Consumer Watch Archives

AT&T to pay $60 million to settle FTC complaint over its unlimited data plans

November 5, 2019November 6, 2019 Dan-Reina Aquino

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) announced that AT&T will pay $60 million to settle its lawsuit against the company over its unlimited data plans. In 2014, the FTC sued AT&T for allegedly misleading its millions of smartphone customers by charging them for unlimited data plans while reducing their data speeds. The consumer watchdog found that the wireless provided failed to adequately disclose to customers that if they use up a certain amount of data at given cycle; it will throttle their data speeds. At some point, customers experience difficulty using…

Taco Bell recalls 2.3 million pounds of seasoned beef possibly contaminated with metal shavings

October 15, 2019November 5, 2019 Marivic Cabural Summers

Taco Bell immediately recalled around 2.3 million pounds of seasoned beef from its restaurants and distribution centers after a customer complained of finding a metal shaving in an order. The company’s supplier Kenosha Beef International also issued a voluntary call of its seasoned beef possibly contaminated with foreign matter specifically metal shaving. Kenosha produced the contaminated seasoned beef product at one plant and were sent Taco Bell’s distribution centers in Michigan, New Jersey, New York, Ohio and Virgiania. Taco Bell and Kenosha reported the recall to the U.S. Department of…

Refunds: FTC sending checks to consumers defrauded by LifeLock, Pro Timeshare Resales

October 11, 2019October 17, 2019 Marivic Cabural Summers

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is sending refunds to customers deceived by LifeLock and to those defrauded by Pro Timeshare Resales, LLC. According to the FTC, the total amount of the consumer refunds is $33.7 million including $31 million from LifeLock and $2.7 million from Pro Time Share Resales. The refunds were part of the consumer watchdog’s settlement agreements with both companies. LifeLock consumers will receive checks with an average amount $29 In 2015, LifeLock agreed to pay $100 million to settle the FTC’s lawsuit alleging that the identity theft…

AdvoCare to pay $150 million for allegedly operating a pyramid scheme

October 2, 2019October 4, 2019 Marivic Cabural Summers

Is AdvoCare International operating a pyramid scheme? The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) said so in its lawsuit against the company, its former CEO Connolly, top promoters Danny and Diane McDaniel and distributors Carlton and Lisa Hardman. AdvoCare is selling weight-management and sports performance products using a multi-level marketing strategy. The company is based in Plano, Texas. Details of the settlement agreement between AdvoCare and FTC On Wednesday, the FTC announced the AdvoCare together with the other defendants agreed to settle its allegations against them and agreed to pay a monetary…

REFUND: FTC sending checks to victims of student loan debt relief scam

September 30, 2019October 17, 2019 Marivic Cabural Summers

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is sending more than $5.4 million in refunds to thousands of consumers who were victims of student loan debt relief scam. The refunds were part of a 2018 settlement agreement between the FTC and five student debt relief scam operators who bilked millions of dollars from consumers. These scammers, who operated their schemes using multiple names (see list below), falsely claimed that consumers who paid an upfront fee of up to $1,000 were qualified or approved for loan forgiveness or reduced monthly payments. In fact,…

ALERT: One Dead, 121 Sickened from E. coli Outbreak Linked to Romaine Lettuce

May 2, 2018January 11, 2019 Marivic Cabural Summers

The E. coli outbreak linked to romaine lettuce from the growing region of Yuma, Arizona became worse. One person died in California and more people became ill in other states, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). On Wednesday, the CDC said it received reports of 23 additional cases of E. coli infection from ten states. As of May 1, the total number of people sickened from the outbreak is 121 in 25 states. They were infected with the outbreak strain of E. coli O157:H7. According…

ConAgra Foods Expands Recall of P.F. Chang’s Frozen Meals

July 18, 2016January 11, 2019 Melinda Manato

ConAgra Foods (NYSE:CAG) expanded its voluntary recall of P.F. Chang’s Home Menu Brand products due to potential foreign matter contamination. The company initially recalled 3,806 pounds of frozen meals on July 7. If you recently bought P.F. Chang’s frozen chicken and beef entrée items, double-check if it is included in the expanded recall. ConAgra is now recalling 195,000 pounds of frozen meals, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS). ConAgra initially discovered the food safety problem when an employee observed metal fragments while dispensing…

Hoverboards Made in China: 500K Units Recalled Due to Fire Hazard

July 6, 2016July 6, 2016 Melinda Manato

More than 500,000 units of self-balancing scooters popularly known as hoverboards have been recalled due to fire hazard, according to the Consumer Product safety Commission (CPSC). According to the CPSC, ten companies including Digital Gadgets LLC, Hoverboard LLC, Hype Wireless, Keenford, PTX Performance Products USA, Swagway LLC, Yuka Clothing, Boscov’s and Overstock.com are recalling certain brands of hoverboards. After months of excellent, round-the-clock work by our engineers, investigators and compliance officers, CPSC has secured the recall of more than a half million hoverboards by 10 different companies. This is a…

General Mills Expands Flour Recall as More People Report Illness Linked to E.coli

July 1, 2016July 1, 2016 Melinda Manato

General Mills expanded its flour recall under the brands Gold Medal, Wondra, and Signature Kitchens to include those produced in earlier in the fall as more people reported illness linked to E. coli. According to the company, “a newly-reported illness appears to have stemmed from the consumption of dough or batter linked to flour produced last fall.” The latest report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) indicated four more people have been infected with Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC O121) in four states including Arizona, Colorado, Oklahoma and…