Consumer Protection
Consumer Protection Sites
- Better Business Bureau (BBB). http://www.bbb.org/us/ Here’s one of the oldest and most important sites for consumers. It’s not a government agency. It’s a “watchdog” organization that monitors and accredits businesses.
- Common Fraud Schemes http://www.fbi.gov/majcases/fraud/fraudschemes.htm From the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) website.
- Consumer Fraud Reporting. http://www.consumerfraudreporting.org/index.php “Consumer Fraud Reporting is an free online service to warn consumers about specific types of financial and other scams via the internet and provide a means to report scams and fraud.”
- Corporation Division. Business and Consumer Complaints. Oregon Secretary of State.
- Federal Trade Commission (FTC). http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/index.shtml The FTC is the most important US federal agency for consumer affairs.
- Federal Trade Commission Consumer Information
- Guard Your Money. http://www.guardyourmoney.org/home.php This is a new consumer-protection site sponsored by Ted Wheeler, the Oregon State Treasurer.
- Loan Modification Scam Alert. http://www.loanscamalert.org/default.aspx This site has lots of information about financial scams, especially those involving home mortgages.
- Looks Too Good to Be True. http://www.lookstoogoodtobetrue.com/ This is another good website that reports scams and teaches people how to avoid them.
- Nigerian email fraud—419 scams. Have you ever received a strange email from Nigeria or the Ivory Coast? Here is a helpful website that explains this type of fraud.
- On Guard Online. http://www.onguardonline.gov/ Here’s a US government site that tells you everything you need to know about computer security. If you have a home computer, check this site for advice on how to keep your data secure.
Product Testing & Reviews
- Consumer Reports. http://web.consumerreports.org This is one of the oldest and best known independent product testing organizations. There is a subscription fee of $26.00 per year to get the complete text of all of the available reports. However, some very good information is available for free on the website.
- Consumer Search. http://www.consumersearch.com This site collects reviews and tests on various products from a variety of sources. It analyzes the reviews and recommends which products to buy.
- Edmunds.com http://www.edmunds.com/ This site has everything about cars. Check out their “Buying Guides” to new and used cars BEFORE you decide which car to buy. Edmunds also has lots of information about fair pricing for cars and gives advice about how to save money in the car-buying process.
- Household Products Database. http://householdproducts.nlm.nih.gov/ This US government site gives health and safety information on household products.
- U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. http://www.cpsc.gov/index.html This US government agency lists recalled products and products that may not be safe. Check here, for example, before you buy a baby crib or a stroller, to know which models you should avoid.