The Survive and Thrive Boomer Guide

CFMK surface mount brackets for CPANL LEDs are being recalled by Lithonia Lighting due to impact hazard

Lithonia Lighting is recalling about 318,500 CFMK surface mount brackets used with CPANL LEDs in the United States and about 11,600 in Canada.

The brackets can fail to securely surface mount the CPANL LED and fall unexpectedly, posing a risk of injury from impact.

The firm has received 24 reports of CPANL LEDs coming loose or falling from the CFMK bracket, resulting in one injury.

Blowers recalled by Intertex due to fire hazard

Intertex is recalling about 189,000 B-Air, BlueDri, BlueDri Pro, and Soleaire Blowers in the United States and about 8,153 in Canada.

The utility outlets on the side of the blowers aren’t protected by a circuit breaker. If the outlet becomes overloaded or short-circuited, it could overheat, posing a fire hazard.

No incidents or injuries have been reported.

Cars, home improvement top the list of consumer complaints for 2019, survey shows

Problems with car sales and repairs and home improvement and construction once again topped the list of complaints reported to state and local consumer agencies across the country, according to an annual survey by the Consumer Federation of America.

“When the used car you just bought breaks down or your new roof leaks, who are you going to call? asked Susan Grant, director of consumer protection and privacy for CFA. “It’s your state or local consumer agency.”

Grant conducted the survey, which included participation by 31 agencies from 19 states this year. It asked about the most common, the fastest-growing, and the worst complaints agencies received in 2019.

Top 10 complaints in 2019

These are the complaints most frequently cited as the top problems reported to state and local consumer agencies last year:

Baby boomers comment on covid-19 restrictions and other things going on in their lives

It’s week 18 of covid-19 restrictions for many of us. I dawned on me the second week in March that I should be staying home. I had been walking in the mall during the winter, but I thought heading there wouldn’t be wise. I’d ride my stationary bicycle for exercise instead until the weather warmed up.

Most of my baby boomer friends are still feeling the effects of about four months of restricted behavior.

They’re writing about:

Facts and figures for Father’s Day 2020

The first Mother's Day was celebrated in 1914, but a holiday honoring fathers didn’t become official until 1966, when President Lyndon Johnson declared that the third Sunday in June would be Father's Day. President Richard Nixon made this proclamation permanent in 1972. However, Father’s Day was celebrated before then.

The idea for Father's Day is attributed to Sonora Dodd, who was raised by her father after her mother's death during childbirth. While listening to a sermon at church on Mother's Day, she thought about all her father had done for her and her siblings and decided fathers should have a day, too. Because Dodd's father was born in June, she encouraged churches in her area, Spokane, Washington, to honor fathers that month. The first Father's Day was celebrated in Spokane in 1910.

Over the years, the idea spread, and people lobbied Congress to establish the holiday.

Shopping

This year three-quarters of consumers say they plan to celebrate Father's Day, according to the annual survey conducted for the National Retail Federation. While fewer consumers expect to take their dads out for Father’s Day, they’re planning other ways to celebrate.

What to buy and not buy at Memorial Day sales 2020

Memorial Day sales have begun, even though stores aren’t operating like they usually do due to the coronavirus pandemic. Shop online for safety or pick up items you’ve ordered from local retail stores.

Many states have opened retail stores, including Georgia, Florida, Texas, and Iowa. However, I wouldn’t take the risk to go shopping for clothes or other items yet. About a dozen states – Alabama, Arizona, Kentucky, Maryland, Minnesota, North Dakota, Texas, Wisconsin, and Mississippi – have opened retail stores even though their coronavirus cases are going up or have plateaued rather than dropping. See this New York Times article on the reopening plans of states.

DealNews.com suggests consumers look for Memorial Day deals on:

Path lighting kits by Sterno Home are being recalled due to shock hazard

Sterno Home is recalling about 77,000 hampton bay, patriot lighting, and paradise light kits with LED power supplies.

The path lights have a defective Sterno Home LED power supply that has a plug blade that can remain in the AC outlet when the LED power supply is pulled from the outlet, posing a risk of electric shock to the user.  

The firm has received one report of the light’s power supply plug blade detaching in an AC outlet. No injuries have been reported.

Electrical connectors made by Leviton Manufacturing are recalled due to shock hazard

Leviton Manufacturing is recalling about 98,000 50 ampere, non-NEMA electrical connectors, plugs, receptacles, and inlets in the United States and about 4,400 units in Canada.

The electrical connection devices can have mislabeled terminal markings, posing an electrical shock hazard.

Leviton has received four reports of mismarked devices, including one report of a consumer who received an electrical shock, and three reports of minor property damage to equipment with which the devices were being used.

Progressive Leasing to pay $175 million to FTC to settle charges it deceived consumers about prices

Progressive Leasing will pay $175 million to settle Federal Trade Commission charges it misled consumers about the price of items purchased through its plans. The company markets rent-to-own payment plans at more than 24,000 retail locations – including stores such as Best Buy, Lowe’s, Big Lot’s, and Kay Jewelers – in 46 states and the District of Columbia.

Consumers who visited retailers to buy items such as furniture, jewelry, or cellphones were often told that Progressive’s payment plans were “same as cash” or “no interest” – leading consumers to believe they wouldn’t be charged more than an item’s sticker price, according to the FTC’s lawsuit filed Monday.

Instead, the lawsuit alleges, consumers paid more than the sticker price, and often paid about twice the sticker price if they made all scheduled payments under the plans. When consumers were presented with the terms of Progressive’s offers, they were shown the “cash price” of the item, as well as the cost of their initial payment and each periodic payment.

Electric receptacles recalled by Pass & Seymour due to burn hazard

Pass & Seymour is recalling about 685,000 commercial-grade tamper resistant duplex electric receptacles.

A manufacturing error in the receptacles could allow consumers to incorrectly force the plug into the receptacle, causing the plug blades to overheat, posing a burn risk to consumers.

No incidents or injuries have been reported.

This recall involves electrical receptacles with model numbers found here. The model number is printed on the labels on the individual product boxes or cartons. “Legrand” is printed on the back of the receptacles. The following manufacturing date codes can be found on the outside of the carton: 43U, 44U, 45U, 46U, 47U, 48U, 49U, 50U, 51U, 52U, 53U, 01V, and 02V.