Consumer
Rights
American
law has consistently upheld the rights of the consumer to safe and reliable
products and services. However, not all companies always rise to this
standard. We recommend to newcomers a cautious approach to purchasing
products and services, especially "large-ticket" (expensive)
items. There are a number of resources to help you make the right choices:
ConsumerAffairs.com
- a very useful consumer information site containing consumer news,
info on product recalls, advocacy and "scam alerts" on all
types of products and services.
Consumer
Reports is a nationally-trusted ad-free magazine which tests
the quality and value of common consumer goods like electronics, appliances,
cars and food items. The online version requires a monthly ($3.95) or
yearly ($24.00) subscription.
Consumer
affairs agencies contain important information on making purchasing
decisions, filing complaints, and learning about price gouging among
businesses:
The Federal
Consumer Information Center's Consumer Action Handbook:
http://www.pueblo.gsa.gov/crh/respref.htm
Complaints
against Utilities
Phone companies
have been in the news lately for such dubious practices as "slamming,"
or changing your long-distance service to theirs without your consent.
If you have a complaint against your phone company, electric company,
or water company, you should:
(1)
First try to resolve the problem internally by speaking with a company
representative.
(2)
Make a note of each and every time you speak with a representative.
Record the date, time, representative's name, and the substance of what
was discussed.
(3)
If the problem still hasn't been cleared up, try once again. Sometimes
speaking to another representative, or asking to be connected to a supervisor,
can make all the difference.
(4)
Be patient. Sometimes it can take a few weeks to a month to get the
problem resolved. Ask when the company expects to have the problem fixed.
(5)
If you still get no results in the promised time-frame, contact the
Public Utilities Commission in your state to file a formal complaint.
For a useful guide to filing a complaint, visit the California Public
Utilities Commission website: http://www.cpuc.ca.gov/static/_index.htm
Avoiding
"Scams":
Around
every corner in America, you may find someone trying to sell you a "get-rich-quick"
scheme that "can't fail". These offers are known as "scams",
and most of them are fraudulent or misleading. Scams can actually cost
you money if you are not careful. We strongly recommend you read the
US Federal Trade Commission's
web guide to some
of the common scams and schemes designed to trip up the innocent:
"Identity
Theft"
The omnipresence
of credit cards, ATM's and online electronic data has opened the door
to a relatively new type of white-collar crime: identity theft. Using
your credit card number, a thief can impersonate you and make purchases
under your name. The subsequent damage to your credit rating can take
years to undo.
Some simple
steps to deter this crime include:
- ripping
up any carbon copies of credit card receipts
- shredding
mail with credit card offers that include your name and address
- making
sure your online purchases are "secure". A gold padlock
symbol indicates the site is protected by at least a certain level
of security.
- dropping
off your bills inside the post office instead of a mailbox on the
street. Thieves have been known to steal whole mailboxes to get at
the checks in the envelopes. They can then make copies of these checks
and use them as their own.
More tips
on identity theft prevention can be found at these links:
