CONSUMER RESOURCES

Product Ratings | General Consumer Sites | Product Safety Information |
Telemarketing & Junk Mail | Fraud | Consumer Credit

Product Ratings

• Deja.com
  For ratings, choose one of the broad categories on the left and narrow your choice in the window that pops up.  Then click on "ratings" near the top of the screen.  Choose the type of item you're thinking of buying and view the ratings from other consumers.  Even if a product doesn't have sufficient votes to get a numerical score, there may still be reviews for it.  You can also search for ratings (http://www.deja.com/search_ratings.shtml) directly. (http://www.deja.com/ )
• Epinions
  Ratings from consumers and experts.  Reviews are long enough to give details about the products.  Keep in mind that reviewers get paid every time someone reads a review.  Also includes articles and buying guides for some types of products. (http://www.epinions.com/)
• Consumer Search
  Brief summaries of review articles from a variety of magazines such as Sunset, Macworld, Outside, Martha Stewart Living and more.  The library owns many of these periodicals; you can also search our magazine databases for the entire articles. (http://www.consumersearch.com/www/)
• Consumer Reports Online
  The online version of the magazine.  Unfortunately, many of the reports are available only to online subscribers.  The library does own the print version of Consumer Reports. (http://www.consumerreports.org/)
• 1010PhoneRates.com
  Which "10-10" plan is best for the types of calls you make?  Are there monthly charges or a minimum number of minutes billed per call? (http://www.10-10PhoneRates.com/)
• If you're buying a car, check out the car buying guides on WRL's Auto Repair and Related Information page.

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General Consumer Sites

• U.S. Consumer Gateway
  News, recalls, information and warnings about a variety of consumer topics from money to careers and education. (http://www.consumer.gov/)
• Consumer World: Everything Consumer
  Product reviews, discount shopping, articles and over 1800 links to everything from ATM surcharges to Zagat® restaurant reviews. (http://www.consumerworld.org/)
• Consumer Information Center
  Online versions of hundreds of booklets produced by the federal government on topics that range from cars to travel, and more. (http://www.pueblo.gsa.gov/)
• Better Business Bureau
  File a complaint or a compliment, or view the list of local companies who have that have failed to resolve complaints brought to them by the BBB.  The national site also includes a listing of over 200 of the most asked about national charities. (http://www.bbb.org/)
• Better Business Bureau of Greater Hampton Roads, Virginia, & Northeastern North Carolina (http://www.hamptonroads.bbb.org/)
• Consumer Law
  From Nolo.com Legal Encyclopedia, this site describes your rights when traveling, buying insurance and purchasing goods and services.  Also see their Frequently Asked Questions about general consumer law. (http://www.nolo.com/encyclopedia/ctim_ency.html)

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Product Safety Information

• U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission
  Recalls by product, company and date.  You can also report unsafe products. (http://www.cpsc.gov/)
• Food and Drug Administration
  The FDA handles problems with food, drugs, cosmetics, radiation, and veterinary medicines. (http://www.fda.gov/)
• National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
  The NHTSA is in charge of problems with motor vehicles, motor vehicle equipment, and child car seats. (http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/)

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Telemarketing & Junk Mail

• Telephone Preference Service
  Mail Preference Service  
  If you'd like to be removed from many (but not all) telemarketing and mailing lists, write to these addresses. (http://www.the-dma.org/consumers/offtelephonelist.html) (http://www.the-dma.org/consumers/offmailinglist.html)
• E-Mail Preference Service
  There's also an online form to reduce the amount of e-mail ads you receive. About 4500 businesses currently participate in the service.  Registration expires after one year. (http://www.e-mps.org/en/)
• OptOut 
  Opt out of receiving pre-approved offers of credit or insurance in the mail. Four consumer credit reporting companies (Equifax, Experian, Innovis, and Transunion) will no longer supply your mailing address on lists that they share with other companies.  (http://www.optoutprescreen.com/)

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Fraud

• kNOw Fraud
  If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.  Learn how to protect yourself from telemarketing fraud. (http://www.consumer.gov/knowfraud/)
• The National Consumers League's National Fraud Information Center
  Protect yourself against Internet scams, mail fraud, and fraud against the elderly. (http://www.fraud.org)

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Consumer Credit

• National Foundation for Consumer Credit
  Their "Credit Facts" section describes how a credit counselor can help if you're struggling with too much debt, how and why to get a copy of your credit report and the rights you have under the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act.  Also includes links to area and national non-profit consumer credit counseling services. (http://www.nfcc.org/)
• Debt & Credit Law
  Also from Nolo.com's Legal Encyclopedia, this site includes definitions and strategies for repaying  loans, repairing credit and declaring bankruptcy.  Also see their Frequently Asked Questions on debt and credit. (http://www.nolo.com/encyclopedia/dc_ency.html)
• TransUnion  http://www.transunion.com/Consumer/
  Experian  http://www.experian.com/consumer/index.html
  Equifax  http://www.equifax.com/Welcome/
  Find out what's in your credit report from any or all of the three major credit bureaus. 

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