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

uCampbell Soup And Keurig Finally Selling Soup Cartridges Announced 2 Years Agor

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  (m01229)

  Hey, remember two years ago, when we told you to expect cartridges of hot, instant soup-like substance soon for your coffee machine thanks to a partnership between Keurig and Campbell Soup Company? The project apparently took longer to make work than either company anticipated, and the product is hitting stores in the U.S. and Canada just now.

  If you’ve spent the last two years trying to figure out how a full-size noodle comes out of the tiny pin hole at the bottom of a Keurig cartridge, quit wondering. There’s a separate packet for the noodles. We knew that two years ago, too, so it’s not clear what they spent the last two years working on.

  Here’s a 30-second video that shows the process, omitting the part where the Keurig makes angry noises while drawing water from the reservoir, and also the two to three minutes that you’re supposed to let the soup sit to “cook.”

  “We know more than 80 percent of people who buy Keurig pods also buy Campbell’s soup, so bringing together two products people love in one handy kit is a winning idea,” a marketing executive is quoted saying in the companies’ joint press release about this modern marvel.

  While it makes sense in this case to combine a hot water machine and condensed soup, this isn’t good logic to use when creating new products: probably more than 80 percent of people who use dish soap also eat breakfast cereal, but that doesn’t mean you should combine them.

  Campbell Fresh Brewed Soups [Official Site]

  
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by Laura Northrup via Consumerist

uNiman Ranch: New Perdue Ownership Doesn’t Mean Animal Welfare Standards Will Changer

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  (Niman Ranch on Facebook)

  Upon the news that Niman Ranch had been bought by poultry giant Perdue, some customers of the specialty meats businesses have expressed fears that the company they know and love for its animal welfare standards will change its act under the new ownership. Those concerns have prompted Perdue and Niman Ranch, along with one of its biggest customers, Chipotle, to reassure customers that they’ve got nothing to worry about.

  “That’s severely disappointing to hear… I can’t equate humane with Purdue,” one person wrote on Niman’s Facebook page in response to the announcement, with others echoing similar sentiments.

  Niman Ranch has been replying to customers, writing that it’s “still dedicated to its commitment to the strict animal welfare protocols” that guide the way its animals are raised. Despite other ownership changes in the past, Niman says, its “values and practices have remained the same.”

  “We always strive to give our farmers the stability they need to continue the sustainable practices we all believe in, and we hope to continue to prove that to you in the future,” the company wrote.

  Perdue has also been addressing concerns with a statement of its own:

  “With the long, family-owned heritage of our company, we understand and respect what Niman Ranch represents,” Perdue Farms chairman Jim Perdue said. “All Niman Ranch livestock will continue to be raised by the same small family farmers and ranchers, following the same protocols, and with the same focus on sustainability.”

  Chipotle customers also relayed their concerns on social media about the chain’s connection to Niman Ranch, which it sources much of its pork from. Chipotle touts its high-quality ingredients and sustainably sourced ingredients as a major factor setting it apart from its rivals. The chain’s pork suppliers are required to raise pigs in deeply bedded barns with access to the outside to roam, for example, instead of being held in cramped pens.

  “How are you going to maintain your guarantee for fresh pork [without] hormones and antibiotics with this change?” a customer asked Chipotle on its Facebook page (via Business Insider).

  “We have an internal team who visits our farms and checks on these things. Niman Ranch has a stellar reputation, one I am sure they want to keep,” Chipotle replied from its official account.

  And while Perdue has made moves on its own to address animal welfare concerns, announcing recently that half its chickens will be raised entirely without antibiotics, the company admits it still has room for improvement when it comes to animal welfare. Niman Ranch can help there, Jim Perdue told the New York Times.

  “We absolutely can learn from them in that area,” he said. “I think they can bring us a lot of new ideas, especially in the sow production side of the business.”

  Perdue Buys Niman Ranch, as It Expands in Specialty Meat Business [New York Times]

  
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by Mary Beth Quirk via Consumerist

uRegulators Holding Yet Another Takata Airbag Meeting, Could Finally Coordinate The Messy Recallr

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• Back in June, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said it was considering options to speed up replacement of defective shrapnel-shooting Takata-produced airbags linked to eight deaths and hundreds of injuries. Today, the agency announced it will hold yet another public meeting next month, a move that signals the agency’s latest step in taking control of the massive recall effort.

  Reuters reports that the Oct. 22 meeting could prompt regulators to take a stronger stance in efforts to eliminate the deadly defect from approximately 19 million vehicles.

  NHTSA, which is expected to publish notice of the meeting in the Federal Register this week, says the proceedings will include presentations by regulators, vehicle manufacturers, airbag inflator suppliers and organizations involved in testing the safety devices.

  “NHTSA may issue one or more administrative orders that would coordinate remedy programs,” the agency said of the meeting.

  Regulators could use the meeting as a starting point to accelerate or prioritize a program to ensure that affected vehicles receive new inflators, Reuters reports.

  The meeting, regulators say, can also serve as a reminder to consumers that they need to have their Takata airbag-equipped vehicles fixed.

  “Helping the public understand the risks involved, what NHTSA and the auto industry are doing to address them, and how affected vehicle owners can take action to protect themselves and their families is an essential element,” NHTSA Administrator Mark Rosekind said in a statement.

  Takata told NHTSA in August that it would soon launch a recall notification campaign to ensure owners of affected vehicles are aware of the massive recall.

  That campaign was to include a dedicated website (which doesn’t appear to be live) and ads on major websites and newspapers, first focusing on areas of high humidity where airbags are thought to be at more risk for unexpectedly forceful deployments, including Florida, Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands, Hawaii, Texas, Louisiana, Georgia, South Carolina, Alabama and Mississippi.

  The remedy efforts came three months after the Japanese parts maker caved to regulator pressure and recalled more than 30 million cars, while NHTSA, just last week, revised the number to about 19.2 million vehicles.

  The revision was based the most recent and accurate information provided by the 11 affected automakers, regulators said at the time.

  U.S. auto regulators set Oct. 22 public meeting on Takata recall [Reuters]

  
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by Ashlee Kieler via Consumerist