Action: A second fleece pullover is shipped

I receive a newsletter from Dove soap, and in this past fall's issue there was an offer for a fleece pullover. I sent the required two proofs of purchase plus a check for the shipping-handling charge of $3.99 on Oct. 3.

The delivery date was 10 to 12 weeks, but to date I have not received a thing. I wrote a letter Jan. 19 to the only address available, but it was returned a short while later marked "box closed." I hope you can help resolve this matter. Dorothy Spielmeyer

Response: According to an unsigned letter from Young America's Chanhassen, Minn., consumer affairs department, your fleece pullover was shipped Oct. 24. It was never returned to the company's fulfillment house as undeliverable. Another one has now been shipped.

Your letter was returned to you because the offer had expired and the P.O. box was closed. It is customary for companies or their fulfillment houses to dedicate special post office boxes for rebate and other offers. This serves to corral all mail regarding a specific offer in one box and also to close the box as soon as the offer expires.

If you need to contact the company regarding this offer again, write to: Young America Corp., P.O. Box 8100, Dept. BBB-Gwen, Young America, MN 55551-8100.

Still on the subject of the Dove fleece pullover offer, the same thing happened to Herb Sirota. A second pullover has been shipped to him as well.

Dental plan enrollment

I enrolled in a discount dental plan that was offered by Sam's Club and sent in a check for $6.95, which was cashed Jan. 12. I did not hear from the company, Protective Dental Advantage, so I called the toll-free number and was told I would receive my membership in the mail within five business days.

In fact, I called two more times and was told the same thing, but still no membership. I would like to become a member of this plan, but if the company is not interested in me, I would appreciate it sending my $6.95 back to me. Edward Castaldo

Response: Julie Day, resolutions coordinator for Protective Consumer Direct in Birmingham, Ala., said your enrollment in the Protective Dental Advantage plan was entered into the company's system Dec. 12, and a fulfillment kit sent out by SmartMail. By using SmartMail's tracking system, she was able to trace your fulfillment kit to Tampa, where it was distributed to the local delivery unit for delivery to your address Dec. 19.

In the meantime, she said another kit was ordered for you on April 15. We hope this one makes it to you. If not, call the company toll-free at 1-800-565-3827.

Recent recalls

The following products, distributed nationwide and in Florida, were recalled between April 19 and 25:

990 cribs by Vermont Precision Woodworks; the slats on the cribs can loosen and detach from the drop side rail, creating a large opening between the slats where a child's head or neck could become entrapped, resulting in serious injury or death. Included are models 7010 Alpine, 7020 Caspian, 7030 Coventry, 7040 Dunmore and 7070 Haystack. Call toll-free 1-866-869-7974 any time.

4,300 Hitchhiker III Trailer Bikes by InSTEP LLC; the bike's universal joint system can fail, causing a rider to lose control of the bike, posing a risk of injury to either of the two riders. Call toll-free 1-800-242-6110 between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. weekdays; Web site www.instep.net.

2,200 bicycles by Specialized Bicycle Components Inc.; the rear seatstay, the tube behind the seat that connects the rear axle to the rear shock, can break, possibly causing the rider to lose control and crash. The recall involves model year 2002 Enduro Pro FSR, Enduro Expert FSR, Enduro Comp FSR and Enduro FSR. Return bicycles to local Specialized dealer for a new rear seatstay, which will be installed at no charge. Call toll-free 1-800-214-1468 between 11 a.m. and 8 p.m. weekdays.

45,000 Energy Smart Power Planners (a device connected between motorized appliances and wall outlets to save electricity) by Coast Energy Management Inc.; the Power Planners have reversed polarity, posing a shock hazard. Recalled units have a 10-amp rating, model numbers SP010-N or SP010-NV, and lot numbers 6/2-01, 10/2-01, 25/2- 01, 28/5-01, 20/6-01 and units without a lot number. Call toll-free 1-800-808-8897 between 10 a.m. and 7 p.m. weekdays; Web site www.energysmart.com.

5,900 Paragon, Quantum and Omega (model year 2000/2001) treadmills by Horizon Fitness; a component of the electronic control panel can malfunction, causing the motor and walking belt to accelerate rapidly; the user can lose balance and fall. Call toll-free 1-866-864-3840 or 1-888-993-3199 between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. weekdays (have serial number available).

2.5-million Glade Extra Outlet Scented Oil Air Fresheners, model number"SCJ079," in Sky Breezeand Mystical Gardenfragrances, by SC Johnson; they may have been misassembled during manufacture, which could pose a risk of fire. Call toll-free 1-800-571-0920 between 9 a.m. and 7 p.m.; Web site www.scjohnson.com.

-- Sources: SafetyAlerts at www.safetyalerts.com; Consumer Product Safety Commission at www.cpsc.gov, toll-free 1-800-638-2772; Food and Drug Administration at www.fda.gov.; government food safety information at www.foodsafety.gov.

- Action solves problems and gets answers for you. If you have a question, or your own attempts to resolve a consumer complaint have failed, write Times Action, P.O. Box 1121, St. Petersburg, FL 33731, or call your Action number, (727) 893-8171, or, outside of Pinellas, toll-free 1-800-333-7505, ext. 8171, to leave a recorded request.

Requests will be accepted only by mail or voice mail; calls cannot be returned. We will not be responsible for personal documents, so please send only photocopies. If your complaint concerns merchandise ordered by mail, we need copies of both sides of your canceled check.

We may require additional information or prefer to reply by mail; therefore, readers must provide a full mailing address, including ZIP code. Names of letter writers will not be omitted except in unusual circumstances. Letters may be edited for length and clarity.

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