Consumer Action Handbook

Hi All,

The new, 2014 Consumer Action Handbook (CAH hereafter in this blog entry) is now available for download now.  Readers can download the CAH by clicking on this link.

A good summary of the CAH is that, 'Users can use the Consumer Action Handbook (CAH) to get help with consumer purchases, problems and complaints. Find consumer contacts at hundreds of companies and trade associations, local, state, and federal government agencies, national consumer organizations, and more'

The 2014 CAH is 148 pages long and is divided into 4 parts:
Part I - Be a Savvy Consumer
Part II - Filing a Complaint
Part III - Key Information Sources
Part IV - Consumer Assistance Directory

In the 'Be a Savvy Consumer' section alone the reader will learn about 'Service Contracts and Extended Warranties', 'Identifying and Stopping Fraud', 'Shopping From Home', using 'ATM/Debit Cards', using 'Prepaid Cards', 'Buying a New Car', 'Buying a Used Car', 'Financing', 'Leasing', 'Lemon Laws', 'Car Repairs' and much, much more. 

this part on 'Being a Savvy Consumer' has further sections on 'Credit Reports and Credit Scores', 'Dealing with Debt', 'Paying For College 101' and more. 

The book is 148 pages for a reason! It is extensive, comprehensive and chock full of useful information for consumers of all needs and interests. And it is free!  What a helpful resource!!!!

Other sections that are notable in the 'Be a Savvy Consumer' section include: 'Insurance' - which covers Auto Insurance, Health Insurance, Homeowners/Renters Insurance, Life Insurance and more, 'Privacy and Identity Theft', 'Telemarketing and Unwanted Mail' (National Do Not Call Registry', 'Travel' (Resolving Air Travel Problems, Cruises, Travel Safety) and 'Utilities' (Billing questions and starting Utility Service).

There is one section in particular that users should be aware of: Part III - Key Information Resources contains a list of  various federal agencies that deal with various products.

For example,
 - Animal Products safety hazards are dealt with the Food and Drug Administration
 - Automobile safety hazards are dealt with the national Highway Traffic Safety Administration
 - Consumer Household Product hazards are dealt with by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission.

Finally, 'Key Information Resources' has information regarding Drugs, Cosmetics, Medical Devices, Toys, Baby Products and Play Equipment in this section. 

So there you have it.  A blog entry that might be short on additional links, is very, very long on useful, helpful, time-saving and money-saving information!

Enjoy the free download - and remember that you can access the CAH by clicking on this link!

Regards,
Stu

Consumer Reports

Hi All,

This entry is going to be primarily a library based entry.  It'll be educational, informative and pretty darn short.

That said the topic of the entry is Consumer Reports.  Consumer Reports offers free, unbiased advice on a myriad of products that consumers purchase.  For example, Consumer Reports covers washing machines, dryers, mattresses, tv's, best stores to fill your prescription, vaccuums, interior paints, whether or not to repair or replace appliances/electronics and more.  Other topics that Consumer Reports reviews include cars, computers, tablets, appliances like toaster ovens, refrigerators and much more.

So...users can access the online version via the library website on the Farmingdale Public Library homepage.  Click here for the link. Users can also access the printer version of Consumer Reports at the reference desk in the library.

Patrons need to have a valid Farmingdale Public Library card to access the site remotely.
 The online version of the Consumer Reports lets users search for topics in a variety of ways.  Users can use the A-Z index or use the dialog box that enables them to 'Find Ratings' or look for 'Alphabetically Look For Products by Name'.

At the top of the page is a list of categories that users can use to find reviews of various products.  Categories on this list include Cars, Appliances, Electronics, Home & Garden, Babies & Kids, Money, Shopping and Health.

Once a user clicks on a topic (in this example, I am going to use Dishwashers as an example) a dialog box of subtopics appears.  In this case, when you choose Appliances, the dialog box shows items like Air Conditioners, Blenders, Coffee Makers, Dishwashers, Microwave Ovens, Steam Irons, Toasters and Washing Machines.  Clicking on the topic of Dishwashers, users find a huge amount of information on the page.  There are topics entitled, 'What's Behind Our Dishwasher Ratings?', a Dishwasher Buying Guide, a list of ratings and recommended dishwashes as well as a list of recently viewed dishwashers. 
There are also a whole bunch of articles on Appliance news
for users to investigate.

Users can search for dishwashers by types, features and by brands on the Consumer Reports website!!!

Specifically, when users click on a particular product you'll find a one-two sentence summary of the item as well as a quick review of the dishwashers' highlights.  Pictures are available as well.  The overall score is located on the right side of the screen and a chart compares the item to other items in the same category. 

Further down on the page is a Ratings Report Card which includes various components of the job the dishwasher performs (washing, ease of use, energy use, cycle time, noise).  Each of these criteria are ranked as being Excellent, Very Good, Good, Fair or Poor.

Finally, each product includes a tab with various pieces of information related to the product.  For example, above the Ratings Report Card is a tab which includes an Overview, Ratings, Brand Reliability, User Reviews and Specs about the product.  Click on any of the links above to see what I'm talking about. 

The best way to learn about how to use the online version of Consumer Reports is to actually use it.  And once you become familiar with the nuances of the database, you'll probably use it before you purchase almost any product that Consumer Reports covers.  It'll become a 'go to' resource before you buy almost anything for your house, car, computer or any other product!

Regards, and enjoy the resource.

Stu