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

Have you ever seen so much snow in West Hartford? I haven’t, going back to when I was a kid. We are very lucky that we have a neighbor across the street, Greg, who has been clearing the snow from our driveway and path every day. What a mensch!

Meanwhile, here are some significant tips – for readers who don’t already know them – from the state Department of Consumer Protection about what to do when the next storm knocks out your power:

• Medication: If the power is out for more than a day, throw out any refrigerated medication, unless the drug label says otherwise. Temperature-sensitive medication loses its effectiveness if not refrigerated and should be replaced with a new supply as soon as possible.
• Food Safety: Before the storm, freeze containers of water and gel packs to help keep food cold if the power goes out.

Also, you can place food in plastic bins or coolers and outside if temperatures are below 38 degrees or below freezing for frozen food. Clean snow in plastic bags or food storage containers can also be used as ice packs.

Keep the refrigerator closed as much as possible. The refrigerator will remain cold for about 4 hours, if unopened. A full freezer will maintain its temperature for 48 hours.

Discard perishable food that has been at room temperature for more than 2 hours. Throw out items that have an unusual odor, color, or texture.

• Generators: Never use a generator inside your home, basement, shed or garage. Keep generators outside and at least 10 feet away from windows, doors, and vents.

Never store flammable liquids, including gasoline and lighter fluids, near your generator or portable grill.

• Beware of Scammers: After a storm, scammers often impersonate storm recovery companies who will offer repair services at a low price and without a contract. All home improvement contractors must provide a written contract, and the contractor must be registered with DCP.

Just Answer

Recently I searched online for ways to fix – if possible – an electrical outlet in our downstairs bathroom that stopped working, turning off our bidet. Up popped “Just Answer,” which I clicked on and which gave me an answer. But then I saw I had to pay Just Answer first and deleted it. Then our son came over and, using AI, found the answer: locate the nearest outlet with a reset button and reset it.

If there’s a lesson it’s don’t use Just Answer, which, it turns out features a deceptive scam it can trick you with, that the Federal Trade Commission has noticed.

On Jan. 13 the FTC sued Just Answer and its CEO alleging that the online question-and-answer service deceives people seeking expert advice into enrolling in a monthly recurring subscription without obtaining consumers’ affirmative consent. The company operates JustAnswer.com as well as specialized advice sites like AskALawyerOnCall.com, AskAVeterinarianOnline.com, and AskWomensHealth.com.

The FTC alleges that Just Answer and founder and CEO Andrew Kurtzig falsely claim that consumers can “join” JustAnswer.com and get access to expert advice for as little as $1 or $5. But when consumers sign up to use the service, JustAnswer actually enrolls them in a recurring monthly subscription costing anywhere from $28 to $125 and immediately charges them this fee, as well as the $1 or $5 join fee. And JustAnswer continues to charge the subscription fee every month until the consumer cancels the subscription.

While JustAnswer provides limited information about the required monthly subscription on its website, it does not disclose the terms clearly and conspicuously as required by the Restore Online Shoppers’ Confidence Act (ROSCA). As a result, consumers have provided their credit card information to the company without affirmatively consenting to enroll in an ongoing monthly subscription and pay the monthly fee.

The complaint alleges that JustAnswer’s and Kurtzig’s deceptive conduct violates ROSCA and the FTC Act and seeks a court order prohibiting the allegedly violative conduct, money back for consumers harmed by the deceptive billing practices, and civil penalties against JustAnswer and Kurtzig.

New scientific discoveries

Backbone: Scientists have discovered how to grow a backbone, according to a study published in the journal Nature. Researchers were able to “coax human stem cells to develop into the ‘notochord,’ which plays a critical role in organizing tissue in developing human embryos and later becomes the intervertebral discs of the spinal column,” said one researcher. The notochord acts as a GPS for an embryo’s nervous system, said James Briscoe, the senior author of the study.

“What’s particularly exciting is that the notochord in our lab-grown structures appears to function similarly to how it would in a developing embryo,” said study co-author Tiago Rito. “It sends out chemical signals that help organize surrounding tissue, just as it would during typical development.”

The findings could help further research into how birth defects affect the spine or spinal cord. “It could also be valuable for studying intervertebral discs – the shock-absorbing cushions located between your vertebrate that actually forms from notochord itself.”

Pancreatic cancer vaccine

An mRNA vaccine has shown promise in a trial in patients with pancreatic cancer. “The vaccine can stimulate a long-term immune response that reduces the risk of recurrence after surgery,” according to a report in the journal Nature. While the trial was conducted with only 16 patients.eight people responded positively to the treatment.

The vaccine works by “targeting genetic mutations found in pancreatic cancer” and “alerting the immune system to recognize and attack the tumor,” the report said. This leads to the production of cancer-fighting T-cells. Whether or not the T-cells will last and extend a person’s life requires further study to confirm, said Dr. Vinod Balachandran, the director of the Olayan Center for Cancer Vaccines, who led the trial.

Impressive stuff!

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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