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December 19, 2007 at 2:28 am #254854
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5 things to avoid at a dollar store
Full story:
By the Editors of Consumer Reports
An aluminum baking pan. Lip gloss. Sewing scissors. Every item $1 or
Picking through the merchandise at dollar stores can seem like a treasure hunt.
But investigations by Consumer Reports’ researchers have turned up some dicey
destinations for shoddy products, as manufacturers have sometimes cut corners on
safety, trying to meet demand for rock-bottom prices.
in one of these discount stores.
Vitamins
listed on the label. Some did not dissolve properly, so pills didn’t break down
fast enough to be absorbed.
One-A-Day. In CR’s tests, those brands dissolved properly and all had the
claimed nutrients. Or simply look for a label that says the product is verified
Electrical products
Be wary of off-price items such as Christmas lights, extension cords and fans —
could, for example, have undersized wiring that can overheat and cause a fire.
Get this instead: Seek products certified by Underwriters Laboratories (UL) and
Association (CSA), which ensure conformity to safety standards.
Look for the UL hologram to ensure the certification is real . (The label must
UL’s Web site, at http://www.ul.com, to see if a product’s brand name is certified
(click on “consumers,” then “certification”).
By law, toys with small parts or sharp edges must be labeled as inappropriate
for children under 3. But some imported toys, particularly those made in China,
Get this instead: To be safe, stick to toys with larger parts. How large? If any
piece of the toy is small enough to pass through the tube of a toilet-paper
buy toys.
Soundalike brand names
packaged to look like Duracells. They later leaked acid. Counterfeit goods
sometimes have brand names that imitate well-known brands, says Travis Brown
For example, a fake Louis Vuitton bag might be labeled “Louis Vitton.”
Get this instead: The real stuff. You need to look closely at the packaging to
Soft vinyl lunch boxes
Several brands of soft, insulated lunch boxes — even those found at regular
to unwrapped food and your children’s hands.
The lead levels in these products alone are unlikely to be high enough to cause
possible. Although several states have issued recalls for these lead-bearing
products, CR has found them in dollar stores.
chloride, also known as PVC or vinyl.
Wherever you shop, be cautious of extraordinary bargains. Products that are far
they’re counterfeit or otherwise defective. And avoid no-name products. A
manufacturer’s name and address is no guarantee of safety, but it does mean that
problems.
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› Budget101 Discussion List Archives › Budget101 Discussion List › 5 things to avoid at a dollar store