uShoplifting Suspect Flees Walmart, Runs Across Highway, Causing Crashesr

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  d(a href=”http://ift.tt/1XPQQ7f Beyond)

  dIt’s understandable that someone suspected of shoplifting would want to flee the store, but someone caught in the act north of Seattle fled across an interstate highway and up an onramp, causing multiple crashes. Don’t be like this person. Be sure to bring along a motor vehicle when you shoplift. An even better idea: don’t shoplift.

  A Snohomish County sheriff’s deputy was injured while trying to apprehend the highway escapee, who had run out of the store and onto I-5 in Lynwood. Having a pedestrian run across the highway only resulted in what police called “minor” traffic accidents, which is fortunate.

  Sheriffs did eventually catch up with the shoplifting suspect, but hasn’t released any other information about the incident.

  Fleeing shoplifter runs across I-5, causes crashes near Lynnwood [Seattle Times]

  
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by Laura Northrup via Consumerist

uFiat Chrysler Recalls Nearly 1.2M Ram Trucks Over Airbag Deployment Issuesr

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  (I Am Rob)

  It seems as if we’ve had a nice break from the incessant recalls of vehicles equipped with airbags that may not deploy properly, putting drivers and passengers in harm’s way. Unfortunately, they say all good things must come to an end, and so, Fiat Chrysler announced this week that it will call back nearly 1.2 million trucks in two campaigns for issues related to side-impact safety devices that can inflate in the wrong position and driver’s airbags that may deploy without a crash. 

  Fiat Chrysler (FCA) says the first recall will cover approximately 1.06 million model years 2012 to 2014 Ram 1500, 2500 and 3500 pickup trucks and 3500, 4500 and 5500 Chassis Cabs sold in the U.S.

  According to a notice [PDF] filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the recall was initiated after FCA conducted an investigation into the possibility that airbags can deploy without an actual crash occurring.

  Starting in September 2014, the auto manufacturer began looking into the issue by testing three Steering Column Control Modules.

  Over the next several months testing of various columns and vehicles found that some trucks may have steering wheel wires that can wear out due to contact with a spring. FCA says this can cause a short circuit that could make the driver’s side airbags inflate without a crash.

  Additionally, FCA’s submitted chronology [PDF] of the issue states that a February 2015 warranty analysis revealed additional problems with the module including wiper/washer function issues. However, the company says that its review found less than 1% of vehicles with the wiring problem will lead to inadvertent airbag deployments.

  Still, the company tells NHTSA it has received 32 Computerized Accident Incident Reporting System notices, 5 Vehicle Owners’ Questionnaires and 18 field reports related to the issue.

  In all, FCA says it is aware of two injuries caused by the problems, but no crashes.

  Owners of the affected trucks will be notified and dealers will inspect each vehicle, tie off the wiring harness and install protective caps on the springs.

  In a second, smaller safety campaign this week, FCA announced the recall of approximately 188,000 model year 2014 and 2015 Ram 1500 trucks with side airbag curtains that may not deploy properly in the event of a crash.

  According to a notice [PDF] submitted to NHTSA, the side airbags may not fully overlap the vehicle pillars, upon inflation they may not position as intended. FCA says this could lead to an increased risk of injury to the back seat occupants.

  The company is unaware of any crashes, injuries or complaints related to the issue.

  Owners will be noticed by the company and a dealer will fix the issue.

  
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by Ashlee Kieler via Consumerist

uT-Mobile Slashes iPhone 6S Price To $20/Month; Offers Lifetime Coverage Guaranteer

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• At yesterday’s big reveal of the new — ooh, ahh — iPhone 6S, Apple estimated that the standard 24-month installment plan for one of these new phones would run around $27/month. Apple itself is launching a new offering at $32/month with the ability to upgrade every year. This morning, T-Mobile raised the big “give us a try” flag by saying it will sell the iPhone 6S for only $20/month.

  According to the company, customers who get an iPhone 6S through T-Mobile’s Jump! On Demand program will pay $20/month for 18 months. They can either turn in their phone and upgrade at that point or pay $164 if they want to keep the device. In total, that comes out to $524 to own the 6S outright, about $125 less than what you’d pay in 24 installments of $27.

  The larger iPhone 6S Plus will go at the monthly rate of $24/month, compared to the Apple-estimated $31/month for this device on other installment plans. T-Mo did not provide a buyout cost for customers looking to hold on to these devices so we don’t know how it compares in terms of total savings.

  This is an aggressive promotional move by T-Mobile, which is attempting to distance itself from Sprint and pick up customers unhappy with the larger competitors at Verizon and AT&T.

  It’s an interesting bit of backsliding for a company that declared itself the “Uncarrier” and got rid of phone subsidies in favor of less-expensive monthly data plans — a model that all of the competition has begun to embrace. By eating a sizable chunk of the iPhone 6S’s total cost, T-Mobile is once again subsidizing — though not as extensively — its customers’ device purchase.

  Let’s just see if other providers also slash the installment price on the 6S or if they stand firm and choose to not fight a price war with T-Mobile.

  In addition to the iPhone price cut, T-Mo announced a lifetime coverage guarantee for customers who buy these new devices through Jump! On Demand (which they really need to rename, if only to spare me from having to type that obnoxious exclamation point).

  The company says that — for as long as a customer is using their 6S or 6S Plus — “if you aren’t completely satisfied with your coverage experience we’ll refund you for every penny you’ve paid for your new device in the first month, or after that, we’ll unlock it at no charge so you can use it with one of the other wireless companies. We’ll even refund up to a full month of your service. For phones that get unlocked, we’ll let you keep our standard interest-free payment plan at our standard prices. No charge. No hassles.”

  
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by Chris Morran via Consumerist

uSam’s Club Expands To Accept American Express Cards Starting Oct. 1r

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  (The.Comedian)

  Back in February, American Express and Costco announced that they’re breaking up in 2016. That means AmEx, including the Costco co-branded cards, will be useless at the warehouse store. Now, seven months later, the credit card company reveals its entering into a relationship with Costco rival Sam’s Club, allowing shoppers at that warehouse store to use AmEx cards at the register for the first time.

  American Express announced Thursday that starting on October 1, the more than 650 Sam’s Club locations in the U.S. will begin accepting AmEx cards for payment.

  Unlike the soon-to-end 16-year-long Costco/AmEx arrangement, the credit card company’s foray into the aisles of Sam’s Club is not exclusive.

  Sam’s Club stores currently accept cards processed by MasterCard and Discover Financial Services. However, its website already allows the use of AmEx and Visa, as well, Bloomberg points out.

  “We are constantly looking for ways to expand the places where our Card Members can shop and bring more convenience and value to their everyday lives,” Anré Williams, President, Global Merchant Services at American Express, said in a statement. “We are delighted to work with Sam’s Club, a retailer that shares our keen customer focus.”

  [via Bloomberg]

  
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by Ashlee Kieler via Consumerist

uGM Recalls 121K Cadillac Sedans Because Defogging Shouldn’t Start A Firer

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  (Van Swearington)
  

  When activating the defogger control in your vehicle you expect it to defog your windows, not start a fire. Alas, that’s apparently the case for nearly 121,000 Cadillac sedans that are part of General Motor’s latest recall.

  The Detroit News reports that GM plans to recall nearly 97,000 model year 2013 to 2016 ATS sedans in the U.S. and 24,000 in Canada because of a fault in the defogger system that increases the risk of fires.

  So far, GM says it’s aware of four fires related to the issue. However, no injuries, fatalities or crashes have been reported.

  The company says that only a fraction of the vehicles being recalled will likely have the malfunction, but all will be checked.

  The recalled ATS vehicles may have been manufactured with a “critically weak terminal connectivity in the coil antenna module, which powers the rear defogger system. If the module has the condition and is subjected to excessive cycling or continuous operation, it may overheat and a fire may develop inside the rear pillar on the driver’s side of the vehicle,” GM says.

  Owners of the affected vehicles will be notified by GM, and a dealer will update the Electric Climate Control module software to remove the automatic rear defogger “on” function.

  According to the Detroit News, the recall is the fourth for newer model ATS sedans, the last coming just two months ago when the company recalled 63,000 vehicles of the same make and model year for a roof panel that may close automatically when the non-recessed switches were pressed and the panel is open.

  GM recalls 121,000 Cadillac ATS cars for fire risks [The Detroit News]

  
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by Ashlee Kieler via Consumerist

uSupplement-Maker Who Diluted Products With Other Powders Sentenced To 40 Months In Prisonr

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  (Scoboco)

  When you buy a food product or a dietary supplement, you should be confident that the product’s ingredients are listed on the label, and that you’re getting what you paid for. Federal prosecutors say that one dietary supplement wholesaler in New Jersey spent four years selling products diluted with products like maltodextrin or rice flour, increasing profits but defrauding customers. The company’s owner now must forfeit $1 million in profits and has been sentenced to 40 months in prison and one year of supervised release.

  The company’s name, Raw Deal Inc., was unintentionally appropriate, with a double meaning referring to trendy “raw” nutrients and a common expression that means a bad deal. It was the company’s customers who got an actual raw deal: they were buying diluted products that didn’t contain the substances that distributors had paid for. During the four years that this scheme operated, the company earned a profit of between $7 and $20 million.

  Some products were sold as certified organic or certified kosher, but were distributed with false certificates. When Food and Drug Administration inspectors came to visit, the factory simply didn’t blend adulterants into products in front of the inspectors.

  The company’s owner pleaded guilty back in December, and the executive vice president pleaded guilty to obstructing an agency investigation. She could be sentenced to up to five years in prison and a fine of $250,000, or one calculated based on how much the person’s crime gained.

  
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by Laura Northrup via Consumerist

uToys ‘R’ Us Brings Free Shipping Threshold Down To $19r

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  (Nicholas DiMaio)

  Toys ‘R’ Us is planning ahead, and wants you to think of them when you shop for toys this holiday season. Specifically, they want you to think, “Hey, I can get free shipping from Toys ‘R’ Us if I spend more than $19, and I don’t have to buy a membership, unlike at Walmart or Amazon!”

  Before now, free shipping kicked in at $49. The lower limit starts now, but the company’s spokesgiraffes haven’t announced an end date for the promotion. Perhaps it will only last through the holidays. An executive told Reuters that the decision was made based on “current insights and a comprehensive review of the competitive landscape,” which presumably means that they’re afraid of competing with Amazon Prime and Walmart’s free shipping program, both of which have enrollment fees.

  Without being part of the programs, Walmart offers free shipping at $50, and Amazon at $35. Target offers free shipping at $25, and free shipping on any purchase for holders of their store credit or debit card.

  Toys R Us lowers free shipping limit for online orders [Reuters]

  
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by Laura Northrup via Consumerist