European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - May 9, 1986, Darmstadt, Hesse                                At local level consumer affairs is All about people a t the seminar the duties of a consumer affairs officer seemed quite Clear regulations written Down in Black in White. No problem. At the local level however consumer Alfars problems Are people problems not simple at All. They can involve an officer who knows another officer who has his Beer delivered to the door. Why complains the first officer ust because i live on a closed Post do i have to haul my own it can involve a frightened housewife who Hes signed a furniture contract with budget breaking instalment payments. I have to gel out of it. My husband will no the  h can involve a Soldier who must Send a German firm a registered letter. How do you do Hal he asks. Consumer affairs in fact covers the whole Day to Day living gambit. Handling this people problem Job takes a blk of doing. Like All consumer affairs officers Carol Ann Sunada must practice a Little sleight of hand to do so. Consumer affairs positions Are never delegated As full Lime jobs. Sunada Lor example is the military s Community service specialist for Wiesbaden Germany. She acts As the banking and cafes Liaison the retirement services officer is in charge of checking into civilian misconduct and Heads the blood donor program. When she was Given the added consumer position however she plunged in. So Many people Are being taken by crooked businessmen. Attacking the problem is terribly important and As Hammond said Al the seminar education is the  she knows Lor example that door to door salesmen have invaded the local housing areas but so far has t been Able to track them Down. What they Are doing is completely illegal but people Don t realize that they should immediately Call me or the maps to get the consumer education Ball rolling Sunada s first step was to rewrite the commercial solicitation regulations into everyday language with a closing list of do s and Don to that any 21-year-old housewife would understand. So often when a consumer problem comes up people Tell me that they just did t know they were doing the wrong thing or did t know their Legal rights. The terrible thing is that they truly did t. For example most of the people Here Don t realize that by German Law there is a seven Day Cooling Oil period in which they can cancel an instalment payment purchase.". She says few compare the Cost of merchandise Solo by travelling salesmen with that in the stores downtown or the interest costs Lor instalment payments. Generally they would do so much better borrowing from a regular Bank instead of a finance company Sunada will have the commercial solicitation regulations distributed throughout c�rol7 Atar Tny Community services offices youth activities offices at the child development Center and in in the information handed out to new arrivals. Consumer match make this crib toy throwaway 545 Clio a l Emmer Twil or. Bob Terf to but if colourful Lay could be dangerous. If you have purchased the crib toy picture Don this Page throw it  Are the instructions from the people who sell it. A Young couple who ordered it from the Spiegel Catalon has been informed by the Illinois based company that it could cause injury. It was explained that two of the More than five thousand customers who purchased the toy found that Small pieces of plastic broke off. The toy was Ihen tested by an Independent firm which also confirmed it might break. Now the company is trying to locate All customers who bought the twirl n play crib toy and warn them that it should be discarded. A refund or credit will be Given. The Young parents who received the prompt warning from the company were grateful. We were surprised notes the lather. It seemed very sturdy. Now however on closer inspection we can see that there Are pieces that an Active baby could break  picking out a tale toy to entertain baby in t child s play. Following Are some tips from the us. Department of health education and welfare. They May seem rather obvious but often it is the obvious that is overlooked. First keep beads Bells Small plastic toys and cars with easily detachable pieces anything Small enough to fit entirely in a baby s Mouth safely out of reach and remember that Sale toys need not be expensive. You can improvise with empty boxes pots and pans. And Kitchen utensils without Sharp edges. The following playthings Are suggested with a baby s Range of interest in mind As Well As safety. Birth to three months color Lul hanging toys and mobiles rattles Bells music boxes and squeak Loys. Three to six months plastic and rubber Chew Loys rattles Large wooden beads past la measuring spoons stuffed toys and Bells rings and balls thai can be suspended from crib or Playpen. Six to nine months playthings that Roll toys on wheels Small blocks and Bright balls. With baby s newly developed Pinch hold skills Al this age. It is possible Lor objects such As pins buttons and lacks to be swallowed. ,. Write to twelve months toys that pull apart such As color Cones measuring cups and blocks huge cardboard boxes to climb into. In the United Stales the consumer product safety commission checks the safety of Loys and bans those that do not meet ils standards. Questions Teboul which Loys have been banned and complaints about unsafe toys can be addressed to the division of consumer response and information Al the office of communications consumer product safety commission 5401 West Bard ave., Bethesda my 20207 Walter Johnson director. Toys bought through cafes undergo numerous safety inspections. Periodic Quality control checks Are done on samples of cafes european and american purchased toys. Additionally when there is any Type of Industry or government recall on a toy that cafes. Carries a message is sent with instructions to pull it from the shelves. . Toy 9,1986 the stars and stripes Page 1s