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Recently it was discovered that Seagate Technology, Western Digital and Toshiba included Shingled Magnetic Recording (“SMR”) technology into various models of their hard disk drives without disclosing this fact to consumers.  Many consumers relied on the statements of the Seagate, Western Digital and Toshiba data sheets and user manuals that did not disclose the use of SMR, an inferior technology to CMR (Conventional Magnetic Recording).

The SMR hard drives are generally considered to be inferior and are often incompatible with many customers’ Network Attached Storage (“NAS”) systems. SMR writes or stores data in a different method where the lines of data overlap, like shingles. This is causing the hard disk drives to perform slower than expected and slowing down customers’ networks.

Here is a list of some of the Seagate drives using SMR without it being identified:Barracude 4tb HDD

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How confident are you that your car’s brakes are functioning properly?  If you own a 2013-2015 Toyota Avalon or Avalon Hybrid; a 2012-2014 Toyota Camry Hybrid; or 2010-2015 Toyota Prius or Prius Plug-In, you may want to rethink your answer.  Many owners of these cars, some of which are Toyota’s most popular offerings, have noticed something is not right with their brakes.

Even Toyota has noticed the problem with the brakes on the Avalon, Camry and Prius because it appears Toyota may have implemented a limited warranty extension program, agreeing to provide necessary repairs free of charge or to reimburse consumers for money paid to repair the brake booster assembly on these cars.

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However, Toyota is not as generous as it appears because it is not going to reimburse consumers or perform the repairs unless customers experienced one of five brake system warnings, indicating the Diagnostic Trouble Codes C1391; C1252; C1256; or C1253.  This means Toyota is only going to fix a driver’s brake system after it has failed or malfunctioned, leaving drivers to wonder when their brakes may fail.

Many drivers complain about their car’s brakes being “too soft” or the brake assist and stability control not working when it should or initiating at times it should not.  This brake defect can result in an increased stopping distance or an inability to stop, and has caused accidents. Continue reading

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GE Washers are touted as “reliable,” and “efficient, with advanced technologies and superior settings” that save consumers “time and money.” This bluster from GE, however, is more than a bit disingenuous, as numerous GE Top Loading Washers have suffered from defects that cause them to be excessively loud during the spin cycle operation, as well as shake, vibrate and “walk,” or move away from its dedicated space. Other complaints include that the GE Washers do not spin, agitate, complete cycles, or that they stop mid cycle and drain too early. These defects can cause a GE Washer to take hours to complete a load of laundry, as the loads can become unbalanced (“out of balance” or “OOB”), which causes the machine to vibrate and shake, interrupting various cycles. These defects not only cause the GE Washers to become extremely loud, shake, “walk” and vibrate, but also to fail to fully complete their cycles, resulting in unwashed clothes. The defect effects the following models:

 

·         GTWN7450D ·         GTWN8255D ·         GHWN8355D
·         GTWN7450H ·         GHWN8350D ·         GHWS8355H
·         GTAN8250D ·         GHWS8350H ·         GTWS8355H
·         GTWN8250D ·         GTWS8350H ·         GTAS8450D
·         GTWS8450D ·         GTAS8655D ·         GTWS8655D
·         GTWS8455D ·         GTWS8650D ·         GTW680BSJ4WS
·         GTW460AMJ0WW ·         GTW485ASJ0WS ·         GTW490ACJ0WS
·         GTW460ASJ0WW ·         GTW485ASJ1WS ·         GTW490ACJ0WW
·         GTW460AMJ2WW ·         GTW680BSJ0WS ·         GTW490ACJ1WS
·         GTW460AMJ3WW ·         GTW680BSJ1WS ·         GTW490ACJ1WW
·         GTW220ACK0WW ·         GTW460ASJ0WW ·         GTW460ASJ5WW
·         GTW220ACK1WW ·         GTW460ASJ1WW ·         GTW460ASJ6WW
·         GTW220ACK2WW ·         GTW460ASJ2WW ·         GTW485ASJ0WS
·         GTW330ASK0WW ·         GTW460ASJ3WW ·         GTW485ASJ0WW
·         GTW330ASK1WW ·         GTW460ASJ4WW ·         GTW485ASJ1WS
·         GTW490ACJ0WS ·         GTW490ACJ2WS ·         GTW485ASJ2WS
·         GTW490ACJ0WW ·         GTW490ACJ2WW ·         GTW485ASJ3WS
·         GTW490ACJ1WS ·         GTW490ACJ3WS ·         GTW680BSJ0WS
·         GTW490ACJ1WW ·         GTW490ACJ3WW ·         GTW680BSJ1WS
·         HTW200ASK0WW ·         HTW240ASK0WS ·         GTW680BSJ2WS
·         HTW200ASK1WW ·         HTW240ASK1WS ·         GTW680BSJ3WS
·         GTW220ACK3WW ·         GTW680BSJ5WS ·         GTW490ACJ5WW
·         GTW330ASK2WW ·         GTW685BPL0DG ·         GTW750CSL0WS
·         GTW460ASJ7WW ·         GTW685BSL0WS ·         HTW200ASK2WW
·         GTW485ASJ4WS ·         GTW750CPL0DG ·         HTW240ASK2WS
·         GTW220ACK1 – 4 ·         GTW490ACJ0 – 4 ·         GTW750CPL0DG
·         GTW330ASK0 – 3 ·         GTW680BPL0 ·         GTW750CSL0WS
·         GTW460AMJ0 – 4 ·         GTW680BSJ0 – 5 ·         HTW200ASK0 – 3
·         GTW460ASJ0 – 8 ·         GTW685BPL0DG ·         HTW240ASK0 – 3
·         GTW485ASJ0 – 4 ·         GTW685BSL0WS  

 

Typical repairs for the excessive noise, shaking, or vibration typically involve replacing the tub bearing, which tends to come loose and exacerbate the symptoms. GE has also attempted to fix the defects by issuing software updates for the defective washers—including updates on August 4, 2016, December 16, 2017, and July 13, 2018—but none of the updates have resolved the excessive noise, shaking, or vibration GE top loading washers experience.

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Pictured: “out-of-balance issues”

To hear consumers tell it:

I have had this washer just over a year. Why you shouldn’t buy this model: it takes forever to wash a load. It stops constantly to “check” the water level. It is loud. My home office is right beside the laundry room – has been for years. It is loud for every cycle. The clothes come out a tangled mess. Socks in sleeves and wadded all together. Everything needs ironed. The clothes come out with soap on them. (We put soap in 1st and add extra water.) I can’t open the lid without it stopping the washer and having to restart it. It has a musty smell when not in use. I have run vinegar through the lines and empty loads, in 30+years- I have never smelled stale water from the washer. Continue reading

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Did you buy a Copper Chef pan? Are you frustrated that the “non-stick coating” wore away extremely quickly or never worked in the first place, making it extremely difficult to cook even the simplest of meals? You’re not alone: hundreds of consumers report that Copper Chef pans are defective do not work as advertised. Food sticks to the pan, the coating wears away, and customers are left with expensive pans for which they paid a premium price.

Copper Chef markets itself as a maker of “revolutionary” non-stick, no cleanup pans that will be used for “everyday cooking”. Their products sound extremely useful to many consumers. However, many consumers were left disappointed when their Copper Chef pans turned useless soon after they bought it. A few of these complaints include:

“Pan was great for first month. A small part of the coating on the edge chipped off within a week, but this did not interfere with cooking. However, the pan lost its stick-free quality within two months of daily use. We very carefully followed cooking and cleaning instructions…”

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Decks often are the focal point of your backyard space—an outdoor living room to enjoy during nice weather. Decks also are an expensive investment, and most homeowners take steps to protect it by staining their decks to protect it from the elements, extend its life and beautify their outdoor space.

Maybe you finally decided this summer was the time to re-stain your deck.  Maybe you just built and stained the deck recently.  Either way, you took the time out of your weekend or maybe, you even took a few days off of work to properly apply the stain you bought, which has a nice, long warranty.  Now it’s Saturday morning, the weather is nice and comfortable, and you decide to enjoy your morning’s coffee out on your deck.  But when you go out back, all you see is the stain chipping, cracking, and peeling off of your deck.  And there is nothing worse than when your deck starts cracking, chipping, peeling, or losing its color long before a stain is supposed to fail.

“How can this be? The stain came with a multi-year warranty,” you think to yourself. You stained your deck just last year.  Your deck should not already have the chips and cracks it has.  Maybe part of the stain is peeling away entirely.  The bottom line is, this should not be happening to your nicely stained deck.  Unfortunately, many customers who stained their decks or fences with Olympic MAXIMUM Stain + Sealant in One – Semi-Transparent and Olympic MAXIMUM Stain + Sealant in One – Toner stains report cracking, chipping, peeling or fading long before the warranty expires.

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Olympic guarantees its MAXIMUM-brand stains will prevent water damage and graying for a minimum of six years (Semi-Transparent) and four years (Toner) on decks and eight years (Semi-Transparent) and six years (Toner) on fences and siding.  These are bold warranties for stains that are cracking, chipping, and peeling on many customers’ decks and fences within a year of application.  Frankly, the product cannot meet Olympic’s lofty guarantees. Continue reading

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Has your plumbing gone awry? Do any of your home appliances use water supply lines from EZ- FLO International, Inc.? Well, that may not be just a coincidence. According to a number of consumers, EZ-FLO water supply lines—the flexible tubing that is either covered with braided stainless steel or brass, or non-braided plastic, used to supply water to faucets, dishwashers, toilets, ice makers and other household fixtures—have been at the center of leaks around the country­­. These water supply lines often look like this:

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Considering the number of different places EZ-FLO water supply lines can be located throughout our homes, this is important information for any consumer! Comments for dishwasher supply lines include:

 

It has only been installed for 5 months and already the water line is leaking just before the connector. It was a slow drip and ruined our wood floors.

All 6 water supply lines that came leaked and had to be replaced by new ones bought at [L]owes, products were cheap but are not I got what I paid for, I wish I could return just the water lines but I don’t think amazon will allow me to do that. Don’t buy this product unless you only need the power cord.

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