Consumer reports: Total recall:New Web site alerts public to hazardous products

By the ors of Consumer Reports - 11/05/2007

It may be time to drop the landline and go all cellular.

As hordes of Americans prepare to buy millions of toys and gifts as well as food and drink for feasting for the upcoming holiday seasons, consumers are justifiably concerned about keeping their loved ones safe from tainted products.

The tide of unsafe imports rises higher. The recalls, many from China, keep on coming — poisonous pet food, contaminated fish, brightly painted but toxic toys sold by trusted companies. Recently, Wal-Mart recalled toy farm animals and J.C. Penney recalled Winnie-the-Pooh play sets all due to lead content.

Consumers now have a new one-stop resource available for information about everything from recalls and congressional action involving hazardous products and foods. Consumers Union (CU), the nonprofit publisher of Consumer Reports magazine, recently launched a new Web site, www.NotInMyCart.org.

The Web site offers news on the latest recalls from the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). It also features CU’s recommendations for ensuring that products the U.S. imports and sells are safe. In addition, the Web site provides tips from Consumer Reports on how consumers can keep their homes safe, and includes updates on what Congress and the Administration are doing to make our food supply, toys and other products safer.

On a more personal level, the Web site features a “share your story” section where consumers can share their experiences with hazardous food, products and imports so other consumers can learn from their experiences.

“With so much in the news about hazardous imports and unsafe levels of lead in toys, people don’t know how to find safe products and get rid of unsafe ones,” said Donald Mays, senior director of Product Safety Planning and Technical Administration for Consumers Union.

“People who agree real safeguards need to be enacted can also contact lawmakers to push for strong legislation to mend the hole in the safety net,” added Mays.

In recent years, imports have skyrocketed, especially from China. The value of all imports increased by 67 percent between 2000 and 2006, and today 80 percent of all toys sold in the United States are imported from China. Of all the food we consume, 13 percent is imported, and 83 percent of the seafood is imported, yet less than 1 percent is inspected.

Visit www.NotInMyCart.org for the latest information on hazardous products and food.

Tips to cut your phone bill Phone service is a monthly expense that can easily get out of control if you let it. Consumer Reports’ Money Adviser offers tips to help even big talkers pay less for phone service.

1. Choose an unlimited plan. For less than $50 or so a month, you can get unlimited local and long-distance landline service.

2. Use a card for long distance. At Costco, CR found a 700-minute prepaid card from Verizon for $19.99, which works out to less than 3 cents a minute. Some lesser-known companies have even lower rates.

3. Reach for your cell phone first. If your wireless plan provides free evening and weekend calling, don’t forget to use your cell phone instead of your landline.

4. Switch to VoIP. Voice over Internet protocol transmits calls over the Internet. Services such as Vonage or Verizon’s VoiceWing provide unlimited local and long- distance dialing for about $20 a month, plus $40 or so a month for broadband or DSL service.

5. Go all cellular. Some 14 percent of households use a cell phone as their only phone. That choice may be especially economical if your contract provides more time than you’re using or if you can add minutes inexpensively.

6. Consider prepaid cell phones. If your children’s endless chatter on your family plan is running up your bill, think about switching them to a prepaid cell phone that provides a set number of minutes and might give them a useful lesson in budgeting.

Visit the Consumer Reports Web site at www.consumereports.org.