Action: Magazine marketer comes through with check

I sent for the magazine Soap Opera Updates from Magazine Publication Service in July. My check was cashed Sept. 16. I wrote to the company in December asking for the magazine or my money back. I still have not heard from the company. I have looked for a number to call but cannot find one. I hope you can help me get my $69 back. Trudy Bartholomew

Response: Thanks for your note letting us know that you received a check for $69 from Magazine Publication Service along with a note that it no longer publishes the magazine.

It should come as no surprise to regular readers of the column that we checked out the company with the Better Business Bureau at the Web site, www.bbb.org. According to the report of the Better Business Bureau of Greater Hampton Roads in Norfolk, Va., Magazine Publication Services in Kitty Hawk, N.C., is a shopping service that sells magazines by mail. Any complaints processed by the bureau against this company during its three-year reporting period have been resolved. The number and types of complaints are not unusual for a company in this business.

Recalls

The following products, distributed nationwide and in Florida, were recalled between Feb. 21 and 27:

About 11,200 "Busy Bug" plush toys by Betesh Group; the antenna of the plush toy can be chewed or pulled off, posing a choking hazard to young children. The recalled toy is a small plush bug with a blue stuffed round face and a red musical nose that blinks when pushed, two springy black antenna with orange round fabric ends, and segmented body in various colors and patterns. Discount department stores sold these recalled toys from August 2002 through January for about $7. Return to place of purchase for refund. Call toll-free 1-866-473-0118.

Quaker Oatmeal Brown Sugar Bliss in 16-ounce boxes by Quaker Oats; product may contain almonds. Affected product has Best if Used By dates of SEP 08 03RS, SEP 09 03RS, and SEP 10 03RS. Discard product and return the box top with the Best if Used By information for a full refund to Quaker Plaza Consumer Response, P.O. Box 049001, Suite 13-17, Chicago, IL 60604-9001. Call toll-free1-800-955-1191; Web site: cqwww.quakeroats.com.

1,146 tether kits for Snug Seat Inc. child safety seats; a washer in the kit does not comply with the salt spray requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 213, "Child Restraint Systems." The recall affects Gorilla child safety seat, model number 200-1000, and Spelcast child safety seat, model number 600-1000, manufactured between July 26, 2002, and Jan. 15, 2003. This kit (part number FW-50250-12-ZY) was sold only through durable medical equipment dealers for use by children with special needs. Registered customers will receive a free metal ring kit and repair instructions. Call toll-free 1-800-336-7684.

17,398 automotive safety hammers, used to shatter automotive glass in an emergency, by Bell; the plastic ribs, which hold the safety hammer's metal heads, can break upon use, rendering the hammer useless. Owners who are not contacted within a reasonable amount of time should call (480) 991-5055. NHTSA campaign ID number: 03E004000.

30,478 FX-3 motorcycle helmets manufactured by AFX prior to April 2002; the chin strap was sewn with one bar tack, not the two required by federal motor vehicle safety standards, and weak spots in the front of the helmet may not protect the wearer from serious injury or possible death in the event of a crash. Owners who do not receive notification of free replacement helmet within a reasonable amount of time should call(519) 686-6477; Web site: cqwww.afxhelmets.com. NHTSA campaign ID number: 03E006000.

Lemon, Butter, Sour Cream, Cream cheese, Pineapple, Banana and Sock it to Me, Kentucky pound cakes by Barbara Lotts Cakes; they may contain undeclared food allergens and people with an allergy or sensitivity to nuts, eggs, FD&C Yellow #5 run the risk of serious or life-threatening reactions if they consumer these products. The pound cakes, distributed to Bi Lo Food Chain, Premier Foods, Piggly Wiggly and Food Lion, have the number 40, 41, or 42 in the top left hand corner of the Barbara Lotts Cakes label. Return to place of purchase for refund. Call(229) 776-5428.

8-ounce plastic tubs of Asian Boy Brand Sweet Winter Melon candy by BCN Tading Inc.; the product contains undeclared sulfites, which can cause a serious or life-threatening reaction in persons who are allergic to sulfites. Return to place of purchase for a full refund. Call (718) 522-3388.

-- Sources: SafetyAlerts at www.safetyalerts.com; Consumer Product Safety Commission at cqwww.cpsc.gov, toll-free 1-800-638-2772; Food and Drug Administration at www.fda.gov.; USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline, 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.

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