Consumer
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- General
- Pennsylvania
- Cars
- Health
- Recalls
- Computers
- Charities
- Money
- Moving
- Credit Reports
- Identity Thefts
- Shopping
General
- Better Business Bureau: Use this site to check the reliability of companies and charities. There is also a section on Consumer Tips provides information on cars, charities, the Internet, finance, health, and scams. The local BBB is the BBB of Eastern PA
- Consumer Information from the Federal Trade Commission: A reputable resource from the U.S. Government, this site can help you find consumer information about money & credit, homes & mortgages, health & fitness, jobs & making money, and privacy & identity. You can also file a consumer complaint, register for the Do Not Call list, report identity theft, and get your free credit report.
- Contact Help: a database consisting of the best ways to contact the companies you rely on. This database helps empower consumers by offering crowd-sourced methods to react to changes in customer support access and to give everyone the benefit of the best information possible.
- The Household Products Database of the National Library of Medicine: Find information on household products including potential health effects and product safety. Search by product category or name.
- National Do Not Call Registry
- Social Security Administration: The SSA has developed an incredibly useful website. Make this the first place to look for social security information.
- U.S. Government Publishing Office Pueblo Distribution Center: provides free access to government and government-sponsored publications for consumers. Publications, including the Consumer Action Handbook. Can be downloaded to your computer or shipped to you directly.
Pennsylvania
- PA Do Not Call List
- PA Office of Consumer Advocate: Find PA specific consumer information in the following areas:
electricity, natural gas, telephone, and water. - PA Power Switch: from the PA Public Utility Commission. Learn about how you may save money by switching your electric supplier. See what options are available and educate yourself about topics ranging from why to switch to which questions to ask.
- PA Office of Attorney General: Look at the Consumers section for information regarding various scams and recalls. There is also a Education section for articles on becoming an informed consumer.
- BBB of Eastern PA: Use Obtain a Report to find BBB-produced reliability reports on both member and non-member companies.
- PA Insurance Department: Click on Consumers to research insurance companies licensed to operate in PA and view and compare rates. Take a look under Regulation>Regulatory Actions to view enforcement reports.
- Hospital Performance Report from the Pennsylvania Health Care Cost Containment Council: Find a hospital performance report on selected procedures and treatments in PA. The PA Health Care Cost Containment Council is an independent state agency formed to investigate rising health care costs.
- Bureau of Charitable Organizations: Search for information on a charity using the links on the right of the page. The Bureau of Charitable Organizations maintains information on charities licensed to solicit in PA.
- State and Local Consumer Agencies in Pennsylvania: City, county, regional, and state consumer offices offer a variety of important services. They mediate complaints, conduct investigations, prosecute offenders of consumer laws, license and regulate professional service providers, provide educational materials and advocate for consumer rights. Find the appropriate office to handle your complaint here.
Cars
- Safercar.gov: Look up crash and rollover ratings for specific cars on this site produced by the
- National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration.
- NADA Guides: Research new and used car prices and values.
- Kelley Blue Book: Research new and used car prices and values.
- Edmunds: Research new and used cars.
Health
- Consumer Reports Prescription & Over-the-Counter Drugs: Published by Consumers Union, publishers of Consumer Reports, this website is designed to help consumers and doctors make informed decisions about prescription drugs.
- Healthfinder.gov: has resources on a wide range of health topics selected from approximately 1,400 government and non-profit organizations to bring you the best, most reliable health information on the Internet. Choose Find Services Near You from the menu on the right to find health care services in your area.
- Traveler’s Health from the CDC: Keep your trip a healthy one. Find health information for specific destinations (including recommended vaccinations), information on disease outbreaks, information on safe eating, traveling with children, special needs travelers, and cruise ships and air travel.
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Find consumer health information from the CDC. It includes information on birth defects, disabilities, diseases and conditions, emergency preparedness, environmental health, and vaccines and immunizations.
- Hospital Performance Report from the Pennsylvania Health Care Cost Containment Council: Find a hospital performance report on selected procedures and treatments in PA.
Recalls
- Recalls.gov: Find recalls and product safety information. Search by date, product type, or product category.
- U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission: Find recalls and product safety information. Search by date, product type, or product category.
Computers
- Snopes.com has come to be regarded as an online touchstone of rumor research. The site's work has been described as painstaking, scholarly, and reliable.
- FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center: Use this site to learn more about internet crime schemes and file complaints about illegal activities on the internet. These crimes may include, but are not limited to, advance-fee schemes, non-delivery of goods or services, computer hacking, or employment/business opportunity schemes.
- Symantec Response Services
Charities
- Charity Navigator: Find ratings for over 3,500 charities. Charity Navigator is a non-profit organization.
- Give.org from the BBB: Find reports on national charities judged on the Better Business Bureau’s charity standards.
- Bureau of Charitable Organizations Search for information on a charity. The Bureau of Charitable Organizations maintains information on charities licensed to solicit in PA.
- Guidestar: Guidestar provides information on non-profit organizations. A basic report is free; a more detailed report is available with a subscription to the site.
- CharityWatch: Founded 25 years ago as the American Institute of Philanthropy (AIP), states that they are America's most independent, assertive charity watchdog.
Money
- Bankrate.com: Find rates on a variety of loans including mortgages and auto loans.
- Credit Card Agreements and Surveys from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Explore databases about credit cards, including general credit card agreements and college credit card marketing agreements. View survey data and data around the Credit CARD Act.
- FXConverter from Oanda.com: The Foreign Exchange Currency Converter finds exchange rates for 164 currencies.
- MyMoney.gov: A U.S. Government website focused on educating consumers about personal finance. Find helpful articles on topics such as budgeting, credit, financial planning, home ownership, retirement planning, and savings.
- MoneyGeek: Free financial tools, calculators, and resources to simplify choices for your money and your future. This site includes information to help users make decisions about mortgages, student loans, business loans, credit cards, and insurance, as well as resources about financial planning and for job seekers.
- Smart About Money: from the National Endowment for Financial Education. A free, unbiased resource where you can find in-depth personal finance courses, articles, calculators and tips to help you manage your money through life's ups and downs.
- The Simple Dollar: Articles and high-quality tools to help you manage your personal finances and make smart decisions about your money.
Moving
- Homefair: Find various calculators to compare cost of living, cities, and salaries on this site. Also, find information on moving.
- Sperling’s Best Places: Compare cities, neighborhoods, schools, cost of living, crime rates and climates.
- Best Places to Live from Money Magazine: Search through Money Magazine’s database from its annual Best Places to Live feature.
Credit Reports
- Your Access to Free Credit Reports: An amendment to the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) requires the national credit bureaus to provide consumers with a free copy of their credit report once every 12 months.
- Equifax
- Experian
- TransUnion
Identity Theft
- Identitytheft.gov from the Federal Trade Commission. This is the federal government’s one-stop resource for identity theft victims. The site provides streamlined checklists and sample letters to guide you through the recovery process.
- Identity Theft and Fraud: Information on identity theft from the Department of Justice.
- Identity Theft Resource Center: A nonprofit organization dedicated to identity theft. It includes information on victim resources, consumer resources, workplace ID theft, scams, and current laws.
Shopping
- Safeshopping.org: Information on shopping online presented by the American Bar Association.
- Online Shopping Tips: from StaySafeOnline.org powered by the National Cyber Security Alliance