Consumer News: This is why your earliest doctor’s appointment may be weeks away

More than half of those who became ill are children age 5 or younger

By Mark Huffman of ConsumerAffairs

• Sierra Nevada Cheese Company has recalled all Graziers grass-fed raw milk cheeses amid a multistate E. coli outbreak.

• Federal officials have reported 13 illnesses in nine states, including eight hospitalizations and three cases of a serious kidney complication. No deaths have been reported.

• The cheeses were sold at retailers nationwide and online. Consumers should check their refrigerators and freezers.

Sierra Nevada Cheese Company has recalled its Graziers grass-fed raw milk cheeses after health officials linked them to an E. coli outbreak that has sickened 13 people in nine states.

Eight people have been hospitalized, and three developed hemolytic uremic syndrome, a serious complication that can cause kidney failure, according to the Food and Drug Administration. No deaths have been reported. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says more than half of those who became ill are children age 5 or younger.

The recall covers all Graziers raw milk cheeses: medium cheddar, sharp cheddar, jalapeo jack and Monterey jack. They were sold in 8-ounce and 16-ounce retail packages and supplied to food service customers and wholesalers in 5-pound loaves. The FDA says the cheeses were sold at retailers nationwide and online.

Cases have been reported in California, Colorado, Georgia, Kentucky, Michigan, Nevada, Oregon, Tennessee and Utah. Of nine people interviewed about what they ate before becoming ill, all nine reported eating Graziers grass-fed raw milk cheese. The FDA says its investigation is continuing to determine the source of contamination and whether other products are affected. F

What consumers should do

Do not eat the recalled cheese. Throw it away or return it to the place of purchase for a refund. Because cheese can be kept for a long time, the FDA advises checking freezers as well as refrigerators. If cheese was removed from its packaging and you cannot tell whether it is part of the recall, throw it away. Wash and sanitize containers, utensils and surfaces that may have touched it. Restaurants and retailers should not serve or sell the recalled products.

E. coli symptoms can include severe stomach cramps, diarrhea that may be bloody, and vomiting. Symptoms may begin a few days after eating contaminated food or as long as nine days later. The CDC advises calling a health care provider right away for bloody diarrhea, diarrhea lasting more than two days without improvement, a fever above 102 degrees, persistent vomiting or signs of dehydration.

The CDC recommends choosing pasteurized milk and dairy products, particularly for children under 5, who face a greater risk of severe foodborne illness.

It urges consumers to remain alert to being gouged

By Mark Huffman of ConsumerAffairs

• An advocacy group says Walmarts patents and shopping technology raise concerns about personalized pricing.

• Walmarts CEO says the company does not charge different prices based on a shoppers identity, history or urgency, and promises it will not do so.

• A patent describes ways prices could vary, but it does not establish that Walmart uses those methods.

As ConsumerAffairs reported this week, Walmarts CEO has issued a letter to customers, pledging not to use surveillance pricing as it transitions to digital shelf tags. But a consumer group claims thats an exercise in damage control.

In a September 25 statement, Groundwork Collaborative said Walmarts electronic shelf labels, AI shopping assistant and patents warrant closer scrutiny. The groups president and CEO, Lindsay Owens, argues that the retailer has developed tools that could be used to vary prices according to customers behavior.

Technology patents questioned

According to the consumer group, the dispute centers partly on a Walmart patent granted in 2023. It describes a system for updating electronic shelf labels and gives an example in which a shopper with tuna in a cart could be offered a different price for mayonnaise.

It also discusses changing a price when supply is low and demand is high. Those examples show what the patent contemplates; they do not show that Walmart has put those pricing methods into use.

Groundwork also points to the performance of Sparky, Walmarts AI shopping assistant. At a September investor conference, Walmart U.S. President and CEO Dave Guggina said customers who engage with Sparky have an average order value 40% higher. He described the assistant as suggesting items that could help complete a meal or another shopping task. To be clearm the figure does not, by itself, indicate that Sparky changes the prices shoppers pay.

Other companies

In her recently published book Gouged, Owens makes clear that Groundwork is scrutinizing retailers other than Walmart. She argues that technology has made it easier for companies to test what individual customers will pay and to adjust prices with little visibility for shoppers.

The books published description points to added fees for event tickets, changing ride-share fares and software that landlords use to set rents. Owens also raises concerns about driving data being shared with insurers and potentially affecting premiums.

One example comes from Owens research with Consumer Reports on Instacart. In tests conducted at the same stores at nearly the same time, shoppers were shown prices for identical grocery items that differed by as much as 23%. Instacart said the differences came from limited pricing tests run for retail partners, disputed describing them as surveillance pricing, and said it ended the tests in December 2025.

Owens also discusses RealPage, whose software recommends apartment rents to landlords. She argues that sharing pricing data through such systems can help keep rents high even when apartments are vacant.

The Justice Department brought an antitrust case against RealPage and reached a proposed settlement in 2025 that would restrict its use of competitors sensitive information and certain pricing features.

The settlement resolves the governments claims, but it should not be read as a court finding that every rent recommendation was unlawful. L

Together, the examples illustrate Owens broader claim: as technology evolves, consumers may have difficulty judging whether a price reflects ordinary costs and competition when the decisions behind it are hidden in data and software.

Consumers can pair instructions for their phone with those for their wireless provider

By Mark Huffman of ConsumerAffairs

• The FCC has released step-by-step guides to help consumers block and filter unwanted calls and texts.

• The guides cover iPhones, Android phones and services from AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon.

• Many of the tools are free or included in phone plans, though availability depends on the device and service.

The Federal Communications Commission has published five new guides showing consumers how to turn on tools that block or filter unwanted calls and texts.

The guides are designed to help people find protections already available through their phones or wireless service. Two cover Apple and Google devices; the other three cover services offered by AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon.

The FCC recommends choosing the guide for your phone and the guide for your provider. An iPhone customer with T-Mobile service, for example, would use both of those instruction cards, then decide which features to enable.

Many of the features cost nothing extra or are included in a customers plan, the agency said.

All three carriers also offer free ways to report unwanted incoming calls and texts. Consumers should check what is included in their own plan before turning on a feature that may carry a charge.

Practical solutions

The guides give consumers a practical way to reduce interruptions, but the FCC does not promise that filtering will stop every unwanted call or text. Consumers can review the available settings and choose the protections that work best for them.

Combatting the scourge of illegal robocalls remains the FCCs top consumer protection priority, FCC Chairman Brendan Carr said. The agency said the guides are part of its broader effort to curb illegal robocalls and robotexts.

In 2025, consumers were inundated with approximately 52.5 billion automated calls. While roughly 57% were flagged as sales pitches or fraudulent, tracking metrics do not break out from general telemarketing. Consequently, exact national statistics on the proportion of unwanted communications tied to remain unavailable.

Recently, Carr released a Public Notice seeking comment on the creation of a new consumer tool, a Robocall Scorecard, aiming to empower consumers to make informed choices when it comes to their voice service provider. These new consumer resources mark the latest step in the Commissions broader effort to attack and stop illegal robocalls at every point in their life cycle.

The numbers suggest that an increasing number of homeowners are struggling

By Mark Huffman of ConsumerAffairs

• More than 40,000 U.S. properties had a foreclosure filing in August, up 13% from a year earlier.

• Lenders began foreclosure proceedings on 25,894 properties, a 7% annual increase.

• Completed foreclosures rose 42% from August 2025, though overall activity remains below pre-pandemic levels.

While the rate of foreclosures is nowhere near the level during the housing market crash nearly two decades ago, the rate is beginning to rise, albeit slowly.

South Carolina had the highest foreclosure rate in August, while Texas recorded the most completed foreclosures.

Foreclosure activity continued to climb in August, with 40,277 U.S. properties receiving a foreclosure filing, according to property data firm ATTOM. That was 13% more than in August 2025 and 1% more than in July.

Foreclosure is a process, with only the last stage resulting in a homeowner's loss of a house. However, filings and other steps in the process signal trouble for homeowners trying to pay their monthly mortgage.

The figures cover several stages of the process, including default notices, scheduled auctions and lender repossessions. A filing therefore does not mean a homeowner has already lost the property.

Lenders started foreclosure proceedings on 25,894 properties in August, up 7% from a year earlier but down 3% from July. Florida recorded the most starts, at 3,189, followed by Texas with 3,126 and California with 2,565.

Completed foreclosures rose more sharply. Lenders repossessed 5,794 properties in August, a 42% increase from a year earlier and a 22% increase from July. Texas accounted for 1,835 of those repossessions, the most of any state.

Where foreclosure rates were highest

Nationwide, one in every 3,569 housing units had a foreclosure filing during the month. South Carolina had the highest rate, at one in every 1,547 housing units. Nevada, Florida, Texas and Maryland followed. Among metropolitan areas with at least 200,000 residents, Columbia, South Carolina, had the highest rate.

The annual increases point to more homeowners reaching the foreclosure process, but ATTOM cautioned against reading the figures as a return to the levels seen in earlier housing downturns. The company said overall foreclosure activity remains below pre-pandemic norms.

What to do

Homeowners who are having trouble making mortgage payments should contact their mortgage servicer as soon as possible, even if they have not missed a payment. The phone number is on the monthly mortgage statement. Explain what caused the hardship, whether it is temporary or ongoing, and ask to apply for foreclosure prevention assistance. Waiting until a foreclosure notice arrives can limit the time available to work out a solution.

Depending on the loan and the homeowners circumstances, the servicer may offer a temporary payment pause or reduction, a plan to catch up on missed payments, or a loan modification. Some borrowers may qualify to move past-due amounts to the end of the loan. A pause does not erase missed payments, so homeowners should ask how and when those amounts will be repaid before agreeing to a plan.

Homeowners can also get free foreclosure prevention advice from a HUD-approved housing counselor. Counselors can help review the options, prepare an application and communicate with the mortgage company. To find one, call 800-569-4287 or use HUDs housing counseling search.

Those whose hardship was connected to COVID-19 can also check whether their state or tribal Homeowner Assistance Fund program is still accepting applications. Funding is limited, and the program is scheduled to end in September 2026 or sooner if local funds run out.

Anyone who has received legal papers or a foreclosure sale date should seek help immediately and consider contacting legal aid. Homeowners should be wary of companies that demand an upfront fee, promise to stop foreclosure or tell them to send mortgage payments somewhere other than their servicer.

Black Friday isn't automatically the cheapest time to buy everything

• End-of-season deals are happening now: Retailers are clearing grills, patio furniture, lawn equipment, and other summer merchandise.

• Waiting has a downside: Prices could fall further, but the model, size, or color you want may disappear first.

• Some things are worth waiting for Black Friday: Adobe's 2025 holiday data shows shoppers got some of the deepest discounts on electronics, toys, apparel, TVs, and computers.

If you're eyeing a new TV, waiting for Black Friday probably makes sense. But if it's a grill, lawn mower, or patio set, waiting could be a mistake.

That's because retailers are already clearing out some of the very products that aren't likely to be the stars of Black Friday. And while prices could fall further, the tradeoff is that the size, model, or color you want may disappear first.

Consumer Reports' September price tracking shows discounts across a number of outdoor and seasonal categories, including grills, lawn mowers, and outdoor power equipment.

Here are six purchases worth considering right now.

1. Grills

If your grill barely survived the summer, don't assume Black Friday is the best time to replace it.

Consumer Reports says prices are dropping on grills and other outdoor products as summer winds down. September is a transition month for retailers, when seasonal inventory starts getting cleared to make room for what's coming next.

And there's a second reason to shop now: better selection.

The longer you wait, the greater the chance the grill you actually want is gone. That means the lowest clearance price in November won't do you much good if all that's left is a model you don't want.

Current deals:

• Nexgrill 4-Burner Gas Grill with Side Burner: $199 at Home Depot, down from $279 $80 off (29%).

• Blackstone Bronco griddle/smoker combo: $898 at Walmart, down from $998 $100 off (10%). That price was reconfirmed in a Sept. 21 update.

• Pit Boss Austin XL 1000 pellet grill: $536 at Walmart, down from $596 $60 off (about 10%). A grill-price tracker checked the price Sept. 25 and identified it as the current Pit Boss deal.

2. Patio furniture

This might be the strongest "buy now" category on the list.

Retailers have a powerful incentive to get bulky patio furniture out of stores and warehouses once summer ends.

And the markdowns are already showing up.

Amazon patio furniture was recently being advertised at discounts of as much as 80%, including an outdoor umbrella base marked down from $399 to $80 and outdoor furniture sets selling for hundreds less than their listed prices.

Don't get hypnotized by the percentage-off number, though. Retailers can discount products from inflated list prices, so always search the exact model before buying.

The smart move: If you find the patio set you actually want at a substantial discount, there's little reason to gamble on it still being available two months from now.

Current deals:

• UDPatio 3-piece rocking bistro set Walmart: $148.99, down from $249.99 $101 off (40%), explicitly marked clearance.

• JUSKYS 7-piece patio conversation set Home Depot: $383, down from $558 $175 off (31%). Home Depot's listing is current today.

• Target Southport outdoor loveseat: $350, down from $500 $150 off (30%), explicitly marked clearance.

• Walmart Mainstays Chelsea 4-piece deep-seating set: $447, down from $597 $150 off (25%), currently labeled Rollback.

3. Lawn mowers and outdoor power equipment

Your mower may have made it through another summer, but now can be a better time to replace it than next spring.

Consumer Reports lists lawn mowers among the products that commonly get discounted in September and says prices are also dropping on products such as string trimmers and pressure washers as summer winds down.

It makes sense as a lawn mower taking up floor space in September is quickly becoming old inventory. Next April, that same category is suddenly something shoppers need again.

Be sure to not just look at the price of the tool. For battery-powered equipment, check what replacement batteries cost and whether the battery works with other tools you own.

Don't stop your clearance hunt at the lawn mower aisle, as discounts can extend to pressure washers, string trimmers, and other outdoor equipment as retailers transition into fall.

These aren't necessarily products shoppers associate with Black Friday, which is exactly why the end-of-season window matters.

Pro tip: Always search the model number and check its price history before buying. A giant "40% OFF" sign doesn't tell you what the product actually sold for a month ago. Theres a good chance its a fake sale and waiting may make more sense.

Current deals:

• Ryobi 40V HP self-propelled mower Home Depot: $449, down from $599 $150 off (25%)

• Milwaukee M18 FUEL mower + trimmer bundle Home Depot: $1,399, down from $1,549 $150 off

• Ryobi ONE+ HP leaf blower Home Depot: $199, down from $229 $30 off (13%)

• Greenworks 60V self-propelled mower Walmart: $398 with battery and rapid charger

4. Window and portable air conditioners

Buying an air conditioner when summer is ending feels backward.

That's exactly the point.

Demand drops when temperatures cool. Compare that with shopping during next summer's first heat wave, when thousands of other consumers may suddenly be looking for the same thing.

This is one of those purchases where buying before you need it can work in your favor.

There's an important caveat: Don't buy the wrong-size unit simply because it's on clearance. An undersized AC may struggle to cool a room, while buying much more cooling capacity than you need can create its own problems.

The smart move: If you know an aging unit needs to be replaced before next summer, start checking clearance prices now instead of waiting until it's 100 degrees outside.

Current deals:

• GE 12,000-BTU Smart Window AC GE Direct: $275.60, down from $499 $223.40 off (45%).

• Vissani 8,000-BTU Smart Portable AC Home Depot: $250, down from $361.77 $111.77 off (31%).

• LG 7,000-BTU Portable AC Home Depot: $319, down from $379 $60 off (16%)

5. Summer clothing, sandals, and swimwear

Here's where you have to separate "clothing" from "summer clothing."

Adobe found that apparel discounts peaked at 25.1% during the 2025 holiday season, giving shoppers a good reason to wait, especially on fall and winter clothing.

The takeaway is that there's no reason to rush out and buy jeans, sweaters, or other current-season clothing because you're afraid Black Friday won't have deals.

Summer merchandise is different, as retailers need the space currently occupied by shorts, sandals, swimsuits, and other warm-weather items. That can produce clearance prices that have little to do with the holiday shopping calendar.

The smart move: Shop now for summer basics you'll use next year, particularly if you find your size at a steep markdown. For current-season clothing, waiting for Black Friday makes more sense.

Current deals:

• Old Navy: 40% off everything, plus clearance summer/swim items reaching 80%+ off.

• Macys: Current womens clearance includes up to 65% off sandals and swimwear, with additional savings using its current promo code on eligible items.

• Target: Large summer/vacation clearance selection is live now; Target is also advertising up to 40% off thousands of items during its Oct. 67 Circle Deal Days.

• Abercrombie & Fitch: Clearance sale currently has select styles up to 75% off.

6. Trees, shrubs, and perennial plants

Here's the sleeper deal many consumers dont think about. As summer ends, your local garden centers and nurseries have an inventory problem too.

Penn State Extension says garden centers preparing for winter discount in-stock nursery products including perennials, shrubs, and trees, in part because keeping those plants alive through winter costs retailers time and money.

And unlike buying a grill you might store until spring, fall can actually be an excellent time to use what you buy.Cooler temperatures can help trees, shrubs, and perennials establish roots without the heat stress of summer. The exact planting window depends heavily on where you live, however, so shoppers in colder climates need to leave enough time before the ground freezes.

Clearance plants also require some detective work.Brown leaves don't necessarily mean a plant is dead, particularly as it enters dormancy. But diseased, severely root-bound or cold-sensitive plants aren't bargains just because they're 70% off.

The smart move: Check the roots, verify the plant is hardy for your climate, and ask whether clearance plants still qualify for the nursery's normal guarantee.

What should you wait until Black Friday to buy?

Here's where last year's numbers are particularly useful.

Adobe Analytics tracked more than one trillion visits to U.S. retail sites, 100 million products, and 18 product categories during its analysis of the 2025 holiday season.

The discounts consumers actually received peaked at:

• 30.9% on electronics

• 29.6% on toys

• 25.1% on apparel

• 24.3% on TVs

• 23.4% on computers

• 20.3% on sporting goods

• 20.2% on appliances

• 18.8% on furniture

These percentages aren't advertised estimates. Theyre exactly what Adobe says happened during the 2025 holiday shopping season. This gives shoppers a pretty compelling reason to wait on a TV or laptop, but not necessarily on a grill or lawn mower.

The holiday deal wars start in October

There's another reason you shouldn't automatically wait until Black Friday: The holiday sale wars are starting weeks earlier.

For example, Amazon's Prime Big Deal Days runs Oct. 6-7 with millions of deals across more than 35 categories. Target is holding its competing Circle Deal Days on the same dates, while Walmart's fall sale runs Oct. 5-11.

The better rule isn't simply "wait until Black Friday, instead, think about why the product is discounted.

If a retailer is trying to unload a grill, patio set, or lawn mower because its season is ending, now may be your opportunity. If it's a TV, laptop, or another product that historically sees deep holiday discounts, waiting will usually pay off.

In other words, don't shop by the calendar. Shop by the reason behind the sale.