Ensure holiday toys are safe

By Suzanne Palmer
Published December 2, 2007

Many of you may already have sifted through the sales circulars looking for the best buys on toys for kids on your Christmas lists.

The Consumer Product Safety Commission reminds you to shop safely. Use labels that give age and safety recommendations as a guide.

The leading causes of toy-related fatalities include choking and aspiration of toy parts, the CPSC says. Be sure to look for sturdy construction, such as tightly secured eyes, noses and other small parts.

For all children under 8, avoid toys that have sharp edges and points. For children under age 6, avoid building sets with small magnets, which can cause serious injury if swallowed.

Phone charge dispute

Q: On May 3, 2006, my wife and I visited an Alltel store to find a phone plan with fewer minutes than our current one.

The sales agent told us Alltel didn't offer a plan with fewer than our 300 minutes. In fact, our current plan was no longer being offered. He said we could continue service under that plan, but without a contract. If we needed new phones, we would have to pay for them.

The agent offered us a good price on a basic, discontinued phone. We decided to upgrade.

We were not asked to sign a new contract or extend our plan, so I assumed we would continue on a month-to-month basis as we had since January 2005.

After canceling service this year, we received a bill of $459.99 for an early termination fee.

I didn't sign a new contract, so how could I cancel one early?

Juan Segredo

A: LaTonya Williams, an Alltel executive customer relations representative, said the discount you received on your phones, $79.99 per line, required a two-year contract. You received service under your original, though now discontinued, plan.

The contract is outlined on your first bill,and the 15-day cancellation and return policy is printed on your receipt.

"According to Alltel's terms and conditions, Alltel does not maintain a copy of the written contract," Williams said. That's why the company hasn't sent you one.

Alltel maintains that by accepting the lower payment for your phones, you agreed to the two-year contract. When you canceled service before May 3, 2008, it applied the early termination fee of $200 per line. Williams offered to waive one of the early termination fees but insists the remaining balance is valid.

Write Times Action, P.O. Box 1121, St. Petersburg, FL 33731, or call (727) 893-8171, or, outside of Pinellas, toll-free 1-800-333-7505, ext. 8171.

[Last modified November 28, 2007, 17:10:27]