Action: Flowering trees don't arrive, but a refund check does

On April 9, I ordered six flowering shade trees from Gardener's Choice in Hartford, Mich. My check for $22.47 was cashed on April 24, but I have yet to receive the trees. I have had no response to a letter, e-mails and calls to the company and would appreciate your help. Dolores Lapointe

Response: Your call that you had received your refund arrived a day after we received the same information from the company. With our summer heat, we're glad you got a refund and not the trees.

Recent recalls

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

3,000 Plan Toys pull-along snails by BRIO Corp.; the eyes can detach, posing a choking hazard to young children. Call toll-free 1-888-274-6869 between 9:30 a.m. and 6 p.m. weekdays.

110,000 Toddler Tote activity sets and 11,000 Familiar Things toddler puzzles by Lauri Inc.; the dog puzzle included with both products and the rubber handle on the box of the activity set can tear into small pieces and pose a choking hazard to small children. Call toll-free 1-800-451-0520 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. weekdays.

880 sorter toys by Small World Toys; the plastic windows on the "see-inside" sorting blocks can break, releasing the beads inside and posing a choking hazard to children. The recalled Sort & See sorting box, sold from May through June, is made of hardwood and has the words "Ryan's Room" printed on one side of the sorter box. Return to store where purchased for refund. Call toll-free 1-800-421-4153 between 11:30 a.m. and 7:30 p.m. weekdays.

59,000 Model 8 Roadsters manufactured before January by Radio Flyer Inc.; a child can pull the horn from the steering wheel, releasing a small part inside that poses a choking hazard. Recalled roadsters have a date of manufacture label MD 12/2001 or earlier and have a "horn symbol" embossed on the red rubber horn. Call toll-free 1-800-708-9246 between 9:30 a.m. and 6 p.m. weekdays to order replacement steering wheel; Web site: www.radioflyer.com.

14,000 All-Terrain Vehicles (ATVs) by Yamaha Motor Corp.; a mounting-bracket weld on the rear hub can come loose, resulting in rear brake failure and possible injury to operators. Affected are 1997 Warrior (all VINs); 1998 Warrior (VIN JY43GDW09WA199820 to JY43GDW00WA207657); 1998 Warrior (VIN JY4AH01Y9WA000002 to JY4AH01Y5WA000241). Contact local Yamaha dealer for free inspection-repair. Call toll-free 1-800-889-2624; Web site: www.yamaha-motor.com.

1,800 heavy-duty, stainless-steel gas grills by Flat Rock Grill Co.; the glass casing of the thermometer displays attached to these grills can break or shatter, creating a risk of cuts or other serious injuries. Affected are Flat Rock Grill Shoreline Series Models 2000 and 3000, sold for about $1,200 from July 1999 through the early part of this month. Remove thermometers and call toll-free 1-888-308-7399 between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. weekdays for free replacement; Web site: www.flatrockgrill.com. Thermometers with the word "Trend" written within the casing are not included in the recall.

40,409 100-count bottles of Nature's Way Nettle capsules by Nature's Way; the capsules contain elevated amounts of lead. Affected are product code 15150; lot numbers 131237, 131238, 140738 and 215229. Call toll-free 1-800-283-3323.

60,000 Red Devil gas grills sold at Wal-Mart; the product's design allows consumers to light the grill at an air intake tube instead of at the burner. Though the grill appears to function normally, gas inside the air intake tube ignites. The tube can reach temperatures of up to 750 degrees and presents a burn hazard to consumers. In some earlier grills, the heat produced by lighting the grill at the air intake tube damaged the plastic support piece and the grill fell to the ground, posing a risk of burns and fire from the flames. Return to store where purchased for refund. Call toll-free 1-800-925-6278; Web site: www.walmart.com.

A warning was issued by the CPSC in May about 155,000 of these grills after the manufacturers, e4L Inc. and Quantum North America Inc., declared bankruptcy. The grills were sold through television infomercials and retail stores. The Home Shopping Network (HSN) and QVC notified customers directly and provided a remedy. Consumers who purchased Red Devil Gas Grills from a retailer other than Wal-Mart should contact the retailer, and if that retailer does not provide a refund, repair or replacement for the grill, call the CPSC at toll-free 1-800-638-2772.

Chifles brand Spicy Caribbean Plantain chips (2 ounces, 5 ounces and 8 ounces) and Chifles Spicy Caribbean Cassava chips (4 ounces) by Plantain Products; product contains undeclared whey. All codes up to expiration code "9-11-2002" are involved. Call (813) 626-9486 in Tampa.

About 7,700 bicycle suspension seat posts by Cane Creek Cycling Components (Cane Creek); the seat post's cradle, which attaches to the bicycle seat, can break, posing the risk of falls and serious injury to riders. The recalled Thudbuster suspension seat posts are black and silver and have a range of serial numbers between 10894 and 18710. Call toll-free 1-800-234-2725 between 11:30 a.m. and 8:30 p.m. weekdays.

2,250 packages of Asian boy "Frozen Steamed Mackerel" by BCN Trading Inc.; the fish was not eviscerated before processing and may be contaminated with Clostridium botulinum spores, which can cause botulism, a serious and potentially fatal food-borne illness. The product is packaged in an uncoded, two-fish wicker basket, inside poly bag, UPC code 8935026010899, product of Vietnam. Consumers are advised not to eat the fish. Call (718) 522-3388.

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.; USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline at toll-free 1-800-535-4555; government food safety information at www.foodsafety.gov; National Highway Transportation Safety Administration's Auto Safety Hotline, www.nhtsa.dot.gov/hotline; toll-free 1-888-327-4236.

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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