Alison Young Investigates

NHTSA investigates Ford Explorer rollaway complaints

Two days after The Atlanta Journal-Constitution highlighted consumer complaints about 2004 Ford Explorers dangerously slipping from park to reverse, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration opened a formal investigation of a potential defect, records show. The investigation involves 2002-2005 Ford Explorers and Mercury Moutaineers. Feds probe charges of SUV transmission hazards

Sellers on eBay face charge-back risks when using PayPal

Synopsis: Three months after Lisa Wright sold a $1,250 Louis Vuitton bag on eBay, she was left with nothing: No bag, no money. That's because after the buyer disputed the charges with her credit card company, PayPal took took the money back from Wright's account. According to PayPal and credit card company rules, buyers who dispute charges may never have to return the merchandise. After being contacted by the AJC, PayPal refunded the money to Wright. But her case serves as a cautionary tale for the millions who sell items in online auctions. Battle over bag: Seller loses out in online sale

Peanut farming practices may hold clue to two outbreaks

Synopsis: Salmonella with a unique genetic fingerprint is providing an intriguing clue to federal investigators trying to find out how it got into products at Georgia peanut processing plants 73 miles and two years apart. The fingerprint, which caused an outbreak in 2006-07, has recently been identified in some peanut butter made last year at Peanut Corporation of America's plant in Blakely, Ga. This is raising questions about whether greater efforts are needed on peanut farms to reduce bacterial contamination, even though peanuts aren't intended to be eaten raw. Salmonella's 'fingerprint' could be clue to its source 

New alerts: From diet pills to a failed mortgage lender

Synopsis: The glitches have begun for Sunshine Mortgage customers, Fulton County taxpayers are losing out on more federal money, home warranty firm National Home Protection has been sued by Texas regulators and the FDA has issued new warnings about "all natural" diet pills. This column updates previous investigations. New action on dietary pills, warranties

What to do when your mortgage company closes

Synopsis: In the wake of the closing of Sunshine Mortgage, a major Atlanta lender, this article gives consumers tips for how to handle payments, answers questions about whether their escrows are at risk and reveals some of the problems that can occur when loans are shifted from one company to another. Lenders' closings open up troubles

Is a home warranty worth the money?

Synopsis: Many real estate agents and homeowners praise the value of home warranties, others complain they've had difficulty getting legitimate claims paid or that they've been price-gouged by uncovered items in their contracts' fine print. What explains these very different views? This article examines home warranties and gives tips for consumers to protect themselves: Give warranty covering home a careful look

Surprising risks of quinolone antibiotics

Synopsis: If you've been prescribed an antibiotic in the last few years it likely was Levaquin, Cipro or one of the other drugs in the fluoroquinolone family. But were you warned about the risks of your tendons rupturing? This article describes how the FDA has received thousands of reports of tendon side effects, yet many doctors have been unaware of the risk and drug makers only recently started sending letters warning them. The tendon problems are only one of the drugs' risks, the article reveals. Antibiotics' dangers not widely known

Watching out for yourself in 2009

Synopsis: This article gives advice from leading consumer and health experts on issues ranging from safeguarding credit to checking out medications, and gives detailed resources on how to do it yourself. Wise tips for 2009 - or for any year

Dangerous toys come in many forms

Synopsis: Most toys and other products recalled due to safety hazards are never returned or destroyed. This article analyzes the hazards in more than more than 60 toy recalls announced in 2008 and reveals some still being offered for sale.  Who's minding the kids' playthings?

Escalator use causes devastating injuries

Synopsis: An examination of hundreds of injury incident reports filed with Georgia regulators reveals that every week in metro Atlanta people are badly injured riding escalators. They fall and crack their heads, they get their clothing or luggage tangled in the machinery. And in the worst cases, they suffer amputating injuries when the soft soles of their shoes are heated by friction and drawn into a gap along the side of the moving stairs. While other news media have focused on recent injuries associated with Crocs-like shoes, this article reports that families have been petitioning the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission for safer escalator design since 1978 - long before Crocs were invented. Escalators' hidden dangers

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