uAnalysts Say McDonald’s All-Day Breakfast Could Drive Up Egg Prices, Exacerbate Shortager

4 4 4 9

• 

  (NYCandre)

  Before McDonald’s big announcement on Tuesday that it would roll out all-day breakfast across the country starting next month, we wondered if the fast food giant would scrap its plans because of egg shortages caused by the recent avian flu outbreak and the high egg prices that have resulted from it. While we now know that the Golden Arches wasn’t put off by the possibility of dishing out more cash for eggs, its new venture could further aggravate the egg-supply issues plaguing other businesses.

  Industry analysts say that the chain’s foray into all-day breakfast could mean higher prices for other businesses and consumers alike, Bloomberg reports.

  “It’s going to make it harder for everyone,” analyst Darren Tristano tells Bloomberg. “It’s going to lift prices across a lot of those products that use eggs. The cost will likely be passed through to the consumer.”

  An increased strain on the egg industry isn’t exactly surprising with McDonald’s latest menu chain: the company has long been known to shake up the food-supply chain when it adds or removes items from its lineup.

  According to Bloomberg, when the company announced it was going to bring back chicken tenders earlier this year, it boosted the poultry industry.

  Before that, when the company began offering apples as a side item, it became the nation’s largest buyer and seller of the fruit.

  The addition of more eggs to the company’s menu will likely have similar effects, but unlike the poultry industry which had an oversupply of product, the egg industry continues to struggle to come out of the recent avian flu outbreak.

  The shortage of eggs has already shot up prices in recent months, and caused some chains to cut back on their use of the products.

  In June, Texas-based Whataburger trimmed its breakfast hours to cut down on the number of eggs it went through. Dunkin’ Donuts has already scrapped an eggy promotion it had on the calendar for later in the year.

  Some supermarkets are saying the high retail prices for eggs (wholesale prices have more than doubled since the beginning of the year and are expected to keep going up) are keeping retail demand down, but if McDonald’s suddenly needs to significantly increase its egg-buying to make sure it can meet McMuffin demand, it could drive the price even higher.

  McDonald’s All-Day Breakfast Might Make America’s Egg Shortage Worse [Bloomberg]

  
• 
  

ribbi

by Ashlee Kieler via Consumerist

uNCR Confirms Technical Issue Resulted In Duplicate Charges For Some Shoppers At Multiple Retailersr

4 4 4 9

• 

  (crazyBobcat)

  If you shopped at a grocery store, drug store or a big box store last Friday and found you’d been charged twice or multiple times when paying with a debit or credit card, you’re not alone: NCR confirms that a technical issue affecting retailers nationwide that use its payment processing service may’ve resulted in multiple for a single transaction for some customers.

  Earlier this week, we passed along the story of a Jewel-Osco shopper who found her debit card had been hit with multiple charges for one transaction last Friday, after her card was at first declined a few times and she was told to swipe it again. Jewel said it was an issue with the chain’s payments system and the charges would be reversed soon, though as of Monday she was still waiting for the funds to be returned to her bank account.

  Shortly after that, we heard from a Consumerist reader who works in the IT department of “a small grocery chain” who said NCR’s Connected Payments system had gone haywire on that same day, Aug. 28, causing duplicate charges and a big old mess for his employers.

  Though NCR said it didn’t discuss its customers and therefore would not confirm that Jewel-Osco was included in the outage, the company did confirm to Consumerist that it experienced an “internal technical issue,” which caused a disruption in the payments system for a few hours on Aug. 28.

  “We corrected the issue and restored the system to normal performance that evening. Connected Payments was operating more slowly than normal and declined some transactions,” a company spokesman told Consumerist. “As this was taking place, there may have been some duplication of charges. We are investigating this and are working with each individual retailer to resolve those issues with customers.”

  NCR added that the slowdown didn’t affect all Connected Payments retailers, but that customers who were hit by the outage “include a variety of retailers, including grocery, drug and mass merchandise.”

  The Chicago Tribune noted in an update today that Jewel-Osco wouldn’t name its payments processor, but a spokeswoman for the chain said that the incident on Friday was a “nationwide problem affecting many retailers,” and that customers should see duplicate charges corrected by Thursday, though “some banks may take longer to credit individual accounts.”

  This all makes it seem likely that the glitch in question is one and the same as NCR’s disruption.

  NCR says it’s addressed the technical issues on its end, and will work with each retailer on an individual basis to clean up the mess. Shoppers who were overcharged should see those charges reversed “within five business days” of the incdient, which would mean this Friday, Sept. 4. Cold comfort to folks with bounced checks and overdraft fees, however.

  
• 
  

ribbi

by Mary Beth Quirk via Consumerist

uCompany That Paid YouTube Users To Promote Xbox One Settles Charges Of Deceptive Advertisingr

4 4 4 9

• 

  (Katherine McAdoo)

  When Microsoft teamed up with Machinima to launch a promotion that paid affiliated YouTubers for shilling for the Xbox One console in January 2014, we questioned whether any potential negative publicity and regulatory hassle would be worth it. Turns out, we were right to think the company would face scrutiny from federal regulators, as the Federal Trade Commission says it has cleared Microsoft of wrongdoing and settled charges that Machinima pushed videos of people endorsing the video game without disclosing they had been paid.

  The FTC announced today that California-Based entertainment network Machinima agreed to settle [PDF] charges that it engaged in deceptive advertising by paying “influencers” to post YouTube videos endorsing the Xbox One system and games.

  According to the FTC’s original complaint [PDF], the influencers paid by Machinima failed to adequately disclose they were being compensated for their “seemingly objective options.”

  “When people see a product touted online, they have a right to know whether they’re looking at an authentic opinion or a paid marketing pitch,” Jessica Rich, Director of the Bureau of Consumer Protection, said in a statement. “That’s true whether the endorsement appears in a video or any other media.”

  The company and its YouTube users were part of an Xbox One marketing campaign managed by Microsoft’s advertising agency, Starcom MediaVest Group.

  The first phase of the campaign included a small group of influencers who were given access to pre-release versions of the console and video games in order to in order to produce and upload two endorsement videos each.

  Machinima paid two of these endorsers $15,000 and $30,000 for producing You Tube videos that garnered 250,000 and 730,000 views, respectively, according to the FTC.

  In a second phase, the FTC alleges that Machinima promised to pay a larger group of influencers $1 for every 1,000 video views, up to a total of $25,000.

  At no time did Machinima require any of the influencers to disclose they were being paid for their endorsement, the complaint alleges.

  The campaign began to make waves in January 2014 after a report from Ars Technica pointed out that by paying the YouTubers to show off the Xbox One and limiting them to saying only nice things about the console, the campaign could be running afoul of Federal Trade Commission guidelines on endorsement.

  In settling the complaint, Machinima is prohibited from misrepresenting in any influencer campaign that the endorser is an independent user of the product or service being promoted.

  The company must also prominently disclose any material connection between the endorser and the advertiser. It is prohibited from compensating any influencer who has not made the required disclosures.

  In addition, it requires the company to follow up within 90 days of the start of a campaign to ensure the disclosures are still being made.

  On Tuesday, the FTC also said it had sent letters [PDF] to Microsoft and Starcom closing its investigation into the two companies.

  According to the letter, after careful review, the agency determined not to recommend enforcement action against the companies.

  “We considered several factors in reaching this decision,” the letter states. “The failures to disclose here appear to be isolated incidents that occurred in spite of, and not in the absence of, policies and procedures designed to prevent such lapses.”

  Xbox One Promoter Settles FTC Charges That it Deceived Consumers With Endorsement Videos Posted by Paid ‘Influencers’ [FTC]

  
• 
  

ribbi

by Ashlee Kieler via Consumerist

uI Signed Up For Samsung’s “Ultimate Test Drive” And All I Got Was A Defective Phone With No Way To Return Itr

4 4 4 9

• 

  (frankieleon)

  A few weeks ago, Samsung announced a new promotion called “Ultimate Test Drive,” wherein iPhone users (and only iPhone users) could sign up to receive a Galaxy smartphone and try it out for a month, for just a $1 processing fee. Consumerist reader Alex figured he might as well take Samsung up on its offer, and signed up to get a Galaxy Note 5 for the month. He’s now stuck with a Samsung phone that doesn’t work, no way to return it and the company hasn’t responded to any of his requests for help.

  Alex signed up for the promotion and received his phone on Aug. 28. After a few days, he noticed that the phone seemed to be defective — it drained from 100% full charge to zero in about two hours or maybe less, which isn’t what you want in a phone. He says he’s tried reaching out to Samsung via email with no response, as well as calling the number listed for Samsung Promotions, but that no one answers and the voicemail is full.

  He’s also out of luck when it comes to trying to get the actual phone back to Samsung: as part of the test drive, the company said it would supply participants with a prepaid shipping box to return phones when the time came. But Alex didn’t receive any such packaging, so if he wants to get it back within the 30-day limit for the trial, at this point he’d likely have to fork over the cash to send it back himself.

  Alex says though it’s unlikely Samsung intended to send out defective test drive phones, it could’ve happened to others — and those people might be stuck without a prepaid way to return those devices as well.

  He adds that he’s upset to be “wasting time enrolling, setting up and now reporting” the issues he’s having, without a word from Samsung.

  “It’s unlikely this is the type of poor experience Samsung wants its customers to have,” especially with one of its flagship devices, Alex adds.

  In the meantime, he still has his iPhone 6, which he’s gone back to using, so at least he’s not totally without a phone. He just has an extra one he can’t use and doesn’t want to be charged for after the month is up.

  We reached out to Samsung to ask what he should do with the defective phone, as well as what actions others in his situation should take to get it resolved. We have yet to hear back, either from the promotions team or from any public relations representatives.

  In the meantime, if you’ve had a similar experience, let us know: email tips@consumerist.com with the subject line, SAMSUNG TEST DRIVE.

  
• 
  

ribbi

by Mary Beth Quirk via Consumerist

uPolice Put Up Signs To Remind Motorists How Stop Signs Workr

4 4 4 9

• Can a financial incentive make people change their driving habits? One police department in Pennsylvania is taking a slightly passive-aggressive approach to preventing accidents with signs that remind motorists how stop signs work. “Complete Stops: FREE,” the signs say. “Rolling Stops: $128.50. Your choice.” Police in neighboring towns are interested in the signs now, too.

  The signs cost only $18 each, and the town has put up five at them at its most problematic intersections. Police have tried to watch those intersections, but can’t be there 24/7, and it’s always better to remind people not to roll through stop signs before they do it, if your goal is to prevent accidents and not fund the police department by writing tickets.

  “We’ve enforced all the intersections where we had [complaints about motorists not stopping,” that apparently wasn’t doing the trick, we thought the signs might be an aid to that,” the police chief told TV station Fox 43.

  None of this matters if they don’t work, of course. Reader Sherri lives in the area, and she took the lesson to heart. Well, to her wallet and to her heart. “I thought about it today at every stop sign I came apon and I made sure to completely stop, so it definitely works!” she rote to Consumerist when sending the story in as a tip.

  Police in Lancaster County get creative to crack down on dangerous driving [Fox 43]

  
• 
  

ribbi

by Laura Northrup via Consumerist

uMass. AG, Lawmakers Call For More Assistance For Former Corinthian College Studentsr

4 4 4 9

• 

  (fblumongoose)

  Ever since for-profit education chain Corinthian Colleges Inc. closed its Everest University, WyoTech and Heald College campuses, leaving tens of thousands of students with millions of dollars in loans, consumers advocates, legislators and others have urged the Department of Education to relieve former students of their debt burdens. Those calls for help continued on Tuesday with renewed pressure from Massachusetts Attorney General Marua Healey and Sen. Elizabeth Warren calling on the Dept. to rid victims of the defunct for-profit college of unsustainable loan payments.

  The request for assistance came during a Boston University event to help students receive individualized assistance in enrolling students in more affordable repayment plans and applying for cancellation of their federal student loans.

  “For too long, predatory for-profit schools, supported by taxpayer dollars, have enriched themselves while loading up students with unaffordable debt,” AG Healey said. “Students deserve better. If a school breaks the law, Senator Warren and I believe they must be held accountable. We want to help get these students the relief they deserve.”

  At the event, students shared their experiences attending Everest Institute’s Brighton campus via sworn affidavits that will be used to support the attorney general’s push for investigations that could lead to relief for students seeking discharge of federal loans after attending allegedly predatory for-profit colleges.

  “When a college engages in fraudulent practices, students have a legal right to debt relief,” Senator Warren said. “If someone lies about the mileage on a car, the buyer can get her money back. I’m working with Attorney General Healey to ensure that the legal rights of any students who were cheated by Corinthian colleges in Massachusetts are fully protected.”

  Corinthian Colleges cheated MA Everest students. Glad to join @MassAGO to fight for relief they deserve. http://pic.twitter.com/e5BBhSl1He

  — Elizabeth Warren (@SenWarren) September 2, 2015

  The Dept. of Education announced back in June that students who attended (after June 20, 2014) the 30 CCI campuses that closed in April had two options to seek relief:

  1. Apply for a closed school loan discharge, which would get rid of the obligation to repay and reimburse the student for any payments made; or
  2. Transfer earned credit to another institution to continue their education in a comparable program.

  While the options give students some relief, the Dept. of Education announced last month that it would work to overhaul its loan forgiveness program for students defrauded by schools.

  Starting this month, the Dept. of Education will begin working to craft a new process aimed at making it easier for students to have their federal loans discharged if the school they attended was found to have used illegal or deceptive tactics to persuade them to borrow funds to finance their education.

  The process to create a more streamlined loan forgiveness process will include field hearings and the creation of an advisory panel, the Dept. said in an announcement.

  Last spring, the Massachusetts Attorney General’s office filed a lawsuit against Everest Institute alleging the school engaged in deceptive marketing and egregious high pressure sales tactics that left students with exorbitant and unaffordable student loan debt and without proper training or a well-paying career.

  Everest’s parent company – Corinthian – then entered a downward spiral including several state and federal investigations into its enrollment practices.

  The company eventually closed in April 2015, filing for bankruptcy soon after.

  AG Healey and U.S. Senator Warren Seek Cancelation of Loans for Students Victimized by For-Profit School [Attorney General Maura Healey]

  
• 
  

ribbi

by Ashlee Kieler via Consumerist

uArby’s CEO Apologizes After Florida Police Officer Was Reportedly Refused Servicer

4 4 4 9

• 

  (Nicholas Eckhart)

  The CEO of Arby’s has apologized to a Florida police department after an employee at a local restaurant reportedly refused to serve a uniformed officer.

  A Facebook post by a fellow officer on Tuesday alleged that her colleague was denied service because she’s a police officer, adding, “Real nice, Arby’s,” reports NBC News.

  The chief of police weighed in, saying in a statement that he was “offended” and “appalled” and demanded an apology from the head of Arby’s. Soon after, Arby’s CEO Paul Brown and Senior Vice President of Operations Scott Boatwright reached out to the Pembroke Pines Police Department with an apology on behalf of the restaurant chain.

  The executives assured PPPD Chief Dan Giustino that the employee’s behavior was “unacceptable” and did not represent the company’s values.

  “We take this isolated matter very seriously as we respect and support police officers in our local communities,” the company said in a statement. “As soon as the issue was brought to our attention, our CEO spoke with the Police Chief who expressed his gratitude for our quick action and indicates the case is closed. We will be following up with our team members to be sure that our policy of inclusion is understood and adhered to.”

  The police chief acknowledged that the incident appeared to be limited to an individual employee, and doesn’t reflect the support the department gets from the community as a whole.

  “We are very proud of the partnerships we have built within our city,” Chief Giustino said. “For an incident like this to have happened is very disappointing for everyone.”

  Arby’s Apologizes After Employee Reportedly Refuses to Serve Pembroke Pines Officer [NBC News]

  
• 
  

ribbi

by Mary Beth Quirk via Consumerist