse on the jobs front before they get better, with the jobless rate perhaps hitting 10.5% by the summer. Time for all those employers who are seeing their profits creep back up to do their thing ... please.

--But for those with jobs, there's always some shopping to do. And our friends at Target are offering some of their most popular DVDs at a bargain-basement price of just $10, with free shipping. The move is intended to match a similar price point from Walmart, and signals that heavyweight retailers are prepared to duke it out for what little consumer spending we can expect this holiday season.

--Gold futures have jumped to a new record -- more than $1,100 an ounce. Note to wife: Forget about any jewelry this Christmas.

-- David Lazarus

Consumer Confidential: Shopping, jobs and cable

Here's your throbbing-Thursday roundup of consumer news from around the Web:

--The retail industry posted its second straight month of gains in October as shoppers decided maybe, just maybe, the economic picture isn't as grim as all that. That doesn't mean we've been on a spending spree -- far from it. But some of the big boys, including Costco and Gap Inc., say their cash registers have been getting a little extra activity in recent weeks. This, as the lady says, is a good thing.

--One reason we seem to be feeling a little better about the economy is because more of us are working. Not much more, to be sure. But any job in a storm, right? The Labor Department says first-time unemployment claims fell by 20,000 to a seasonally adjusted 512,000 -- the lowest level in 10 months. That doesn't mean all's hunky-dory. But it does mean things are moving in the right direction.

--Time Warner Cable, the dominant cable provider in Southern California, says its profit fell by 11% in the most recent quarter. The company's chief exec, Glenn Britt, blamed the lousy economy for Time Warner's less-than-stellar performance. Another way of looking at it is the relatively high prices the company charges for services that some may feel aren't worth the cost. But who am I to say?

-- David Lazarus

Wal-Mart to sell HP laptop for $298, Thanksgiving dinner for eight people for $20

Retail giant Wal-Mart announced more holiday price reductions today, including a $20 Thanksgiving dinner for eight people.

For one week starting Saturday, Wal-Mart stores will hold an electronics savings event which includes an HP laptop with 3GB of memory for $298; a Sharp 52-inch flat-panel television for $898 and a Sony Blu-ray player for $148.

"It will be evident through the coming weeks that this year Wal-Mart will offer more opportunities for our customers to save than ever before," said Gary Severson, senior vice president of entertainment for Wal-Mart.

The world's largest retailer has promised new markdowns every week until Christmas. Customers can find more information about the chain's price reductions and holiday savings here.

-- Andrea Chang

Kmart announces "Better than Black Friday" deals

After introducing an online layaway program last month, Kmart today announced "Better than Black Friday" specials.

The weekly doorbuster deals start Nov. 6 and include markdowns on electronics, apparel and tools. New deals will be available each Friday through Nov. 20.

A sample of deals include:

$15 Protégé Boys Basketball Shoes
50% off Little Letters Learning Laptop
$6.99 Men’s Basic Editions Jeans   
25% to 33% off General Electric Trees

Kmart also announced that select stores would be open from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Thanksgiving Day.

-- Andrea Chang

David Lazarus: Watch out when signing up for online services

David Lazarus' latest column, "Real estate company's pitch leads to unexpected bill," is a cautionary tale about a problem that consumer advocates say is becoming all too common: people signing up for one thing online and inadvertently signing up for something else that comes with recurring monthly charges.

Here's an excerpt:

Maria Casanova, an assistant professor of economics at UCLA, toyed with the idea earlier this year of buying a foreclosed property near the Westwood campus. She signed up for a prominent listing service called RealtyTrac.

Casanova, 31, canceled her subscription not long after. Yet a few days ago she discovered that some other real estate company she'd never heard of has been billing her almost $45 a month for the last eight months.

Here's a video from Lazarus on the subject:

So has this kind of stealth co-registration happened to you? Do you worry when you sign up for paid services online that you'll end up with a little extra something that you didn't bank on?

-- Nancy Rivera Brooks

Consumer Confidential: Wine, funky flashlights, Google

Here's your whopping-Wednesday roundup of consumer news from around the Web:

• A little vino with your Slim Jim? Our friends at 7-11 say they'll be introducing a low-priced wine in the United States and Japan. Sold under the Yosemite Road brand, the 7-11 wine will cost about $3.99 and will come in chardonnay and cabernet varieties. Heads up, Two Buck Chuck.
• Did you buy your kids a Halloween flashlight from Target? If so, you got more trick than treat. The Consumer Product Safety Commission has announced a recall of the made-in-China flashlights after receiving multiple reports of the devices overheating and even melting. Needless to say, this represents a burn hazard. More than 600,000 such flashlights were sold, so make sure you're not among the owners.
• Google spent more than $1 million lobbying politicians in Washington during the most recent quarter. They grow up so fast, don't they?

-- David Lazarus