Electronics

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Miracle Blood Glucose Meter – No Finger Pricks?

For decades, diabetics have had to prick a finger to get a drop of blood on a test strip that is then inserted into a meter to quickly display a blood glucose reading.

Then a CGM — a continuous glucose meter — which attaches to your upper arm was invented. It transmits your reading to a cellphone app. It still has to slightly puncture the skin when first applied.

Now, miracle of miracles (if you believe their ad) comes the Pryxo non-invasive blood glucose monitor. You simply stick your finger in it, and five seconds later the digital display shows your reading.


If you saw this ad or one like it while watching other videos online and clicked it, you might well have seen this next:

*MOUSE PRINT:

scam warning

Our advice, save your money. You will probably receive a pulse oximeter to give you your oxygen saturation level and heart rate, not a device to measure your blood glucose. No consumer device has yet been invented and made widely available that doesn’t involve some penetration of the skin.

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One Consumer’s Frigidaire Refrigerator Nightmare

Frigidaire side-by-sideAmanda C. wrote to us in July about a major appliance nightmare she was living through but now had hit a brick wall.

Last August, she bought a Frigidaire side-by-side refrigerator at Best Buy in Massachusetts for almost $1,000. Last month it stopped cooling properly. Apparently, the seal around the door was faulty so the refrigerator was running constantly, failing to keep food at a safe temperature while wearing out the compressor. The refrigerator got so warm inside that black mold started growing.

Contacting Best Buy was a dead end according to our consumer because they told her the return period was long over. When calling the manufacturer for repair, they provided her with contact information for a service company. But Amanda told us:

The company has cancelled the appointment multiple times, asked to reschedule, etc. after I had to rearrange my work schedule and life to accommodate the scheduling. After the 5th or 6th cancellation, I called Fridgidaire and filed a complaint.

The consumer contacted us asking for some guidance. We provided some executive level contacts at Electrolux (the maker of Frigidaire) and urged her to create a written record of the issue before the warranty expired. We suggested she follow some of the complaint resolution suggestions and contacts at Elliott.org .

She sent emails to key people at both Electrolux and Best Buy. Miracle of miracles, an Electrolux supervisor agreed to give her a replacement. But less than 12 hours later they told her they can’t replace it because that model has been discontinued.

Hope seemed to be lost at that moment. But then an executive resolution specialist at Best Buy reached out to our consumer and said they would pick up the old fridge and deliver a new one. Yeah!

*MOUSE PRINT:

Amanda was put through the wringer despite the law being on her side. In Massachusetts, a seller is just as responsible as the manufacturer in the case of defective goods. And here, when goods are defective, it is also the consumer’s choice of one of the three “R’s” — repair, replacement, or refund. Unfortunately, too many retailers simply point the finger at the manufacturer and brush the customer off.

We applaud Best Buy for finally stepping up.

Should you face a similar issue, our suggestion is to document the problem and climb the corporate ladder when a retailer or manufacturer tries to weasel out of its obligations. Find corporate contacts at Elliott.org . Should that fail, file a complaint with your state consumer office or attorney general, consider small claims court, and if the issue is newsworthy, contact a consumer reporter.

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Trump Mobile Changes the Fine Print

Back in June 2025, a new phone service called Trump Mobile was trumpeted promising a price of $47.45 a month for unlimited service.

They also were taking pre-orders of the $499 T1 phone that was to be made in the USA, had a golden back, and would be available in September 2025.

All you had to do was pay $100 to secure your spot.

The terms of the sale were subsequently detailed in the “terms of use” statement on their website.

*MOUSE PRINT:

Some key points from it include:

ALL SALES ARE FINAL AND NON-REFUNDABLE.

Other than as may be required by law, we reserve the right to modify or withdraw, temporarily or permanently, the TrumpSM Mobile Services (or any part of) with or without notice to you, and you confirm that we shall not be liable to you or any third party for any modification to withdraw or withdrawal of the TrumpSM Mobile Services or any portion of it.

Nothing on the TrumpSM Mobile Services constitutes a binding offer to sell you any products described on the Services or to make such products available in your area.

You agree that any dispute, claim or lawsuit, regardless of form, that may arise out of or related to these Terms or your use of the TrumpSM Mobile Services, must be filed within ONE (1) YEAR of the action, omission, event or occurrence giving rise to the dispute, claim(s) or lawsuit.

By October 2025, no phones had shipped and they were still asking people to pay $100 to get in line for one.

If we skip ahead to April and May 2026, they are still collecting $100 for the phone and a new section has rules about preorders which says in part:

*MOUSE PRINT:

Trump Mobile does not guarantee that: the Device will be commercially released; regulatory approvals (including FCC authorization) will be obtained; carrier certification will be secured; production will commence or continue; or delivery will occur within any specific timeframe.

They do say if the device is cancelled, customers will get their deposit back. Whewww! But that might not be necessary because just last week, the company told USA Today that shipping was about to begin.

And what about those original “made in the USA” claims? The company now uses tricky phraseology to make you think it is American made, but no longer uses “made in the USA” language:

Made in America?

Made in America-like claims

In that interview with USA Today last week, the Trump Mobile CEO revealed that while the first Trump T1 phones were assembled in the United States, going forward the phones “will use components primarily manufactured in the United States.” So the use of crafty language continues.

Feel free to add your comments about Trump Mobile’s advertising, but this is not an opportunity to either bash or extol the president.