Just a heads up for you this morning on a recall from Walmart. They are recalling almost 200,000 of the dolls pictured above due to a burn hazard. There are at least 12 reports of the computer chip in the body of the doll overheating and causing burns and blisters.

Refunds are being offered. See the entire alert HERE from the Consumer Product Safety Commission.

Consumer Contact:

Wal-Mart Stores at (800) 925-6278 from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. CT Monday through Friday, from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. CT on Saturday, and from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. CT on Sunday, or online at www.walmart.com and click on Product Recalls for more information.

Remedy:

Consumers should immediately take the dolls from children, remove the batteries and return the doll to any Walmart store for a full refund.

Sold exclusively at:

Walmart stores nationwide from August 2012 through March 2014 for $20.

We all know that produce prices jump around all the time. And they can vary not only from store to store, but day to day within stores depending on shipments, crop yield, distance shipped, and many other factors. A Michigan deal hunter shares with us what she found when comparing prices on produce between Walmart and Aldi in Comstock Park, MI near Grand Rapids.

Overwhelmingly on this trip, Aldi comes in below Walmart pricing, and often does in other areas, but that’s not always the case in every area or season. You also need to factor in the freshness of the items you are seeing and size of individual items and if they are on sale at Aldi or not. In this case, bananas were on sale, but they are normally $0.44-$0.48 per pound not on sale there.

In these pictures you see the price differences she found. What you don’t see is what she said about the sizes. Since the prices for the Aldi items are high above the produce, they are not included in the pictures, but were “on average visually smaller” than their Walmart counterparts. This is important to note on items that are sold on quantity instead of weight – If Walmart charges more, but the item is larger then the prices are much closer to even or Walmart would potentially come in with a better price. Avocados are one of those items in this case, the size and quality were much better at Walmart.

In some cases, like the apples, we have another thing to consider: locally grown. It’s not always marked, but if it’s important to you, look for the signs. Plus, these bags are the same weight total – even if the apples in the Walmart bags are bigger, chances are Aldi is your better deal if the quality is close.

In the case of the broccoli, it’s the only item that obviously comes in under the Aldi price at a quick glance. However, every store upcharges for “crowns” vs the packages with the stalk.

Again, many of the items are close in price and measured/sold in the same units. It comes down to quality of the product and willingness to shop multiple stores.

Then there’s the tricky ones…. like the grapes below. The quick glance makes it look like Walmart is the better deal, until you realize that Aldi has them pre-packaged in 2 pound containers and you are only paying $1.75 per pound.

Lettuce see where the salads stand. 50% higher price for something that will spoil quickly after opening might not be worth it, in this comparison, both looked to be about the same quality.

And another tricky one. It’s hard to see in the picture, but the Aldi price is for a 2 pack, not just a single like at Walmart. That’s a big savings for the Aldi pack when you consider our deal hunter says they were a great quality and very fresh.

Potatoes, potahtos.

Strawberries are one of those tricky things. Seems that no matter where you go they always looked better in the store than they do when you get them home. Where ever you chose to buy them from, pick from the back and bottom of the display for the freshest selection.

One other thing to note: Although Walmart’s coupon policy allows for price matching of produce in the Aldi ad, there tends to be a lot of selective allowance and resistance to it. So, on that note, please check with your local Walmart and follow up with corporate if you feel you need to try it.

Do you find similar results in your area?

Graco has issued a large recall covering 11 models and 4 years of sales. The NHTSA is also encouraging them to recall an additional 1.8 million units, but so far they have not. Today, we have 3.8 Million Graco Car Seats Recalled.

From SaferCar.gov:

Make: GRACO

Models: ARGOS 70, CLASSIC RIDE 50, COMFORT SPORT, COZY CLINE, MY RIDE 65, MY RIDE 70, MY RIDE W/SAFETY SURROUND, NAUTILUS, NAUTILUS ELITE, SIZE 4 ME 70, SMARTSEAT

Production Dates: –

Defect: Graco Children’s Products, Inc. (Graco) is recalling model year 2009 through 2013 toddler and booster child restraints, models Cozy Cline, Comfort Sport, Classic Ride 50, My Ride 65, My Ride with Safety Surround, My Ride 70, Size 4 Me 70, Smartseat, Nautilus, Nautilus Elite, and Argos 70. The alleged defect involves difficulty in unlatching the harness buckle. In some cases, the buckle becomes stuck in a latched condition so that it cannot be opened by depressing the buckle’s release button.

Consequence: It may be difficult to remove the child from the restraint, increasing the risk of injury in the event of a vehicle crash, fire, or other emergency, in which a prompt exit from the vehicle is required.

Corrective Action: The manufacturer has not yet provided the agency with a remedy or notification schedule. Owners may contact Graco at 1-800-345-4109 (toll-free) or 1-330-869-7225.

Notes: Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.

NHTSA No.: 14C001000

From Huffington Post: “The company will send replacement buckles for free to owners who registered their seats. Owners who didn’t register their seats but want free replacement buckles can call the company’s consumer hotline at 800-345-4109 or visit its website.”