Consumer Advocacy and Protection
= government resource 
= one of the best
Consumer Organizations
(some also under specific products and services)
Better Business Bureau
Their "mission is to promote and foster the highest ethical relationship between businesses and the public through voluntary self-regulation, consumer and business education, and service excellence." A consumer can file a complaint or look up a local chapter through this national portal.
Consumer Action
A non-profit, membership-based organization that advances consumer rights and publishes educational materials in multiple languages. Site includes many publications on a variety of consumer issues including pricing surverys for credit cards and phone rates. In English, Chinese and Spanish.
Consumer Alert
Relays recent consumer news stories. Consumer Alert's mission is "to enhance understanding and appreciation of the consumer benefits of a market economy so that individuals and policymakers rely more on private rather than government approaches to consumer concerns."
Consumer Federation of America
Over 300 nonprofit organizations from throughout the nation are members in this advocacy, research, education, and service organization. Wisconsin organization members include Economic Justice Institute, Wisconsin Consumers League, and Wisconsin Public Interest Research Group (WISPIRG).
Consumers International
Consumers International supports, links and represents consumer groups and agencies all over the world. It has a membership of over 250 organisations in 115 countries.
Consumers Union
"… the consumer advocacy web site of Consumers Union, nonprofit publisher of Consumer Reports magazine. This site provides informative and educational materials developed by Consumers Union's advocacy offices on a variety of consumer issues." Also in Spanish.
Co-op America
Organization with nearly 50,000 individual and 2,000 business members that provides economic strategies, organizing power and practical tools for businesses and individuals to address today's social and environmental problems. Site includes: access to the Green Pages Online, information on sweatshops, consumer boycotts, responsible company ratings, investments, and personal finance.
Econsumer.gov
A joint project of consumer protection agencies from 19 nations allows filing a cross-border complaint that will be quickly accessible to multiple government enforcement agencies. In English, Spanish, German and French.
National Consumers League
" Our mission is to identify, protect, represent, and advance the economic and social interests of consumers and workers. The National Consumers League is a private, nonprofit advocacy group representing consumers on marketplace and workplace issues. We are the nation's oldest consumer organization."
Public Citizen
"We fight for openness and democratic accountability in government, for the right of consumers to seek redress in the courts; for clean, safe and sustainable energy sources; for social and economic justice in trade policies; for strong health, safety and environmental protections; and for safe, effective and affordable prescription drugs and health care."
US PIRG
" US PIRG [Public Interest Research Group] is the national lobbying office for the state PIRGs....U.S. PIRG speaks for the public interest against the special interests, on issues in the news and below the surface." Information on many consumer-related issues.
WISPIRG
Wisconsin Public Research Group state chapter site. State PIRGs Working Together includes links to all state PIRGs.
Government Consumer Protection Offices
- - Federal
Bureau of Consumer Protection - Federal Trade Commission (FTC)
Has online complaint forms. Good source of information on consumer protection and privacy issues.
Capital Spotlight
An online newsletter that is a joint service of C-Span and Congressional Quarterly, Inc. that highlights events and issues on Capital Hill.
Federal Trade Commission
" The Federal Trade Commission enforces a variety of federal antitrust and consumer protection laws." The site includes consumer information on topics such as automobiles, children's issues, credit, e-commerce, identity theft, telemarketing, and more.
Food and Drug Administration
"FDA is the federal agency responsible for ensuring that foods are safe, wholesome and sanitary; human and veterinary drugs, biological products, and medical devices are safe and effective; cosmetics are safe; and electronic products that emit radiation are safe." This site provides information on broad topics such as drugs, foods, and cosmetics, as well as current news.
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
"… responsible for reducing deaths, injuries and economic losses resulting from motor vehicle crashes." Provides news, and information on car and people safety and on specific traffic safety subjects such as air bags, crash tests, school buses.
Federal Consumer Information Center (FCIC)
A "one-stop source for answers to questions about consumer problems and government services." Many useful publications and links.
Federal Reserve Board Consumer Information
Credit Cards, Mortgages, Vehicle Leasing, Complaints about a Bank, Consumer Credit, Personal Finance
- - Wisconsin
Wisconsin Dept. of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection: Consumer Protection
Responsibility in areas of food safety, consumer protection laws with broad authority to regulate business practices and agricultural development and resource management. Site includes consumer information and how to make a complaint, alerts and recalls, and more.
Wisconsin Dept. of Justice (DOJ): Office of Consumer Protection
Investigates and prosecutes violations of state consumer laws, including laws relating to deceptive advertising, credit, charitable solicitations, telecommunications, telemarketing and sales. Information on how to file a complaint and fact sheets on common consumer problems.
State of Wisconsin Consumer Information
From up-to-the-minute product recalls and safety alerts to consumer-fraud education, all the connections you need are here to keep your family, business and financial future safe. See how federal, state and local agencies can work for you.
Laws and Legal Resources
Consumer Law Page
Published by Alexander, Hawes & Audet, LLP, this collection of more than 200 articles and brochures provides practical law related information with a focus on personal injury, wrongful death and workers' compensation cases, and help with consumer fraud and insurance claims.
FindLaw.com
A set of legal resources on the Internet for legal professionals, businesses, students and individuals. These resources include Web search utilities, cases and codes, legal news.
Legal Information Institute
A research and electronic publishing activity of the Cornell Law School this site summarizes recent law events and provides overviews of a variety of legal topics.
National Consumer Law Center (NCLC)
Works toward "helping consumers, their advocates, and public policy makers use powerful and complex consumer laws on behalf of low-income and vulnerable Americans."
- - Wisconsin
Family Economic Security - Laws Impacting Family Finances
Steenbock Library/UW Cooperative Extension site on a variety of family financial legal issues.
Legal Explorer
State Bar of Wisconsin guide to navigating Wisconsin's legal system. Has sections on finding a lawyer, Q & A for frequently asked questions, and more.
Wisconsin Dept. of Financial Institutions: Office of Consumer Affairs
Information on Wisconsin consumer credit including credit cards, credit reports and the Wisconsin Consumer Act.
Wisconsin Law Page
Consumer oriented information about Wisconsin law by attorneys.
Wisconsin State Law Library - Legal Topics
Extensive site covering legal topics A to Z. Includes links to applicable Wisconsin and US laws and legal forms as well as links to selected resources.
Fraud
Consumer Sentinel
Get the facts on consumer frauds, report your fraud complaints, and see trends and the types of complaints consumers file. This Federal Trade Commission database provides hundreds of law enforcement agencies immediate access to Internet cons, telemarketing scams and other consumer fraud-related complaints.
Hoaxbusters
The U.S. Department of Energy offers descriptions and histories of some of the e-mail warnings, offers, and pleas for help that are fraudulent along with advice what to do about them.
Internet Fraud Complaint Center (IFCC)
A partnership between the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the National White Collar Crime Center (NW3C), its "mission is to address fraud committed over the Internet. For victims of Internet fraud, IFCC provides a convenient and easy-to-use reporting mechanism that alerts authorities of a suspected criminal or civil violation." Includes recent statistics.
National Fraud Information Center
Information on telemarketing, Internet, and elder fraud from the National Consumers League. Also an online complaint form.
Scams and Frauds
A Federal Citizen Information Center web page to help you keep up-to-date on the latest scams, frauds, and consumer abuse. Links on the page take you to news stories and advice how to avoid being scammed. Information is organized into categories such as cars, education, employment and travel. Also an online complaint form.
Identity Theft
BBBOnLine's Identity Theft
Pages are designed to help you protect yourself from becoming a victim and give you concrete assistance if you think your identity has been stolen.
ID Theft
Federal Trade Commission's resource for identity theft. Extensive consumer information including protecting against identity theft, filing a complaint with the FTC, recovering from identity theft and US identity theft statistics.
Identity Theft Resources
From the Privacy Rights Clearinghouse, a project of the Utility Consumers' Action Network (UCAN), a San Diego-based nonprofit membership organization which "advocates for consumers' interests vis-a-vis telecommunications, energy, and the Internet." Site includes many fact sheets and other publications. Also Páginas Informativas.
Identity Theft Resource Center
A national nonprofit organization, established by an identity theft victim, that focuses exclusively on identity theft. Includes victim information guides, current laws and scams and consumer alerts.
Social Security Administration
Electronic factsheet on how to report misuse of your Social Security number and a unique publication: Identity Theft And Your Social Security Number.
United States Department of Justice
Information on identity theft and how the Department of Justice prosecutes cases of identity theft and fraud under a variety of federal statutes.
United States Postal Inspectors
Tips on preventing identity theft from materials sent through the mail.
When a Criminal's Cover Is Your Identity
Tips from the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) on preventing identity theft including who to call when you suspect an ID theft.
Privacy
American Civil Liberties Union: Privacy & Technology
The mission of the ACLU is to preserve First Amendment rights, the right to equal protection under the law, the right to due process and the right to privacy. This site includes related news, topic features and overviews of privacy and technology issues.
Computer Professionals for Social Responsibility: Privacy and Civil Liberties
This "public-interest alliance of computer scientists and others interested in the impact of computer technology on society" provides articles on current 'hot topics'.
Electronic Privacy Information Center
A public research interest group to "focus public attention on emerging civil liberties issues and to protect privacy, the First Amendment, and constitutional values."
Electronic Frontier Foundation
"...created to defend our rights to think, speak, and share our ideas, thoughts, and needs using new technologies, such as the Internet and the World Wide Web." Site includes recent news and hot topics.
GetNetWise
"Provides information about tools and techniques to better control how much personal information you share with online stores, Web sites, emailers, chatters and other people who may use your computer." From the Internet Education Foundation, made up of Internet industry corporations and public interest organizations.
Junkbusters
Offers practical tips on protecting your privacy and ways to reduce spam, telemarketing and Web ads. Available in many languages.
National Consumer Coalition Privacy Group
Includes recent privacy-related news stories. Also discussions on government surveillance, medical privacy, financial privacy and online privacy.
Privacilla.org
Lots of background information on privacy issues including references to relevant legislation. Also financial, medical and online privacy issues.
Privacy Rights Clearinghouse
Wide array of information on privacy-related topics. Fact sheets in English and Spanish.
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