Consumer columnist and West Hartford resident Harlan Levy has more than 20 years of experience writing stories about everyday experiences that anyone could encounter.

By Harlan Levy

Grocery price watch

Avocados, most coming from Mexico, with prices stable until the Trump tariffs go into effect in 90 days.

• Big Y: $1.79
• Whole Foods: Large $2.49, medIum $1.88 ($1.69 for Prime members), organic $3.49
• Trader Joe’s: 4-pack $5.99, 4 pack organic $6.99, conventional large $1.99, $2.49 organic large. $2.49
• Stop & Shop: $1.69

NOTE: I’m suspending my weekly grocery price check until the tariffs hit.

Testing troubled kids

Over this past weekend an acquaintance told me about a quandary he was facing. His 6-year-old son appears to have ADHD and other personality problems, and his wife and he want him to get psychological testing to figure out what he needs. But, although the insurance the dad gets through work says it does cover the approximately $4,000 cost, when he contacted the third-party provider that his insurer said would cover it, the provider said it didn’t.

Sadly, he can’t afford the $4,000 bill.

I suggested transferring to another insurer and checked four major insurers in Connecticut to see if they cover psychological testing for children. The results for Connecticare, United Healthcare, Anthem, and Aetna:

• Connecticare: Covers psychological testing, depending on your deductible
• United Healthcare: Covers it. Low-cost premium with no deductible charges a $150 co-pay. A second plan has a $1,000 deductible with 20% coverage.
• Anthem: Covers it. $70 co-pay after $4,000 deductible. (Forget Anthem!)
• Aetna: After 15 minutes on the phone following the same repeated instructions five straight times and no response to my request to talk with a living human I gave up and hung up.

Toll scam

On Monday I received the following text message:

“The Toll Roads Notice of Toll Evasion: You have an unpaid toll bill on your account. To avoid late fees, pay within 12 hours or the late fees will be increased and reported to the DMV. Copy this link: http://ezdrivema.com-qieindnga.top/i

Please reply Y, then exit the text message and open it again to activate the link, or copy the link to your Safari browser and open it.

The Toll Roads team wishes you a great day!“

Don’t be a sucker! Don’t open the link. If you do you’ll risk losing your ID and cash.

Recall

An investigation by the state Department of Consumer Protection and the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station (CAES) has resulted in a Food and Drug Administration recall for Zaarah Herbals products made and distributed by New York Wholesale Group.

A CAES analysis of samples collected by DCP from several Zaarah Herbals powders found the products contained significantly elevated levels of lead and inorganic arsenic, which can be harmful if consumed in high doses.

The following products are included in the recall:

• Zaarah Herbals, Bhringraj Powder, 100g (3.5 oz) (UPC: 6 35028 99973 1)
• Zaarah Herbals, Gurmar Powder, 100g (3.5 oz) (UPC: 6 35028 99969 4)
• Zaarah Herbals, Vasaka Powder, 100g (3.5 oz) (UPC: 6 35028 99967 0)
• Zaarah Herbals, Rasayan Churan, 100g (3.5 oz) (UPC: 6 35028 99966 3)

The clear 100g jars with a gold lid were distributed to retailers in Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, and California between Dec. 20, 2024 and Jan. 7, 2025.

Exposure to high levels of lead, a heavy metal, can cause anemia, seizures, and coma among other conditions and which can vary based on the level of exposure, age, or body weight. The consumption of inorganic arsenic has been linked to cancer, skin lesions and cardiovascular disease. Individuals that are pregnant are the most at-risk to chronic exposure.

Consumers should return these products to where they bought them for a full refund.

Now you know.

NOTE: If you have a consumer problem, contact me at [email protected] (“Consumer” in subject line), and, with the power of the press, maybe I can help.

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