Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: MONDAY, April 23, 1990 TAG: 9004210407
SECTION: EXTRA PAGE: E-6 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Tammy Poole
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
A: The process of retaining a certain amount of money on a person's credit card while he is staying at a hotel or using a rental car is called blocking, according to Money magazine.
Unlike other merchants, hotels and rental-car companies can't calculate your final bill when you present your card for credit verification. So, many outfits ask the bankcard network to block enough of your credit line to cover your likely expenses - and more.
For a lengthy car rental or hotel stay, thousands of dollars of your credit could be frozen.
Generally, however, the magazine suggests you can protect yourself by:
Carrying an extra card or cash when traveling.
Inquiring in advance about the establishment's policy on blocking.
Reminding the counter clerk to remove the block when you return the car or check out of the hotel.
Halloween toys recalled
The manufacturer of a Halloween toy cited for potential hazards by a consumer group is recalling the novelty items, the Consumer Product Safety Commission said recently.
Rhode Island-based Easy Aces has recalled 40,000 of its Boo Pumpkin toys because parts can break off and pose a fatal choking hazard to young children.
The two-inch, pumpkin-shaped toys were sold nationwide between August and November 1989. When the pumpkin is squeezed a latex balloon shaped like a ghost pops out and a squeaker sounds.
Noting "inhalation of balloon parts is a major source of injury and death," the Americans for Democratic Action Consumer Affairs Committee warned the balloon could come off and tempt a small child to put it in his or her mouth.
The CPSC recently began the first step of a three-part rulemaking process that could result in mandatory warning labels for balloons.
Consumers should return the toys to the stores where purchased for a full refund, the commission said.
by CNB