Productopia | Buyer Beware

Ah, bed bugs.....Think these tiny bloodsuckers only plague high-rise apartments and hotels? Think again. The truth is, more and more people are getting bed bugs from brand new mattresses. That's right, this seemingly innocent purchase can quickly morph into an unbelievable nightmare.

So, how does this happen? To increase their "sell," many companies now offer to discard a shopper's old mattress when they deliver a new one. What they don't tell you: It's a common practice to toss old mattresses in the back of the truck with brand new ones yet to be delivered, and this can easily spread bed bugs.

So what can you do to protect yourself?

Hot on the heels of the Motorola Droid release, Verizon Wireless is upping its early termination fees (ETF) on "advanced devices" to $350, double the current fee of $175, effective November 15. Earlier this week, BoyGeniusReport.com got hold of some internal documents and posited that Verizon is trying to prevent consumers from reselling devices for a profit. In BGR's example, you could take advantage of a buy-one-get-one deal on BlackBerry smartphones, pay the $175 fee and sell one of them on eBay for $300.

With flu season upon us, many parents are relying on hand sanitizer to combat germs. As the use of hand sanitizer mounts, so do stories of children becoming ill after ingesting it.

The American Association of Poison Control Centers has confirmed that this is a potential hazard and not a myth. Most hand sanitizers have a concentration of at least 60 percent alcohol. The high level of alcohol is necessary to kill germs, but swallowing a few squirts could bring a child's blood alcohol level to .10.

As The New York Times reported this week, the Department of Energy has admitted that it isn't policing manufacturers to make sure their appliances are Energy Star-qualified. In other words, that yellow label on air conditioners, washing machines, refrigerators and other white goods -- the one that is supposed to tell you how energy-efficient it is -- may not be accurate.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission announced a voluntary recall of the Haunted House Screen Tea Light Holders, which are sold exclusively at Yankee Candle. Three fires were reported after the window panes on the screen ignited.

Manufactured in China, Haunted House Screen Tea Light Holders were distributed by Coyne's & Company, located in Minneapolis, Minn. They were sold at Yankee Candle stores nationwide and online at YankeeCandle.com between August 2009 and September 2009.

As we found when researching our cookware report, just because pots and pans have a celebrity name attached to them doesn't mean they're any better than cookware from traditional brands. Case in point: Paula Deen's been hawking cast-iron cookware on QVC since March, but several of the pans have now been recalled by the Consumer Products Safety Commission. According to the CPSC, three of Deen's pans can shatter or crack when heated; the Commission has received 79 reports so far.

When it comes to a leisurely breakfast, waffles are a family favorite. Crisp and light, with deep pockets for rich butter, sweet syrup or fresh fruit, waffles are a treat to eat and to make.

As we discuss in our updated report on waffle makers, there are two types of waffles: American-style and Belgian-style. Belgian waffles, which are generally round, are fluffier and taller than American-style waffles (which are generally square), and they have deeper wells.

Round waffle irons of either type tend to be small and yield a single waffle, while square irons turn out perforated waffles that can be torn or cut into four individual waffles. The process of cooking a waffle in any of these irons is pretty simple: Wait until the it reaches the proper temperature (most irons have an indicator light that lets you know when the iron is hot enough), add the batter and wait until the waffle releases easily from the grids. A few waffle makers require you to turn the iron over during cooking, which is said to distribute the batter more evenly, and some units have controls that allow you to set the level of browning.

You've probably seen the ads for Cash4Gold, a company that allows you to mail in your old gold jewelry in exchange for cash. Likewise, you might have also stumbled upon numerous complaints from users claiming Cash4Gold isn't all it promises to be.

A former employee of Cash4Gold, Michele Liberis, sparked a media flurry (and a lawsuit filed by Cash4Gold in retaliation) after submitting anonymous complaints to ComplaintsBoard.com, describing how Cash4Gold deceives it customers by paying them much less than what their gold is really worth.

Earlier this year, we warned you about Celebrity Sexy Teeth, a teeth whitening product that entices consumers with fake endorsements, phony reviews and a "free" trial. Consumers who took the bait were surprised to find huge charges on their credit card (required to get the "free" sample) and left with an ineffective product that looked like a tube of Wite-Out. The people behind Celebrity Sexy Teeth are still at it, and this time the Better Business Bureau is on the case.

The Snuggie, a body-length blanket with sleeves, was all the rage last holiday season. But some customers weren't feeling too cozy after they were duped by a rebate scam.

If you bought a Snuggie and received a surprise rebate check in the mail, the Better Business Bureau is warning you to read the fine print before endorsing it. The check is typically in the amount of $8.25 and it is a genuine rebate. Now here's the hitch: Once you cash the check, you're automatically enrolled into a service with annual fees of $150.