uWhole Foods Apologizes For Accidentally Selling $6 Bottles Of “Asparagus Water”r

4 4 4 9

• 

  (AlishaV)

  While there are many ridiculous food trends out there, most food faddists would be forced to take pause at a $6 bottle of water with a few asparagus stalks hanging out in it. And to our supreme relief, it turns out that not even Whole Foods is willing to go that far into the realm of unnecessary products, calling a recent “Asparagus Water” offering a mistake.

  Eater.com followed up on an Instagram post with an image of bottles of water displayed for sale at $5.99, each with three stalks of asparagus hanging out inside, at a Brentwood, CA Whole Foods store:

  

  Eater made a few calls, as the date on the bottles is current, and of course wanted to know how could this possibly be a real thing, if this is the world we’re living in now, etc.: a worker in the produce department explained that the bottles have been on the shelf for the last few days, and added that the product is exactly what it seems.

  “It’s water, and we sort of cut asparagus stalks down so they’re shorter, and put them into the container,” he told Eater, adding that it’s meant to be a beverage, and that the “nutrients from the asparagus do transfer into the water.”

  However, rest easy, folks. Whole Foods corporate says this was never meant to be, and it will not be selling Asparagus Water anytime soon. A media relations rep told Eater that the water’s appearance on the shelf was a mixup:

  “We appreciate you bringing this to our attention. We looked into this right away and found that this item was being carried in just one of our stores in California,” the rep explained. “It was meant to be water with the essence of vegetables and/or mushrooms to be used as broth (similar to a bone broth), which are typically made over a long period of time soaking in water. The product was made incorrectly and has since been removed from the one store where it was carried.”

  The rep added that to clarify, Asparagus Water is not a thing, it will never be a thing, and it only happened once in that one California store. If you want it, you’ll just have to make your own at home.

  Whole Foods’ $6 Asparagus Water Is Just Water With Three Stalks of Asparagus in It [Eater.com]

  
• 
  

ribbi

by Mary Beth Quirk via Consumerist

uDon’t Expect An End To Sketchy Hotel Resort Fees Anytime Soonr

4 4 4 9

• 

  In spite of the fact that some hotels, like The Venetian in Las Vegas, are hiding their resort fees in microprint — and not even including it in the total price, but charging it separately at check-in — the Federal Trade Commission refuses to address the issue any further.

  In 2012, it looked like the Federal Trade Commission might finally be cracking down on hotel “resort fees,” mandatory surcharges added above the listed price of some hotel rooms. At the time, the agency sent warnings to 22 different hotel operators warning them that they weren’t doing enough to disclose these fees, but no legal actions have been taken since, in spite of the fact that some popular tourist destinations are hiding their resort fees until the final payment screen. And judging by the FTC’s latest response to these concerns, you probably shouldn’t expect this to change in the near future.

  In July, consumer advocacy group Travelers United called on the FTC to put an end to deceptive resort fees and take action against hotel operators that refused to oblige.

  Some U.S. legislators followed up on this report. Sen. Bob Casey of Pennsylvania wrote the FTC [PDF], suggesting that the Commission strengthen its advertising standards to “better serve the public in making well-informed decisions regarding their hotel stays and to prevent behavior that misleads middle-class families.”

  Likewise, Sen. Claire McCaskill of Missouri also sent a letter [PDF] to the FTC about resort fees, pointing out that while hotels may be doing a better job of publicizing resort fees, the number of hotels charging these fees has doubled in recent years.

  “To further compound the problem,” writes McCaskill, “even the modest improvement in the disclosure of these fees on some booking sites has been offset by the trend of more Americans booking travel over smart phones and other mobile devices that do not have adequate space to prominently display fees.”

  But in the FTC’s response [PDF] to Sen. Casey’s letter, there is an apparent lack of urgency on the Commission’s part.

  While the FTC claims that it has a “strong interest protecting consumer confidence in the online marketplace,” the only specific action the agency references is the batch of 22 warning letters sent out in 2012. It mentions subsequent warning letters but provides no details on when or how many hotel operators were involved.

  “These efforts have resulted in significant improvements to travel website displays,” contends the FTC. “Numerous companies now prominently disclose resort fees early in the booking process, and right next to the advertised room rate… Importantly, these websites also add the resort fee to the ‘total’ price shown for the stay.””

  However, that claim does not jive in any way with our recent look at resort fees for Las Vegas hotels. We looked at three hotels on the Vegas strip and only one even listed the resort fee on the initial page with listed the listed room rate. None of them included the resort fee in the total price until it came to enter billing information. In fact, one of the three hotels didn’t even include it then, but listed it as a per-night charge to be paid separately at check-in.

  Sen. Casey is not as obviously disappointed in the FTC’s “we’ve done enough, now leave us alone” response.

  “Senator Casey appreciates the FTCs response and their continued attention to this issue,” reads a statement from his office, which says the senator “will continue to monitor the situation closely and press the FTC to take aggressive action to ensure consumers are given fair warning about these fees.”

  
• 
  

ribbi

by Chris Morran via Consumerist

uRobot Driver Continues Time-Honored Tradition Of Totally Freaking Out Drive-Thru Workersr

4 4 4 9

• 

  (MagicofRahat on YouTube)

  Do you know why we’re so certain the robot uprising is in the future? Because humans just can’t resist the lure of artificial intelligence, even if it’s just to freak out fast food workers at the drive-thru. Which, we must admit, is pretty funny.

  Following in the time-honored tradition of scaring the bejesus out of strangers — a pastime YouTube user MagicofRahat previously enjoyed by terrifying drive-thru workers with a skeleton driver — this time it’s an animatronic fella surprising folks with his eerily human visage.

  Some workers seem a bit skeptical and aware that they’re being pranked as the robot first pulls up (with his human creator hidden behind him to control the car), a calm exterior that more often than not changes to shrieks of fright when the mechanical man suddenly turns and shouts, “HELLO!”

  A personal favorite moment comes when one worker coolly slides the drive-thru window shut and locks it, only to return to accept the robot’s money while bemoaning her lack of a weapon.

  The sad thing is? This won’t be nearly as funny when we have driverless cars.

  In further “freaking out people in the drive-thru” reading: Batman Is In Your Taco Bell Drive-Thru Stealing Your Food; Don’t Hack Into The Taco Bell Drive Thru And Yell Obscenities At Customers

  
• 
  

ribbi

by Mary Beth Quirk via Consumerist

uT-Mobile Officially Passes Sprint, Clocks In At No. 3 Among Wireless Providersr

4 4 4 9

• 

  (Mike Mozart)

  After months of speculation that T-Mobile might finally surpass Sprint to become the nation’s #3 wireless provider, the numbers are in and the two companies have officially switched positions.

  Re/Code reports that Sprint’s latest quarterly earnings report reveals that the company only gained a total of 650,000 customers, only a fraction of the approximately 2 million users T-Mobile says it signed on during the same time period.

  The shift isn’t exactly unexpected, as Sprint has reported losses or no growth in several recent quarters. Still, the company is optimistic for the future.

  “Over the past year, Sprint has made meaningful progress in our turnaround by improving our network performance and enhancing our overall value proposition,” CEO Marcelo Claure said in a statement to Re/Code.

  The race between Sprint and T-Mobile not to finish last amongst the big four wireless providers has been ongoing for quite some time, with T-Mobile CEO John Legere egging on the competition.

  Back in February, T-Mobile claimed it was already bigger than Sprint, but as Re/Code reports Sprint was buoyed by a larger pre-paid market at the time.

  Still, that didn’t stop Legere from spouting off about the more intense rivalry.

  “Going into 2013, Sprint had 55 million customers. Going into ’14, they had 55 million customers. Going into this year, they have 55 million customers,” he says, pointing to Sprint’s lack of growth. Meanwhile, during that same period, T-Mobile jumped from 33 million to 42 million based solely on the acquisition of MetroPCS, “and we’ve since added 13 million customers to get up to, guess what, 55 million customers,” he said on a call about the company’s latest earning reports.

  We’ve checked Legere’s Twitter, where he often likes to opine about the company’s success and his competitions’ woes, but it looks like he hasn’t gotten around to gloating about T-Mobile’s new status as no-longer-the-caboose in the wireless carrier train.

  Sprint Falls to No. 4 Among Wireless Carriers by Number of Subscribers [Re/Code]

  
• 
  

ribbi

by Ashlee Kieler via Consumerist

uWhy Do I Keep Seeing Commercials For Everest University?r

4 4 4 9

• 

  Commercials for Everest University continue to appear on TV, because the schools are now operated by Zenith Education Corp.

  If you’re sitting at home watching television on any given afternoon, you’re likely to see a few commercials touting the supposed convenience and benefits of attending a for-profit college. But with the recent, very public collapse of now-bankrupt Corinthian Colleges Inc — and the closure of many of its schools — you might be wondering why your Jerry Springer show is being interrupted with ads for Everest University.

  That’s because, if you remember, another company – Education Credit Management Corporation – swooped in to purchased 56 Everest and WyoTech campuses in various parts of the country, just two months before CCI’s remaining Everest, Heald College and Wyotech campuses were closed.

  When ECMC revealed its plans to purchase the beleaguered for-profit brands, it announced it would run the schools under its new Zenith Education Group division and transition them from for-profit to nonprofit status.

  Additionally, the company said it would create a program to eliminates some of the schools’ worst performing programs and removing binding, mandatory arbitration from enrollment agreements.

  Despite these changes, the commercials for the new Everest are remarkably similar and give the impression that things are business as usual, as one reader tells Consumerist.

  On a recent afternoon at his home in the Northwest U.S. our reader saw a “familiar Everest ad, the one with the young, nervous appearing, woman.”

  While our reader was right to think that it was odd for a company that had closed to continue advertising, it turns out the Everest schools in his area are actually continuing to operate under the Zenith Education Group.

  That only brings up the question: If your company spent $24 million to buy schools with a brand name synonymous with inflated graduation rates, federal investigations and unfair business practices, wouldn’t you maybe change the moniker and branding?

  One might think that would be the logical step for a corporation, but it’s not always economically feasible. And that’s apparently the case with ECMC/Zenith and the Everest and WyoTech schools it purchased.

  Dave Hawn, President and CEO of ECMC Group and Interim President and CEO of Zenith Education Group, tells Consumerist in a statement that the company understands consumers’ confusion about what schools have closed and which remain open under Zenith leadership.

  To be clear, there are currently 46 Everest University campuses and three WyoTech campuses still operating, while another seven Everest schools are on a teach-out program, meaning they are no longer enrolling new students.

  “Although we considered rebranding, it would be a lengthy and expensive process for more than 45 schools, and we would rather invest those funds in programs that directly support student success,” Hawn says.

  But it wasn’t all about the money, he says. In fact, he contends that keeping the name has made it easier for students.

  “Keeping the Everest name helped minimize disruption for existing students when we assumed ownership of the schools,” he says. “Ultimately, we believe that Zenith’s system-wide focus on student completion and graduate placement, as well as our tuition reductions and grant programs for students in financial need, will help create positive awareness of our schools.”

  So it doesn’t appear that Zenith is worried about any kind of negative connotation that might be attached to the Everest or WyoTech names – familiar commercials or not.

  
• 
  

ribbi

by Ashlee Kieler via Consumerist

uUnited, American Airlines Also Announce Bans On Shipping Exotic Animal Trophiesr

4 4 4 9

• 

  (kevindean)

  Following Delta Air Lines’ announcement yesterday that it wouldn’t allow lion, leopard, elephant, rhinoceros and buffalo trophies as freight on its planes, both United Airlines and American Airlines have joined in to say they’re also banning big game trophies.

  United Airlines said Monday that it would also prohibit transportation of those same five animals.

  “United restricts the shipment of lion, leopard, elephant, rhinoceros and buffalo trophies on our aircraft. [The ban on animals] that are not already protected species are effective immediately,” the airline said in a statement.

  “We felt it made sense to do so,” a United spokesman told Bloomberg News on Monday in disclosing the carrier’s ban.

  Another United spokeswoman told the Washington Post that the airline had not shipped those five animals as freight previously.

  “United also follows all U.S. domestic and international regulations, which prohibits the possession of trophies or other items associated with protected species,” she said.

  Delta is the only carrier with direct routes to South Africa. Currently, United only serves one destination in Africa — Lagos, Nigeria — and American doesn’t fly to Africa, but it does have partners that do.

  It joined the big game ban late on Monday as well, with a Tweet:

  Effective immediately, we will no longer transport buffalo, elephant, leopard, lion or rhino trophies.

  — American Airlines (@AmericanAir) August 4, 2015

  None of the airlines referenced a reason for the bans, but the announcements come in the aftermath of the death of a beloved lion named in in Zimbabwe, where a dentist from Minnesota is said to have lured him from a national park reserve during a hunt and killed him.

  
• 
  

ribbi

by Mary Beth Quirk via Consumerist

uUber Driver Accused Of Rape Used Phony Permit To Driver

4 4 4 9

• Uber is once again under fire for its system of vetting drivers after the city of Dallas claims that an Uber driver accused of raping a passenger was operating on a bogus permit and should never have made it through the company’s screening process.

  On July 25, an Uber car picked up a woman and drove her to her home in the West Oak Cliff neighborhood of Dallas. He allegedly followed her inside and raped her.

  Now the city is pointing the finger squarely at Uber for hiring this driver without noticing what appear to be multiple red flags.

  In Dallas, ride-booking drivers must pass a city background check before getting a permit to operate, but officials in the Texas town say that this driver not only never applied for one of these permits, but that he would not have been given one because of a previous felony conviction for assault with force likely to cause injury.

  He was also in prison as recently as 2012, when he was released after serving time on a federal weapons charge. Dallas regulations prevent convicted felons from obtaining a permit within five years of release.

  Instead, reports the Dallas Morning News, the driver obtained a permit with a number belonging to a different driver. That permit expired in 2010.

  Uber tells the News that the company is “still investigating this terrible situation,” and that it is
  “conducting a thorough internal review and working with local officials to gather and sort through all the facts.”

  The city gives Uber and other ride-sharing services access to a database to assist in doing their background checks.

  “Clearly, Uber never checked this database and was conned by a faked document,” a spokesman for the Taxicab, Limousine and Paratransit Association, which has been vehemently opposed to services like Uber, tells the News. “The result is another Uber passenger suffering a sexual assault. This is why law enforcement — not Uber itself — should be background checking Uber drivers.”

  
• 
  

ribbi

by Chris Morran via Consumerist