Hulk Hogan Product Recall!!
Hulk Hustles the Hulk Hogan Ultimate Grill, Before the Recall
By Art Harris, (c), www.artharris.com, all rights reserved.
With the stock market diving, I figured sports star memorabilia might be the ticket, and phoned the QVC Shopping Network’s 800 number Wednesday night to try and nab the Hulk Hogan New Ultimate Grill.
If O.J. Simpson is so bullish as to use armed goons to bust into a Las Vegas hotel room to steal back his own Not Guilty suit, who’s to say a beleagured Hulk and his collectibles aren’t a smart play, too?
Googling the product, I was reminded that QVC shoppers, rabid with Hulkmania, snapped up the grill by the thousands when it went on sale last July to endorse a ‘rasslin’ legend gutsy enough to branch out from hawking belts, do-rags and feather boas.
“Hulkmania Slams QVC to the Mat!” declared one PR release I found, touting 11,400 grills snapped up in the first 24 hours, generating a sizzling $1.1 million in sales.
“The Grill is a unique kitchen appliance that can transform from grill to a skillet, pizza oven, waffle maker and Panini sandwich press,” said one PR handout “It can even bake cookies.”
AND it included two grill plates, one skillet plate and Hulk’s book: Hogan Knows Grilling. A collector’s item, if I ever saw one.
“All around, things are going very well for me right now,” said Hulk back then, aka Terry Bollea.
“My Ultimate Grill is selling…I recently premiered our fourth season of Hogan Knows Best…one of VH1’s highest rated programs; and my kids are having a lot of success in their careers.”
What a difference a year makes.
Tuesday night on Larry King Live, the Hulk’s lip quivered as he tried to spin shocking jailhouse audiotapes that caught him and estranged wife, Linda) trying to cheer up their son, Nick, by trashing the brain-damaged ex-Marine Nick put in a VA hospital for life when the 17 year old serial speeder crashed his hot rod on the streets of Clearwater, Florida August 26, 2007.
Serving eight months in the Pinellas County Florida jail after pleading no contest to felony reckless driving, Nick’s yellow Toyota Supra disintegrated when it hit a 25 foot palm tree — exactly a month after the electric Hulk Hogan Ultimate Grill started jumping off the shelves.
I gotta have it, I told a cheery QVC operator who came on the line.. She paused, then hit me with the bad news.
“I’m sorry, that item is no longer available.,” she said. “The screen doesn’t tell me why.”
Then, I found a clue; a QVC buyer blogger wrote in:
“As I was heating it up, to 350 degrees, it started smoking very badly. My kitchen smelled bad. I was afraid to use it,” wrote ISHOP2. “It scared me because it didn’t say anything about the first time you use it that anything like that would happen…has this happened to anyone else?”
Apparently.
In a Consumer Product Safety Commission alert this March that slipped under the radar, QVC announced a safety recall of Hulk’s Ultimate Grill as a fire hazard.
“Cooking oils or sprays applied to the grill’s cooking plates before preheating can cause the oil to ignite and/or flare up. Cooking sprays can ignite and/or flare up if used on the grill at any time,” wrote the CPSC.
So, if you’re one of the lucky owners, send it back.
Nick Bollea Jailhouse Rants–He wants Dad to Pitch a Reality Show–about him!
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Recall Alert
U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission
Office of Information and Public Affairs Washington, DC 20207
March 6, 2008
Alert #08-549
QVC and Tristar Recall Electric Grills Due to Fire Hazard; Consumers to Receive New Instructions
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, in cooperation with the firm named below, today announced a voluntary recall of the following consumer product. Consumers should stop using recalled products immediately unless otherwise instructed.
Name of Product: Electric Contact Grills
Units: About 13,500
Retailers: QVC Inc., of West Chester, Pa., and Tristar Products Inc., of Fairfield, N.J.
Hazard: Cooking oils or sprays applied to the grill’s cooking plates before preheating can cause the oil to ignite and/or flare up. Cooking sprays can ignite and/or flare up if used on the grill at any time.
Incidents/Injuries: QVC and Tristar have received five reports of the grill igniting or flaring up, including two reports of minor burns.
Description: This recall involves a dual surface electric contact grill sold under the “Hulk Hogan’s Ultimate Grill” brand. The grills are silver/gray in color, have removable cooking plates, a cassette to catch drippings, and fold for storage or transport. Model number PZ-3012 is printed on a silver label attached to the back of the grills.
Sold by: QVC through its television station, Web page, toll-free number, and its employee, retail and Studio stores; and through Tristar’s Web site www.hulkhogangrill.com, and a direct response television commercial from May 2007 through August 2007 for about $100.
Manufactured in: China
Remedy:
Consumers should immediately stop using cooking oils on the grill prior to preheating. Cooking sprays should not be used on the grill at anytime. Consumers will receive a revised instruction manual with a cooking spray/oil use warning. QVC has sent warning notices to consumers to whom it sold the product directly. Tristar will do the same.
Consumer Contact: For additional information, contact QVC at (800) 367-9444 between 7 a.m. and 1 a.m. ET daily, or visit the company’s Web site at www.qvc.com. Consumers who purchased the grill from Tristar can call (800)718-5135 between 9 a.m. and 7 p.m. ET Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, or visit the company’s Web site at www.tristarproductsinc.com
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Send the link for this page to a friend! The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission is charged with protecting the public from unreasonable risks of serious injury or death from more than 15,000 types of consumer products under the agency’s jurisdiction. Deaths, injuries and property damage from consumer product incidents cost the nation more than $800 billion annually.
The CPSC is committed to protecting consumers and families from products that pose a fire, electrical, chemical, or mechanical hazard. The CPSC’s work to ensure the safety of consumer products - such as toys, cribs, power tools, cigarette lighters, and household chemicals - contributed significantly to the decline in the rate of deaths and injuries associated with consumer products over the past 30 years.
To report a dangerous product or a product-related injury, call CPSC’s hotline at (800) 638-2772 or CPSC’s teletypewriter at (800) 638-8270, or visit CPSC’s web site at www.cpsc.gov/talk.html. To join a CPSC email subscription list, please go to https://www.cpsc.gov/cpsclist.aspx. Consumers can obtain this release and recall information at CPSC’s Web site at www.cpsc.gov.
June 12th, 2008 at 2:45 am
Was he trying to ‘copy’ or ‘compete’ with George?
By the way, Art, have you ever heard of “Bubba Burgers?” LOL
(Actually, they are really good!)
It’s very unfortunate, about ‘the accident.’
June 12th, 2008 at 11:48 am
Why not have the whole converstation not just a sound bite? What father wouldn’t want to comfort their son? Nick was to go in to a min sercurity prison but instead was sent to a max isolation unit. IT WAS A STUPID ACCIDENT! Was Hulk wrong in buying his son a sportscar, YES. How many of you had a drink or two while under the age limit? How many of you got a ticket for driving to fast? He who is without sin can throw the ist stone. Many things went wrong that day including John not wearing his safety belt. We have a name for people who ride motorcycles and don’t wear safety belts their called organ donors. (sick medical humor). Art I expected better from you. You research the Anna Nicole case and when your friend Nancy Grace said “two healthy people die and the only common link is Howard Stern!” Than you post 2 minutes of a sound bite. With a sound bite I can make you sound like Hitler. I’m so glad my boys are now adults because they scared me from 14 to 21. Please people this was a terrible accident, Nick may be stupid but that doesn’t make him as bad as Ted Bundy. And he doesn’t deserve all this press.
June 12th, 2008 at 12:11 pm
My boy got 60 stitches to his face because of a stupid accident he caused. I said “no permanent damage, no one else was hurt so I can’t be suied? This is a good life lesson, please learn from it.” I know Nick was very stupid and he is in jail because of it and he will be paying the civil case for the rest of his life but it was an accident. If you want to get sick watch MTV Sweet 16. Parents are proud to display their soiled, nasty child and at the end of every show the child get a sportscar. Last show the girl got a big hummer and a matching jet sky. If she doesn’t kill you on the road she’ll get you in the water. Do you know alot of people are being killed on the roads because kids are texting on the phone while driving. Talking isn’t cool enough for them, they have to be writing and reading while driving.
June 12th, 2008 at 8:02 pm
Hi Frieda. You’re right…it was an unfortunate accident. Perhaps the 8 month’s sentence will give Nick a little time to think about what happened to his friend, and he will realise that “trashing” his friend only adds to the bad image he has brought on himself.
His parents might want to consider being by the young marines side doing something positive for the young man.
IMO They’ve already had their “reality show” and it’s not good.
Thanks for the Public Service notice Art. Good Luck
June 12th, 2008 at 8:52 pm
I am more interested in knowing how Howard is doing.
Hope everything will work out wonderful for him. Anna would want that for the only friend she ever had.
June 14th, 2008 at 1:04 am
Sarafina, I would also like to know how Howard is doing. I hope he knows how much we care and how much we worry about him. I think you are right when you said that Howard was the only friend Anna ever had. I think they both knew it and depended only on each other. How lonely Howard must be without her.
June 14th, 2008 at 8:10 pm
Mary, The accident wasn’t stupid, the driver was and so were his parents. Someone could have been killed. How would you feel if a drunk driver killed a loved one of yours or put them in a brain dead coma. Would you be calling it just a stupid accident then?
Anna and Daniel, died of an overdose of their own doing, accidentally. It was tragic and it was also tragic that Howard was made the scapegoat! He was never accused of anything except by stupid minds like yours. There was never any shred of evidence pointing toward Howard. He loved them and that showed plainly.
June 14th, 2008 at 8:14 pm
Sarafina, I too want to know how Howard is doing. I’ve been thinking about him all day and wondering if he’ll get so see Dannielynn tomorrow on Father’s Day.
Art, I hope you have a wonderful Father’s Day and get to spend it with your family.
Also I wish every deserving father a happy Father’s Day.
I hope Howard has a nice one too, with his family.
June 15th, 2008 at 1:12 am
Dear LaVone,
I think that was just ‘Show Business Bunk.’
Dear Art,
Happy Fathers’ Day!!!
June 17th, 2008 at 12:40 pm
Joni
It was an accident not attempted murder. But John may have walked away if he had been wearing his safety belt. John will pay for the rest of his life and so will Nick. This is a tragic accident. My family jokes about how slow I drive. “It’s a 4 hr drive but if Mary’s driving it’s 5.” But still there have been times when I found myself driving over the limit. If someone told me they never drove over the speed limit and never had a drink when underage I would think that person is a liar. Nick was not drunk but he did have some alchol in his system but he was not charged with drunk driving.
I have always liked HKS but I was tring to use him as an example how Nancy Grace and Greta and other news agencies jump on the bandwagon for easy ratings. I think ANS was the love of his life and would never hurt her. If you went back to post about HKS you would know that so please don’t call me stupid. I was tring to show how with a sound bite Nancy Grace can make anyone look bad. Remember the sound bites from the Clown tape? Nancy never showed the whole tape because than she couldn’t tarnish HKS good name.
Just because Nick was underage and had some alchol in his system does not make him a drunk driver. In earlier messages I said I didn’t feel sorry for Nick when he went to jail. On court tv I saw a teenage girl who killed 3 people while street racing get 3 yrs. She was screaming and crying as the guards took her away. And I don’t feel sorry if Nick spends the rest of his life paying for his friend’s care But it still was a stupid accident not attempted murder.
June 17th, 2008 at 1:29 pm
When did getting a car at 16 become a right in this country?
Thousands and thousands of teenagers die every yr because of stupid accidents. It’s not just the Hogans, it’s everyone.
Schools are getting rid of driver safety to save money and we are happy about it because it saves us tax money.
I see so many people die because they didn’t wear their safety belts. Isn’t it now the law?
We must do more to protect our children from themselves.
June 17th, 2008 at 9:24 pm
i was sittin listenin to that rage tape,,it almost sounds like hulks side kick brian i think, hes one half of the tag team nasty boyz.
June 18th, 2008 at 1:14 am
Mary, re-read my post and you will not find anywhere where I called you stupid.
As for calling anyone a liar who says they never drank underage, um Mary….do you want to know how old I was when I first tasted alcohol? I was 30 and my sister had champaigne (sp?) and wanted me to at least taste it. Well I did and almost spit it out in her face. I think alcohol tastes horrible. I have since tasted some others and they are all equally horrible. My husband used to drink beer and just the smell of that made me sick. I have been wondering ever since, how on earth people can get past the taste of alcohol to even get drunk or addicted. If you don’t believe that,(and that is the truth) I really don’t give a damn Mary. As I’ve said many times, people don’t want to believe the truth, because it defeats their own purpose.I’m thinking that people who like to accuse others of various things are really guilty of it themselves.
People have ridiculed me to no end when I won’t drink, but I don’t have a problem with that. The joke is on them as far as I’m concerned. No one is going to talk me into anything I don’t want to do or don’t think is right. I do have to confess, that I tried a pina colada once and liked that because I couldn’t taste the alcohol. I think I’ve had about 4 of those over the past 20 or 25 years. I like iced tea and Pepsi more than anything and that’s what I stick with. So sorry to dissapoint you Mary.
Another thing, I never said he was trying to murder the guy. Where on earth did you see that now? You had better learn to read better than that Mary.
I have to confess of driving over the speed limit a bit though, but do try to keep it no more than 5 mph over. EJ, does that constitute a skeleton? lol. The only ticket I ever got was about 35 years ago, I was 5 min. late getting back to my car and the meter had run out. Since it was only 5 min. and there was no meter maid around, I’ve always believed they ticketed the cars before the meter actually ran out. I’ve heard of that being done alot, but I was still guilty of being 5 min. late.
I’m certainly not trying to make it sound like I’m perfect. I’m not! But at the same time, I’m not going to be wrongly accused of something either.
June 18th, 2008 at 1:13 pm
STUPID MINDS LIKE YOURS? Those are your words not mind. Most of my post are about protecting our children from the overspend culture this country has developed into. FAMILY GUY is a terrible cartoon that should only be played after 10pm but its played in the early afternoon for the kids. SOUTH PARK, GOSSIP GIRL, MY SWEET 16, NEXT, and so many other shows are designed for 12 and up that have to much adult matter in it. One woman went after MARRIED WITH CHILDREN and the press made her out to be a witch. She didn’t want to change the show only have it on after 10 pm. Anyone who wants to do the right thing is considered stupid. “Our children” are watching THE GIRLS NEXT DOOR and think that must be normal.
You asked me how I would feel if a drunk driver killed a member of my family but Nick was not drunk. Yes, he did have alochol in his system (.3) so he can be charged with underage drinking but not drunk diving.
I have always respected HKS but used him as an example how attorneys use the press to create bad press with sound bites that aren’t true. I remember when Nancy and Greta had their so called experts on saying how HKS controlled ANS. These expects didn’t have the basic facts right but it didn’t stop them from tring to destroy HKS without a trial. I wanted to scream. HKS didn’t take ANS to the island but it didn’t stopped them from saying it. That’s why I like Art’s posting he did a fact check before printing anything about Howard.
I remember reading a beautiful story about Anna on the court tv message board about how Anna would go to the mall and sit with her child and just enjoy watching the people go by. She would just sit and rock her child in her arms. Of course that didn’t get any press.
I worry about the “yellow press” creating stores and slanting stores to tarnish an innocent person.
If John died Nick could be charged with man slaugther because he was speeding and had alcohol in his system but I don’t believe he can be charged with murder because there was no deliberate act to cause anyone any harm. I have never defended Nick but felt the mad dog press was twisting the facts so the attorneys could get a bigger settlement. I don’t believe the attorneys are there for John but the bigger the settlement the more money they make. I was taking a law class and we asked the instructor(an attorney) to rank the worse people he said “of course the criminial in #1 but I can’t decide who is #2 contrackors or attoneys (it’s not justice we’re after, it’s winning the game).”
June 18th, 2008 at 4:12 pm
I must confess I like an ice cold beer, sometimes I can even smell it walking around in this hot sun…
But the pain and consequences of overdoing it is never worth it.
June 19th, 2008 at 8:11 am
Joni,
You just can’t control yourself, can you? LOL