Consumer Assistance & Scam Watch
How to Use -- Contents
Slightly Creaky does extensive research to find the links you would most likely need and provides them for you in an easy-to-find format. You can access the various categories from any of our web pages using the top or side menus. Each category has generalized headings, followed by more specific ones.
Categories
Updated February 8, 2010
Links to consumer assistance pages and scam alerts on the Internet where you can find product reviews and comparisons, safety suggestions, and product recalls.
| Consumer Assistance & Research | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Recognizing & Avoiding Scams | |||
| Personal Confidentiality | |||
| Product Liability | |||
| Free and Inexpensive | |||
| Price Research Sites | |||
Slightly Creaky's founders are now offering Consumer Safety & Awareness |
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Caution - Proceed with care
Slightly Creaky is not responsible for the content of web sites listed here or the actions taken by the people owning, managing, or participating on these sites. Once you click on a link you are leaving our site.
These listings are the result of thousands of hours of research. It is the property of Slightly Creaky and may not be reproduced in any form. Every attempt has been made to provide an accurate description of each organization. Contact us if you find an error.
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We are constantly looking for more information, more links, as well as featured articles. Please help us improve our site and service. The Internet had millions of web pages dedicated to consumer assistance; we can only sample a few of them. Our purpose is to give our viewers a taste of what is out there.
If you know any sites we should include write to suggestions@slightlycreaky.com
Consumer Assistance & Research
Consumer Assistance
Quick Link: Company Contacts
PHONE NUMBER FINDER
Also you can read the blog about how others are really benefiting from
this service from google...
Just leave it to Google to come up with something like this! Here's a
number worth putting in your cell phone, or your home phone speed
dial: 1-800-goog-411.. This is an awesome service from Google ... and
it's free -- great when you are on the road.
Don't waste your money on information calls and don't waste your time
manually dialing the number... Here's an example of how it works. I
am driving along in my car and I need to call the golf course and I
don't know the number. I hit the speed dial for information that I
have programmed ... 1-800-goog-411.
The voice at the other end says, 'City & State.' I say, Venice ,
Florida ,' He says, 'Business, Name or Type of Service.' I say,
Firewheel Golf Course.' He says, 'Connecting' and Firewheel Golf
Course answers the phone. How great is that? This is nationwide and
it is absolutely free!
(With thanks to a viewer. If this information violates any known copyrite,
please let us know and we will remove it.)
| The FDIC is a US Government agency that insures individual bank accounts. "EDIE the Estimator can calculate your FDIC insurance coverage for each FDIC-insured bank where you have deposit accounts. EDIE lets you know in a printable report for each bank whether your deposits are within or exceed coverage limits." | |
| Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation | |
| Consumer Action Website | (Provided by the Federal Citizen Information Center). Site contains consumer topics, how and where to file a complaint, consumer news, and links. |
| Cooperative State Research, Educatuion & Extenstion Service | "CSREES' unique mission is to advance knowledge for agriculture, the environment, human health and well-being, and communities by supporting research, education, and extension programs in the Land-Grant University System and other partner organizations. CSREES doesn't perform actual research, education, and extension but rather helps fund it at the state and local level and provides program leadership in these areas. " |
| State Attorney General Links | Get access to your state's Attorney General's office to file a complaint or get information. |
| Unwanted Telephone Marketing Calls | "Has your evening quiet time or dinner been interrupted by a call from a telemarketer? If so, you’re not alone. Congress first passed the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) in 1991 in response to consumer concerns about the growing number of unsolicited telephone marketing calls to their homes and the increasing use of automated and prerecorded messages." |
| Ripoff Report | "Ripoff Report® is a worldwide consumer reporting Web site and publication, by consumers, for consumers, to file and document complaints about companies or individuals. While we encourage and even require authors to only file truthful reports, Ripoff Report does not guarantee that all reports are authenic or accurate. Be an educated consumer. Read what you can and make your decision based upon an examination of all available information." |
| FCC | Federal Communications Commission. The place to go to complain about the practices of cable companies, telephone services, boradcast obscanity, or telemarketers. |
| TSA | Transportation Security Administration. Responds to inquiries about air safety and airport procedures as well as to other transportation issues. |
| Internet Crime Complaint Center | " IC3's mission is to serve as a vehicle to receive, develop, and refer criminal complaints regarding the rapidly expanding arena of cyber crime. The IC3 gives the victims of cyber crime a convenient and easy-to-use reporting mechanism that alerts authorities of suspected criminal or civil violations. For law enforcement and regulatory agencies at the federal, state, local and international level, IC3 provides a central referral mechanism for complaints involving Internet related crimes." |
| Get Human | "When you're tired of wasting money and time due to phone systems that require you to press 10 or more options in order to reach a real person and spending many minutes or even hours on hold, consult the GetHuman database of secret phone numbers and codes that immediately get an actual, live person on the line for customer service at nearly 1000 major companies." |
| Better Business Bureau | "BBB ensures that high standards for trust are set and maintained. We exist so consumers and businesses alike have an unbiased source to guide them on matters of trust. We provide educational information and expert advice that is free of charge and easily accessible." |
| Making Homes Affordable | "Making Home Affordable is part of President Obama's comprehensive strategy to get the housing market back on track. Through the Making Home Affordable Program, up to 9 million American families may be eligible to refinance or modify their loans to a payment that is affordable now and into the future." |
| Consumer World Blog | "Consumer World® is a public service, non-commercial guide with over 2000 of the most useful consumer resources located at ConsumerWorld.org . This blog updates Consumer World daily with the latest consumer news, commentary, and bargains. " |
| Next Advisor | We strive to provide consumers with the most in-depth information about services that can help improve their daily life. Whether you are looking to find a new service provider or already have one in mind and simply want some more independent information before you make your decision, we can help. Check back often as we are constantly adding new service reviews. |
"Pricing information is approximate as of the time this report was written and is based on observed market selling prices and/or list prices. Actual selling prices may differ." |
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| Consumer Search | |
| View Points | "Viewpoints.com taps into the need for people to share their personal experiences. To voice their opinions. To share insight gained from personal experience. Viewpoints allows people to post reviews across the most comprehensive range of categories of any reviews site. From movies, to restaurants, to education, to health care, to travel and hundreds of other categories in between." |
| C Net Reviews | "You've come to the right place for product reviews of the latest tech. Our editors review thousands of products each year, rating them from 1 (worst) to 10 (best)." |
| Wize | Thousands of new products are released every year. Millions of dollars are spent advertising products to consumers like you. With all the choices and information available, it is challenging to know which products are best for you and your family. Wize makes finding the right product easier and faster by gathering all the information and opinions on the Web and making sense of it for you. |
| Rate It All | "The best place on the Web to find and share consumer reviews on any topic. " |
| Consumer Democracy | "Tens of thousands of Product Reviews in Hundreds of Categories" |
| Riffs | "All you need to do is select a username and password, and give us an e-mail address if you'd like, which we'll ONLY use to send you a new way to log on if you forget your password. That way, you'll be able to start voicing your opinion right away, and getting personalized recommendations on your page. " |
| Judy's Book | "Judy's book has over a million nation-wide write-ups, reviews and ratings on local businesses to help you make informed decisions." |
| eCoustics | "The unbiased resource for reviews, buying guides and price comparisons on consumer electronics." |
| Sazze | "Our aim is to offer more of a social, well-networked atmosphere for its users than the average consumer is likely to encounter through many existing services." |
| Epinions | "Epinions helps people make informed buying decisions. It is a premier consumer reviews platform on the Web and a reliable source for valuable consumer insight, unbiased advice, in-depth product evaluations and personalized recommendations. " |
| Yelp | "Yelp was founded in 2004 to help people find great local businesses like dentists, hair stylists and mechanics, In addition to reviews, you can use Yelp to find events, special offers, lists and to talk with other yelpers" |
| Online Consumer Reviews | "If you're thinking about buying something, using a new service, or traveling, then find out what average consumers are saying. Though professional reviews are helpful, it's really nice to find out what the rank and file users can share." |
| Global One Reviews | "You've come to the right place for of the latest technology and consumer products. Our editors review thousands of products each year. Through testing and hands-on use, editors determine the products' quality, features, and value." |
| Measured Up | "Where consumers share customer service experiences with each other and with companies " |
| Consumer Review | "The leading source of user-generated buying advice for outdoor sporting goods and consumer electronics." |
| Planet Feedback | "Helping Consumers Express Their Voice, Helping Companies Prime Their Ears" |
| My 3 Cents | "A leading source of real consumer advice. Visitors come to learn, interact and voice opinions regarding companies, products and services in our open community." |
| DevLib | "We publish reviews of gadgets for consumers and maintain an active technology forum for geeks." |
| ExpoTV | " ExpoTV features thousands of Vide opinions reviews - short, unbiased, consumer-generated videos of products and services. " |
| Review Center | "Unbiased reviews written by consumers helping you make better choices. " |
| Review Mates | "Review Mate provides a wide range of consumer reviews. Our team of professional reviewers check out every product or site in the database - we even monitor the customer reviews to ensure they are of the highest quality." |
| Pissed Consumer | "The best consumer product reviews and complaints site. Write Review and share opinions about products or services." |
| Product Reviews | "At ConsumerSearch, you will not find reports that read like advertising copy or warmed-over press releases. We strive to make our content tough and precise, and at no point are our editors influenced by advertising or other commercial considerations. Our purpose is to report the truth about what the experts are really saying. You can also use our service as a search engine to find product reviews and information, as our name suggests. " |
| Consumer World | "Consumer World is a public service, non-commercial* guide with over 2000 of the most useful consumer resources" |
| Consumer Reports | The home page for the world fameous consumer magazine. "Published by Consumers Union, an expert, independent nonprofit organization whose mission is to work for a fair, just, and safe marketplace for all consumers and to empower consumers to protect themselves. To achieve this mission, we test, inform, and protect. To maintain our independence and impartiality, CU accepts no outside advertising, no free test samples, and has no agenda other than the interests of consumers." |
| Where is My User Guide? | "How many user manuals available only on cd-rom, on the internet? They are sometimes very hard to get your hands on. And will they be here when you get back? What can you do when an e-bay auction you won ends with you getting the item without the instructions? On this site you will easily be able to find the required instructions guides and user manuals that you need." |
"Edmunds Inc. publishes four Web sites that empower, engage and educate automotive consumers, enthusiasts and insiders." |
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| Edmonds | |
| Cars.com | "Professional auto reviewers and real-world car owners rate new and used vehicles." |
| All Auto Reviews | "We have compiled vehicle reviews on nearly all makes and models. These auto reviews contain spec data, pictures and information about the specific vehicle." |
| RV Reviews | "Latest new RV reviews with floor plans and readers' opinions " |
| Motor Home Advice | "There are hundreds of RV Products out there that most people select through trial and error or by word of mouth. At this section you have the opportunity to tell other site visitors about your experiences with products you have tried. The good part is we all get to hear the good and bad." |
| Automobile Trade-in Values | "Just provide us with make, model, options and condition of your vehicle and we'll provide you with a Pre-Inspection, Trade-In estimate of your vehicle, and if you're ready to buy you can visit a dealer to get your price confirmed. " |
| Dealer Rater | "The site currently features more than 24,000 US and International car dealers and 65,000 user reviews. DealerRater.com provides the opportunity for users to search for car dealerships, read current reviews, write their own review, and find car deals – all for free. Car Dealers are rated on the criteria of customer service, quality of work, friendliness, price and overall experience." |
"One of the oldest and richest camera review sources on the Internet! " |
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| Photo- graphy Review | |
| Idealware | "Candid Consumer-Reports-style reviews and articles about software of interest to nonprofits" |
| Travel Insurance Reviewer | "If you want to recommend a travel insurer, then spread the word right here. We've created a simple yet informative way to rate, review and rank travel insurance." |
| Exercise Equipment Review | "This is your one stop resource for articles and reviews about the home exercise equipment you need to stay in great physical shape." |
| Infomercial Ads | "Find out if the gadgets & inventions you see on TV infomercials really work." |
| Best Games | Reviews and Information about PC and console games. |
| Find Hosts | "A Directory of Reviews for Over 3,000 Web Hosts." |
| ISP Ranking | Reviews ISP, Dial-up, DSL, Satellite, and cable web connection companies. |
| Rank Dates | Dating website reviews |
| Rate Jobsites | Reviews and rankings for online job search sites. |
| Pet Insurance Reviews | "If you want to recommend a pet insurer, then spread the word right here. We've created a simple yet informative way to rate, review and rank pet insurance." |
| Cell Phone Reviews | Cellphonedia.com is one of the latest online reviewing sites on cell phones and other technical communicating gadgets. The site's primary objective is to inform its visitors about the latest cell phones and their manufacturers market |
| "Looking to find the right cell phone and service plan for you? In our product review sections you can read cell phone reviews provided by our experts and from users like you." | |
| Bored.com | "Read movie reviews from the leading film critics all in one place" |
| "The Consumers Reports Health Ratings Center has been created to provide unbiased analyses and ratings to help consumers make informed health–care decisions. Our objective is to provide up–to–date comparisons of health services, drugs, devices and consumer experiences. These analyses and ratings will help consumers navigate an increasingly expensive and complex health–care system. " | |
| Consumer Reports Health | |
| Consumer Health Reviews | "Our research team has put together comparison charts and product reviews for many health products." |
| Health Grades | "Providing ratings and profiles of hospitals, nursing homes and physicians to consumers, corporations, health plans and hospitals" |
| Health & Beauty Reviews | Reviews of health and cosmetic products. |
| World Health Organization's Ranking of the World's Health Systems |
Ranking was last done in 2000, but this site contains links to other useful information about life expectancy and other health related issues. |
| Rank Fast Food | "This is your opportunity to rank and review your favorite fast food restaurants. You can also read reviews left by other site visitors." |
| Dining Spots | "Locate hundreds of local restaurants using our restaurant directory and links page. New restaurants added daily. Register now to save your favorite restaurants and coupons in your Restaurant Dining Guide restaurant and coupon folder." |
| Top Diets | "Before you start a new diet, find out which ones really do work. Read reviews from others to help you pick the right diet or write a review from a diet you have been on to help others." |
| Coffee Geek | "Coffee Geek is the definitive source for comprehensive and detailed consumer reviews of coffee and espresso equipment, supplies and accessories. " |
| Food Safety | A Federal Government site that provides information about consumer food products including rastaurant compaints, food illnesses, and water issues. |
| Health Insurance Company Reviews | "Read insurance company reviews by the insurance experts at FreeAdvice.com" |
| Consumer Health Rating | Links to reviews of health insurance plan ratings and satisfaction guides. |
| Insurance Company Ratings Lookup | "Nothing is more important to a policyholder than the financial strength of their insurance company. We've made it quick and easy for you to access the latest Standard & Poor's financial strength ratings." |
| Company Contacts | Get access directly to the people who matter at many companies in the United States, Canada, and the UK. Contains shortcut telephone numbers that frequently bypass those annoying telephone menus. |
| Get Human World | |
| Tax Exempt World | A listing of all non-profit and tax exempt organizatiions in the country - located by state, zip code, or name "The data on this website is public record information made available by the Federal Government. There are over 1.6 million tax exempt/nonprofit organizations with Assets of over $4 trillion dollars and Income of over $3 trillion dollars!" |
| Vender Information | "Find out detailed information on a specific vendor of products. Learn where they are located, how they ship, what tax policies, and much more. Leave your own feedback too." |
| Hard to Find 800#s | A new listing. Not many, but you many find what you are looking for here. Use the alphabetical index. |
| The Internet 800 Directory | Can find company's 800# (toll free) numbers. Enter request by product name, service type, or company name. Also has a reverse search - enter the 800# and they will tell you who it is. |
| Addresses.com | Reverse directory for landlines and cell phone numbers. Includes a people search. |
| Where is My User Guide? | "How many user manuals available only on cd-rom, on the internet? They are sometimes very hard to get your hands on. And will they be here when you get back? What can you do when an e-bay auction you won ends with you getting the item without the instructions? On this site you will easily be able to find the required instructions guides and user manuals that you need." |
Recognizing & Avoiding Scams
Recognizing & Avoiding Scams
"BBB sees trust as a function of two primary factors – integrity and performance. Integrity includes respect, ethics and intent. Performance speaks to a business’s track record of delivering results in accordance with BBB standards and/or addressing customer concerns in a timely, satisfactory manner." |
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| Better Business Bureau | |
| Scam Busters | "Welcome to the #1 website dedicated to helping you protect yourself from clever scams -- online and offline! You'll find lots of great resources on how to avoid the most popular scams,identity theft threats, viruses and urban legends making the rounds.Plus, we have Resource Centers filled with suggestions for reducing spam, preventing identity theft, useful consumer tips, and our Scam Check Station" |
| Scam.com | "If this is your first visit, be sure to check out the FAQ by clicking the link above. You may have to register before you can post: click the register link above to proceed. To start viewing messages, select the forum that you want to visit" |
| Federal Citizen Information Center | "Here are some of the Scams, Frauds, and Consumer Abuse items in the news." This service is provided by the Federal Citizen Information Center of the U.S. General Services Administration. |
| Consumer Affairs' Scam Alerts | Processing over 50,000 complaints a year, ConsumerAffairs.Com provides articles, videos, and information about a variety of scams. |
| Frauds and Scams Protect Yourself and Your Money |
From the Federal Reserve Bank. "Everyone is subject to fraudulent schemes and con games. Older people in particular seem to be frequently targeted, perhaps because as a group they tend to be more trusting of others and assume the same sincerity in return.This pamphlet will describe some typical financial frauds and scams and suggest how to protect yourself and your money." |
| Avoiding Scams and Fraud | From Craigslist. "You can sidestep would-be scammers by following these common-sense rules." |
| Tips On How To Recognize Make Money Scam Sites | "If you have been online for quite sometime then you probably came across make money opportunities. Most probably it is a scam. It is not that easy to make money. If it is so easy to make money then everyone on earth will be making money doing online investments and nothing else." |
| Right to Cancel: Door-to-Door & Telephone Sales | "Here are some examples of deceptive means used to get inside the house. They may say they are taking a survey and want your opinion. Some say they are conducting advertising research. Some use the pitch they are testing a pilot educational plan or new product, and want you to participate by trying out the product. Others may offer you a free gift to let them demonstrate their product." |
| How to Get Wise to Scam Language | "Surely, you would think, nobody would fall for this type of message. But they do. Scammers don't seem to worry about their poor use of English. Sometimes, they even apologize for it, offering it as evidence that they are just poor, humble citizens in desperate need of help. " |
| Coalition Against Insurance Fraud | "You'll learn all about insurance scams... what they are... how scams work... warning signals you should watch for… the price we all pay... how to avoid scams... and how you can fight back." |
| MyVesta | Credit and finance fraud alerts |
| Deal or No Deal? 6 Secrets for Spotting a Bargain | "All across the travel industry, people who thought they were getting deals are discovering that they aren't. As airlines slash their fares, passengers with advance reservations are finding that their tickets weren't bargains. The "low" hotel rates? Turns out they had a lot lower to go. Ditto for cruise tickets and rental cars." |
| ScamBlog | "Scamdex is a resource about scams, mainly internet-based. It contains a huge archive of carefully sifted email scams, categorized and analysed. The ScamBlog is commentary on the world of scams - scams which get bigger, cleverer and nastier day by day. These are our thoughts on stuff that makes us mad" |
| World Wide Scam Network | Scam blog and information center. |
| Quack Watch | "Your Guide to Quackery, Health Fraud, and Intelligent Decisions" |
| Consumer Lab | "Our Mission: to identify the best quality health and nutritional products through independent testing." |
| Looks Too Good to be True | "Every day, American consumers receive offers that just sound too good to be true. In the past, these offers came through the mail or by telephone. Now the con artists and swindlers have found a new avenue to pitch their frauds — the Internet. The on-line scams know no national borders or boundaries; they respect no investigative jurisdictions. But, as with all scammers, they have one objective — to separate you from your money!" |
| Consumer Protection In The States | (PDF) "Unfair and Deceptive Acts and Practices (UDAP) statutes in each of the fifty states and the District of Columbia constitute the main lines of defense protecting consumers from predatory, deceptive, and unscrupulous business practices. This report documents how widely and frequently those lines have been breached, and finds that in almost all states significant gaps or weaknesses undermine the promise of UDAP protections for consumers. UDAP laws prohibit." |
| Connecticut Watchdog | "You do not have to live in Connecticut to find valuable consumer tips on this site." |
| "Collector of the hottest scams, news, videos and reports on the internet - lottery scam, inheritance scam, pet scam, lover scam, phishing scam, commercial scam, job scam and more scamS. You can forward any scam mails or links to us" | |
| HotScams | |
| Recent Internet ScamBusters Issues | "Protect yourself from scams. Here's a list of the current and back issues of Internet ScamBusters..." |
| Fraud Alert | "Putting a fraud alert on you credit file is one of the first things you should do if you suspect someone is trying to open credit accounts in your name. It might be something you want to do, even if you don't think identity theft is an immediate threat." |
| Scam Net | "SCAM-NET is a service maintained by the San Antonio Police Department, that alerts Law Enforcement Agencies within the 12-county AACOG area of current and on-going frauds, scams and con-games, particularly those targeted at senior citizens. " |
| False Alert Hoaxes | Some of these are "urban legends" others are scams. |
| Current Fraud Alerts | "The number of fraudulent emails, text messages and phone calls known as "Phishing" has increased recently. Many follow the same outline. They appear official but are general enough to include almost any user. The email, text or phone call will also imply that some type of urgent action is needed to protect your account." |
| Scam Alerts | "It's impossible to catalog all the perpetrators but most scams are the same old song, slightly different verse. Scam Alerts editor Mark Huffman says it's trite but true -- if a deal sounds too good to be true, it probably is." |
| Hoax Slayer | "Hoax-Slayer is dedicated to debunking email hoaxes, thwarting Internet scammers, combating spam, and educating web users about email and Internet security issues." |
| Common Fraud Schemes | Recent scams reported to the FBI |
| How Can I recognize a Scam? | "You've won a big prize in a contest that you don't recall entering. You're offered a once-in-a-lifetime investment that offers a huge return. You're told that you can buy into a lottery ticket pool that cannot lose. ..." |
| "New credit cards are often mailed out with a sticker on them that asks you to call a number to activate the card. One of the requirements for this type of activation is that you call from your home number. The reason, of course, is that only the legitimate credit card owner can call from their own home number. However, that has changed. A new website allows credit card thieves to place phone calls and make the call appear as if it came from any phone number. So, credit card thieves can steal new cards from the mail and then find out what the card owner's home phone number is." | |
| Credit Card Phone Activation Scam | |
| Home Improvement Scams | "American homeowners will spend over $100 billion on home renovation and improvement projects this year. Over $1 billion of that will be lost to scams and frauds. Since everyone likes to save some money on home improvement bills it is easy to fall for a bargain. Scam artists will try to hit on elderly people." |
| Postal Money Order Scams | From the USPS. "Genuine postal money orders contain design features that maximize their security. Here are some tips to help you recognize the difference between authentic postal money orders and counterfeits." |
| Make Money Fast Scams | A collection of articles on many types of money making scams. |
| Tax Scams | From the IRS. "Don't fall victim to tax scams. Remember that if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is." |
| Charity Hoaxes | A list of recent charity scams |
| Puppy Scams | "Some scam artists use stolen photos in their ads, claiming they are pictures of puppies for sale. Actually, the seller does not have the puppy that he/she is trying to sell. The seller will ask for money in advance and refer them to a money wiring service such as Western Union or Money Gram." |
| Puppy Scam | "Much like other advance fee scams this involves the promise of a puppy when all the necessary fees are paid. Adverts are placed in newspapers and the Internet and usually involves someone that has moved or is moving or resides in another country. " |
| Atlantic Lottery Warns Consumers Of Scam | "Atlantic Lottery Corporation, which runs games in Canada, is warning U.S. consumers that scammers are using its name to try to steal money from unsuspecting victims. The company says the latest fraud case targets individuals in the United States in a lottery letter scam." |
| "Grandparents Scam" Exposed | Con: Hi, Grandpa. Victim: Hi. Con: Do you know who this is? Victim: Randy? Con: Yeah |
| Medicare Fraud | "There are a few individuals who are intent on abusing or defrauding Medicare, cheating the program (and in some cases the people with Medicare who are liable for co-payments) out of millions of dollars annually." |
| Email Petitions and Protests | "If you have been using email for any length of time, at some point you have probably received an email in the form of a petition. The message requests you to "sign" the petition by adding your name before sending it on to others in your address book. Emails of this nature generally contain a few paragraphs of text explaining the purpose and intended goals of the petition as well as instructions about how to sign and forward the message." |
| Concert Tickets Get Set Aside, Marked Up by Artists, Managers | "Less than a minute after tickets for last August's Neil Diamond concerts at New York's Madison Square Garden went on sale, more than 100 seats were available for hundreds of dollars more than their normal face value on premium-ticket site TicketExchange.com. The seller? Neil Diamond." |
| Ponzi and Pyramid Schemes | "A Ponzi scheme is essentially an investment fraud where the operator promises high financial returns or dividends that are not available through traditional investments. Instead of investing victims' funds, the operator pays "dividends" to initial investors using the principle amounts "invested" by subsequent investors." |
| Pyramid Schemes | "Pyramid schemes are frauds that are based on recruiting an ever-increasing number of investors. The initial promoters (those at the peak of the pyramid) recruit investors who are expected to bring in more investors, who may or may not sell products or distributorships. Recruiting newcomers is more important than selling products. " |
| Giveaway Hoaxes | Links to example hoaxes, scams, and articles. |
| FCC: Sprint can be Judge and Jury | "If you're wondering why mobile phone carriers get away with imposing blatantly unfair policies, there's a simple reason: No one stops them. If the carriers were to be stopped, the Federal Communications Commission would be doing the stopping. But when a carrier is accused of misbehaving, the FCC has a simple procedure for adjudicating the claim: It simply asks the cell phone company if it's guilty. When the answer is “no,” the case is closed. " |
| Play a Foreign Lottery and You're Guaranteed to Lose! | "If you've ever thought about buying that foreign lottery ticket and winning millions of dollars, think again. It's illegal to play foreign lotteries in the United States. But the best reason not to play a foreign lottery through the mail is that you are pretty much guaranteed to lose." |
| Child-Care Scams Rake in Thousands | "She reported taking care of the same five kids seven days a week while their mom supposedly worked at a lawn-care service, even in the winter months." |
| Missing Child Hoaxes | "Some hoax emails falsely claim that children are missing. Such hoaxes are especially heinous." |
| Charities Fraud | "Charities fraud happens when an individual or group deliberately misrepresents its fundraising intentions or solicits charitable funds for phony causes." |
"There are many different kinds of scams that involve telephone services. Here are some to watch out for." |
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| Tips on Telephone Service Scams | |
| "809" Phone Scam | From the FCC. "The scam works something like this: You get an e-mail, voicemail, or page telling you to call a phone number with an “809”, “284”, “876” (or some other three-digit) area code to collect a prize, find out about a sick relative, engage in sex talk, etc." It's actually an international and expensive call. |
| "900" Scams | "The 900 scams are a variation on a prize scheme. The consumer is encouraged, usually through an offer in the mail, to call a 1 900 number in order to find out how much money he or she has won." |
| PayPal Phone Fraud | From PayPal. An actual E-mail: "Dear sir/madam Please let me explain the situation 1st: I was planning to make a small birthday gift to my cousin who's currently studying in europe. However i had lots of paper work at my office, i haven't spent more than 2 days at home yet. I have some free time now, so i wouldn't like to miss a chance to fix that matter with birthday." |
| Phone Busters | Canadian. "An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. This is particularly true in the case of crime prevention through education and awareness. This guide, the Canadian Practical Guide, is a prevention tool. It builds on its successful predecessor, the Student Practical Guide." |
| Cell Phone Scams | "Next time you use your credit card in a convenience store or restaurant, be aware that scammers can now use camera-equipped cell phones to snap pics of your card number and name. Frightening fact: It takes the scammer less than a minute to take the picture and transmit the account name and numbers -- locally or even overseas!" |
| Credit Card Phone Activation Scam | "A new website allows credit card thieves to place phone calls and make the call appear as if it came from any phone number. So, credit card thieves can steal new cards from the mail and then find out what the card owner's home phone number is." |
| "With the rise of the Internet and e-mail, getting a phony ad or message out to a vast audience is cheap and easy. Even though the old work-at-home scams have taken on a modern twist, the typical profile of victims who are most susceptible to these scams has changed very little. Work-at-home con artists have always preyed most heavily upon senior citizens, the disabled, mothers who want to stay at home with their children, people with low income and few job skills, and people who just want to get rich quick. Cyberspace is simply the newest arena that scam artists have entered to widen their hunt for more people to dupe. " | |
| BBB Work-at-Home Scams | |
| Top 10 Work At Home and Home Based Business Scams | "The FBI reports Web fraud claims rose sharply in 2002. In fact, they *tripled* from a year earlier. Not a surprise to Internet ScamBusters readers.... Top 10 Work At Home and Home Based Business Scams and How to Avoid Them - Part 1 Home-based business and work-at-home opportunity scams rank very high on the list of the top types of Internet fraud." |
| Work-At-Home Scams | From AARP. "Con artists pitching work-at-home schemes rake in $427 billion dollars a year. These scams are a favorite way for con artists to exploit people. They use appealing but unrealistic come-on's to lure unwary people into parting with their hard-earned money with the hope of hitting it big financially." |
| Work-At-Home Scams Just Don't Pay! | From the USPS. "Con artists pitching work-at-home schemes rake in $427 billion dollars a year. These scams are a favorite way for con artists to exploit people. They use appealing but unrealistic come-on's to lure unwary people into parting with their hard-earned money with the hope of hitting it big financially." With links to other scam information sites. |
| Work At Home No Scams | "Most of the answers we’ll put on this page in the comment section below. However the ones that are very unique or intriguing, we’ll write a whole article about and it will be posted on our homepage for all to see and learn from." |
| Secret Shoppers Scam | "The company has been reported to do business under other names, some of which are duplicates of legitimate businesses operating in the United States. Those names include Beach Hepburn, Fifth Third Bank Co., Fifth Third Bank Kentucky Inc., Landmark Bank, Plant World and Secret Shoppers Canada Inc." |
| Is Your Home an "Easy Target" | "Is your home or apartment an "easy target" for burglars? When planning a vacation or weekend get away, don't forget to think about your home and what you are leaving. The feeling of coming home to find your house burglarized or vandalized is not a good one. Not only would there be financial expenses to make repairs and replace missing items; but also emotional reactions, such as fear, depression, vulnerability and many more." |
| Scam Targets Job Hunters | "Consumers are being advised to watch out for a new scam targeting job hunters searching for career opportunities on the popular Web site CareerBuilder.com." (Also found on other job sites) |
| Payment Transfer Job Scam Emails | "Scammers are using unsolicited email "job offers" to trick recipients into falling for payment transfer scams. The victim is promised a percentage of the payments transferred. However, the scheme is usually a method of "laundering" stolen money and victims may be unwittingly participating in illegal activities." |
| Fake Check Scammers | "Some scammers are taking advantage of the growing popularity of craigslist to victimize people trying to rent their homes or apartments. The scheme is basically the fake check scam, with a twist." |
| The Product Assembly Scam | No experience or special skills needed! Guaranteed pay checks! Work as little or as much as you want! |
| Home Assembly and Crafting Scams | "What could be more perfect, and fun, than making money doing crafts at home? Some of the home assembly offers promise as much as $30 an hour for this kind of work. The job described would require that you make baby clothes, jewelry, Christmas ornaments, small toys, plastic signs or any other product you can think of. As you can imagine, a lot of people jump at this opportunity only to discover that the whole thing is a scam." |
| Part-Time Job Receiving Packages | "This scam poses as a partime job where you would recieve and ship out packages. The packages are almost always stolen goods. Any infomation you give them for payment can be used used to defraud you. Any checks you recieve will most likely bounce." |
| Job Scams | "The opportunity to work from home is becoming a popular and attractive option for many — from stay-at-home moms to college students to retirees. So, it should come as no surprise that work-at-home scams offering jobs that pay "big financial rewards" have also grown in popularity." |
| "The Nigerian Advance Fee Scam has been around for quite awhile, but despite many warnings, continues to draw in many victims. In fact, the Financial Crimes Division of the Secret Service receives approximately 100 telephone calls from victims/ potential victims and 300-500 pieces of related correspondence per day about this scam!" | |
| About the Nigerian Scam | |
| Nigeria 419: The Road to Ruin | "Dear honourable Sir, My name is Alex Dubonse and I am the son of a diamond mining company in Angola. My father is most unfortunately recently deceased due to insurgence in my country and I am in need of a foreign partner to receive $18,000,000 (18 MILLION) held in his name..." |
| Front Money Scams | "A person looking for money to borrow may notice the ads offering quick financing at competitive rates. The ads imply that even people with shaky balance sheets can be helped. Unfortunately, the ad will turn out to be a front money scam in which the operator hopes to bilk the victim out of a "loan origination fee" for a loan that never materializes. The ads are aimed at the financially strapped who have given up on conventional financing. Those who place the ads hope that desperation will blind potential borrowers to the risk of loss. " |
| Classic Overpayment Scams | "Most versions of this scam involve someone sending you a check or money order for more than the price of something you are selling, and you get to keep the difference as a commission (or you need to send them back some amount for some reason)." |
| Inheritance Scheme | "A very wealthy stranger has died and you are asked to assist with banking and to share the wealth" |
| 419 Scam Information | "The messages generally claim that your help is needed to access a large sum of money, usually many millions of dollars. In fact, this money does not exist. The messages are an opening gambit designed to draw potential victims deeper into the scam." |
| Recognize Nigerian 419 Fraud And Scams | "Nigerian con artist rings are nothing if not creative. With all the attention that has been brought to bear on the standard Nigerian Scam Letter Fraud the fraud rings have been under pressure to develop new concepts - and they are very, very good at it." |
| 419 Eater | "Does somebody want to transfer millions of dollars into your account? Does someone want you pay you to cash cheques and send them the money? Met a new friend/penpal on a friendship/dating site who's asking you for money? Has a dying person contacted you wanting your help to give his money to charity? Have you sold an item and are asked to accept a payment larger than the item amount?" |
| Counterfeit Check Scam | "You think cashier's checks and money orders are as good as cash, but really they're just like any other check - they are only as good as the person sending it to you, whether it's an online acquaintance or a buyer." |
"Is your mailbox filled with junk mail, the second and third-class promotional mail you do not wish to receive? Not only is junk mail a nuisance for those who do not wish to receive it, it contributes to the solid waste problem and drains natural resources." |
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| Junk Your Junk Mail | |
| New E-Scams & Warnings | From the FBI's Investigative Programs Cyber Investigations |
| Scamdex | "Scamdex is all about 'Get Rich Quick' Scams, Spoof Websites, Bogus Lottery Winnings, Spoof Phishing Emails from Banks, Scam Emails from African Dictators (and their wives), Dating Scams, Pet Scams, Dodgy Product Scams, Lottery Scams, Work-from-home Job Scams, Classified Ad and online Auction Scams and all other Identity Theft and Internet Fraud." |
| Recognize Phishing Scams and Fraudulent E-mails | "Phishing is a type of deception designed to steal your valuable personal data, such as credit card numbers, passwords, account data, or other information. Con artists might send millions of fraudulent e-mail messages that appear to come from Web sites you trust, like your bank or credit card company, and request that you provide personal information. " |
| E-Mail Scams | "Some email users have lost money to bogus offers that arrived as spam in their in-box. Con artists are very cunning; they know how to make their claims seem legitimate. Some spam messages ask for your business, others invite you to a website with a detailed pitch. Either way, these tips can help you avoid spam scams." |
| E-Mail Fraud | "A rich harvest of criminal creativity from arriving email." |
| E-Mail Scam Archives | A lengthy collection of actual e-mail scams. |
| E-mail Scams “from Windows Live” | "Here is a sample of this fake e-mail notification (there are several similar variations being circulated)... " |
| Email Scam News and Editorial | Occasional blog - contains archived material. |
| "Negative option marketing is particularly troubling when marketers already have consumers' credit card or billing account information and can easily charge consumers' accounts without their permission or when marketers fail to disclose that consumers' credit card numbers will be transferred to another company and charged unless consumers call to cancel," | |
| Negative Option: When No Means Yes | |
| InfoNOTMercial | "Did you ever see an infomercial and wonder if the claims were true? InfoNOTmercial.com is here to answer that question. We purchase the product at retail. We do not accept reviewer copies of any product that we will review be sure we're reviewing the same quality product as our visitors will get." |
| Airbag Scams | "Investigations revealed that, when cars have been in crashes and the airbags have deployed, some auto repair shops aren’t installing new airbags. Instead, they’re either putting back the original airbag, cramming in other material, or leaving the space empty. The results can be deadly. Often, the repair facility will bill insurance companies for new airbags, but never install them." |
| Online Shopping | "Shopping online offers lots of benefits that you won't find shopping in a store or by mail. The Internet is always open — seven days a week, 24 hours a day — and bargains can be numerous online." |
| Homeowatch | "Homeopathic "remedies" are usually harmless, but their associated misbeliefs are not. When people are healthy, it may not matter what they believe. But when serious illness strikes, false beliefs can lead to disaster. This Web site provides information about homeopathy that is difficult or impossible to find elsewhere. The bottom line is that it is senseless and does not work." |
| Natrowatch | "Many naturopathic theories and practices are not based on the body of basic knowledge related to health, disease, and health care which has been widely accepted by the scientific community. Moreover, naturopathic education does not prepare practitioners to make adequate diagnoses and provide appropriate treatment. This Web site provides information about naturopathy that is difficult or impossible to find elsewhere." |
| Cure-All Products Scams | "Emails claiming that a product is a "miracle cure," a "scientific breakthrough," an "ancient remedy" – or a quick and effective cure for a wide variety of ailments or diseases. They generally announce limited availability, and require payment in advance, and offer a no-risk "money-back guarantee." Case histories or testimonials by consumers or doctors claiming amazing results are not uncommon." |
| Avoid Ephedra Product Scams | "Let me start right off the base by telling you that ephedra products, like ephedra diet pills, ephedra energy products or any product with ephedra is illegal to sell in the United States." |
| The Herbal Minefield | "Americans spend billions of dollars per year for capsules, tablets, bulk herbs, and herbal teas. Although many of these items are consumed for their flavor, most are probably used for supposed medicinal qualities. Multilevel distributors and pharmacies offer many products that are obviously intended for self-medication." |
| Consumer Product Rebates: Enticements or Scams? | "Rebates can be great incentives, but are they worth the consumer's effort? Are the companies legitimate in these marketing ploys?" |
| Weight Loss Lies & Diet Product Scams | "Coke, Nestle, and Beverage Partnership Worldwide (BPW) have settled charges that they falsely advertised that Enviga, a green tea beverage, can result in weight loss by burning extra calories." |
| Product Resale Scam | "Following are examples of scams collected by the Identity Theft Resource Center. These are copies of the actual text as received via email on some of our own “lure” email addresses. " |
| Twenty-Five Ways to Spot Quacks and Vitamin Pushers | "How can food quacks and other vitamin pushers be recognized? Here are 25 signs that should arouse suspicion." |
| Product Recvalls and Warnings | Frequently updated with an archive. |
| Product Scams: False Advertising, Misrepresentation, Exaggerated Claims | "How many times have you seen a commercial on tv on in print or heard an advertisement on the radio for a product that seemed too good to be true? And maybe you bought one, only to find out that it was so poorly made that it broke the first time you tried to use it?" |
| How do Auction (and online Classified Ad) Scams work? | "Scammers use various ploys to part you from your cash and/or goods. Victims are harvested from auction sites (mainly eBay) and Sites that list classified ads for a variety of products, eg Craigs List, cars, horses etc. Victims are contacted by email and urged to send money/goods either within an auction or outside the system." |
| Internet Auctions | "Thinking of bidding in an online auction, or selling some of your stuff? Internet auctions are a great resource for shoppers and sellers, but you need to watch out for some pitfalls" |
| Gas Pill | "The little green BioPerformance pill is suppose to improve mileage by 30 percent when simply dropped into a gas tank. Abbot says the claim is nonsense and has filed a suit to shut down BioPerfomrance in Texas. Abbott recruited a University of Texas scientist to test the product and it turns out the pill is made of naphthalene. Mothballs are also made from naphthalene." |
| Seven Warning Signs of Bogus Science | "The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is investing close to a million dollars in an obscure Russian scientist's antigravity machine, although it has failed every test and would violate the most fundamental laws of nature. The Patent and Trademark Office recently issued Patent 6,362,718 for a physically impossible motionless electromagnetic generator, which is supposed to snatch free energy from a vacuum. And major power companies have sunk tens of millions of dollars into a scheme to produce energy by putting hydrogen atoms into a state below their ground state, a feat equivalent to mounting an expedition to explore the region south of the South Pole." |
| Beware of Cure-alls and Snake Oil | "Senior citizens are special targets of the quacks and con men who are out to sell worthless medical products. Their claims are highly deceptive and usually promise miracles. Watch out for such exaggerated claims as "instant cures for arthritis," "lose weight without effort," "grow hair overnight," or "look years younger." " |
"There's a reason why auto service stations have one of the largest numbers of complaints with state attorney generals in every state. Some uphold good business practices and ethics, but most, unfortunately are all about profit and don't care if they have to lie and cheat to get it." |
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| How To Avoid Auto Repair and Service Scams | |
| How To Avoid Auto Repair Fraud, Scams & Rip-offs | "Like going to the dentist, auto repair is an experience most motorists want to avoid. It's inconvenient, it's expensive, and for some people it's downright scary because they fear being taken advantage of or ripped off. Motorists who have little mechanical knowledge feel especially vulnerable because they often don't know what's wrong with their car , what it really takes to fix their problem, and how much it should really cost." |
| Car Repair Prices: Master Article List | The following articles demonstrate today's rising auto repair prices, and the scams associated with so many auto repairs, parts, labor estimates, and auto maintenance guides. |
| My Auto Repair Service Stories | "They all view the oil change as an opportunity to up sell you something else. The profit margin on an oil change service is very small. The shop considers this an acceptable loss because it provides them an opportunity to look your vehicle over very carefully." |
| Car Repair and Service Scams | "The other day my cars check engine light came on as I was driving my car. I didn’t know why it came on, but was hoping and praying that it wasn’t anything serious. " |
| Chirobase | "Accurate information about chiropractic is not easy to get. Most publishers, editors, and broadcasters are unwilling to examine this topic in depth and to publish critical information. As a result, most reports reaching the public express what chiropractors would like people to believe. This Web site will enable you to deepen your understanding. If you decide to seek chiropractic care, it may also help you find a suitable practitioner." |
| More Chiropractic Internet Service Scams | "They pop up like weeds, offers to chiropractors to get you “top” in search engines with magic search engine techniques and “soon to be” high traffic domain destinations. They use fear, your “territory” is still available but it will soon be gone, act now, send us your money, we are going to be at the top and you could be there too!" |
| Prepaid Legal Service Scams | "It sounds like a good idea; at least at first... after all, it can be useful to have a lawyer should you need one. From another point of view, being a seller of prepaid legal servicescan seem like a good way to make a little bit of extra income. Unfortunately, both types of association with prepaid legal services can result in more trouble than the service itself is worth." |
| Beware of Legal Services Scams | "Last year, the county Department of Consumer Affairs received about 130 complaints regarding paralegals posing as lawyers. But officials believe the crime is underreported because many of the victims are low-income immigrants who don't complain to authorities." |
| Fraudulent Escrow Service Scams | "Always consider every escrow company to be fraudulent until you have checked them out and proven them to be real. " |
| Escarow Service Scams | "As is typical in online fraud, the Escrow fraud scammer convinces the victim to go outside of the auction site or item listing company. The scammer will request the use of a third-party escrow service to facilitate the exchange of money and merchandise. The victim is unaware the scammer has actually created an escrow site that closely resembles a legitimate escrow service." |
| A Year in the Life of an Online Job Scam | "Job scams are as old as jobs themselves. In past years, con artists would put a bad job ad up, fool a job seeker into giving up their money, and then physically move on to a new city. Now bad job ads have moved onto the Internet, with devastating consequences. The very things that make the Internet so effective for job seekers -- speed, convenience, and a nationwide job search from a computer screen -- are the same things that make it effective for fraudulent activity. Job seekers and job sites have unfortunately been targeted with sophisticated triangulation scams that move rapidly and seamlessly through a selection of job sites from coast to coast in a matter of days." |
| Beware of Employment Scams | "With that many individuals looking for work, some are bound to become targets for less-than-reputable businesses willing to take advantage of their employment situation." |
| Scams & Schemes in Work and Employment Services | Resource guide with many good links on several service scam topics. |
| Critical Tips For Job Seekers to Avoid Job Scams | "If you can can remember the four tips below, you will help protect yourself from falling prey to payment forwarding scams. " |
| How to Protect Yourself: Lawn Service Contracts | "Some companies require expensive and long-term lawn care contracts, so you should take the time to investigate and find a reliable company with a good reputation." |
| Green Scamming | "Anyone who seriously thinks that the act of having one’s lawn mowed or hedges clipped has anything to do with saving the world from global warming deserves to pay as much as these guys can get. " |
| Carpet Cleaning Companies | "Similar to any other companies, a few numbers of carpet cleaning companies belong to the group of bad companies. Admitted, majority of carpet cleaning companies are doing their business with honesty, but for some of them honesty is not the primary outlook." |
| 10 Termite Scams: Consumers Beware! | The #1 ‘rip off’ in termite work is “re-selling the same work over and over again” |
| Identity Theft | "Identity Theft is welt underway to becoming number one crime in America. Each many Americans fall victim to its predatory claws. Businesses can also fall to it. Identity theft occurs when someone steals key personal or business information and uses that information to commit theft or fraud. It is a serious crime. People whose identities have been stolen can spend months or years--and their hard-earned money--cleaning up the mess thieves have made of their good name and credit record." Be sure to read all five pages. |
| Identity Theft Your Worst Nightmare Coming True | |
| FTC's Identity Theft Site | "This website is a one-stop national resource to learn about the crime of identity theft. It provides detailed information to help you deter, detect, and defend against identity theft. On this site, consumers can learn how to avoid identity theft – and learn what to do if their identity is stolen. Businesses can learn how to help their customers deal with identity theft, as well as how to prevent problems in the first place. Law enforcement can get resources and learn how to help victims of identity theft." |
| Identity Theft Prevention & Survival | "Ms. Mari Frank knows firsthand as an attorney, sheriff reserve, and former identity theft victim, what it takes to protect your personal information, and how to successfully restore your identity if it is stolen. Her testimony, educational programs, and her books have been invaluable to victims and policymakers alike." |
| Identity Theft Resources | A collection of dozens of "fact sheets" covering identity theft and related issues. |
| Identity Theft .com | "We built IdentityTheft.com with three goals in mind: • To be the best provider of comprehensive, fresh, and well researched identity theft related information. • To provide the most comprehensive identity theft service in the market today. • To be the source that you return to whenever you want guidance and updates on identity fraud. For those of you who the best advice on what you can do (for free), we have provided very relevant content for you." |
| Identity Theft Resource Center | "Identity Theft Resource Center® (ITRC) is a nonprofit, nationally respected organization dedicated exclusively to the understanding and prevention of identity theft. The ITRC provides consumer and victim support as well as public education. The ITRC also advises governmental agencies, legislators, law enforcement, and businesses about the evolving and growing problem of identity theft." |
| Identity Theft | "ID theft is currently the fastest growing white collar crime in the U.S. Nearly 10 million Americans have been victims in the last year." |
| Identity Theft: Could it Happen to You? | "When an imposter co-opts your name, your Social Insurance Number (SIN), your credit card number, or some other piece of your personal information for their use - short when someone appropriates your personal information without your knowledge - it's a crime, pure and simple. " |
| Phishing Fraudsters Prey on Identity Theft Fears | "Scam artists are now trying to cash in on the national paranoia over identity theft by luring victims with a phony warning that they may already be the victims of identity theft." |
| Identity Theft: Could it Happen to You? | "If you have been a victim of identity theft, the Identity Theft Statement helps you notify financial institutions, credit card issuers and other companies that the identity theft occurred, tell them that you did not create the debt or charges, and give them information they need to begin an investigation." |
| Greenwashing | "Greenwashing is what corporations do when they try to make themselves look more environmentally friendly than they really are." "For the sake of our future generations, we must immediately heed the inherent limits of Mother Earth and strive for a harmonious sustainability. The time is now for each and every one of us to fully understand and recognize that if we do not radically change our corporate driven consumptive and destructive way of life, we will go extinct. " |
| Greenwashing.net | |
| Sourcewatch | "Greenwashing is the unjustified appropriation of environmental virtue by a company, an industry, a government, a politician or even a non-government organization to create a pro-environmental image, sell a product or a policy, or to try and rehabilitate their standing with the public and decision makers after being embroiled in controversy." |
| Greenwashing Index | "It’s greenwashing when a company or organization spends more time and money claiming to be “green” through advertising and marketing than actually implementing business practices that minimize environmental impact. It’s whitewashing, but with a green brush." |
| Stop Greenwash | "Every day, Americans are bombarded with advertising about environmentally friendly goods and services. But how many really are green, and how many are just pretending?" |
| The Greenwash Brigade | "Our hand-picked environmental professionals, each part of the Public Insight Network, are on the hunt for "greenwash" as they examine eco-friendly claims by companies, governments and other groups. " |
| Urban Legends | Urban Legends are folklore than many people believe and are often used as scams. They include old wives' tales, misinformation, strange news stories, rumors and deliberate attempts to mislead people. |
| Urban Legends | |
| Urban Legends & Superstitutions | "What is an urban legend? According to Webster, an urban legend is "an often lurid story or anecdote that is based on hearsay and widely circulated as true," and is sometimes called an urban myth." |
| Urban Legends and Hoaxes Resource Center
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"Internet ScamBusters Urban Legends and Hoaxes Resource Center lets you quickly find out whether popular (and usually 'urgent') emails are true -- or whether they are urban legends or hoaxes. What -- Exactly -- are Urban Legends? Urban legends are stories that are either funny and/or contain horrifying content that may or may not be true. They spread quickly, and often have many different variants." |
| Urban Legends | Blog |
| What is an Urban Legend? | "The following is a collection of the more entertaining of these folktales. Some are entertaining in themselves and others are only entertaining because they're not true." |
| Top 25 Urban Legends | Updated as needed. |
| Urban Legends, Folklore and Myths | "Urban legends thrive on people's deepest fears -- that our safe world can crack at any moment and a madman will change our lives forever. That alone is enough to give anyone some second thoughts about our everyday routine." |
| Unsolved Mysteries | Urban legends, hoaxes, and other silly things that people take seriously. |
| Top 10 Urban Legends Debunked | "We all love urban legends, we all love to hear them, and we all love to spread them. From dead animals, dead people, and the living dead, to animals in fast food, humans have an odd desire to be horrified by these tales. This is a list of 10 of the most famous urban legends that are still doing the rounds but are completely false." |
| Really Scary Urban Legends | "Urban legends tend to focus on a current fear or cultural phenomenon of the time. From the unbelievable to the possible, urban legends satisfy a human desire to find entertainment and thrills within our deepest and darkest fears." |
Personal Confidentiality
Personal Confidentiality
Spousal Privilege |
(PDF) "The spouse of a party has a privilege to refuse to testify against the party as to events occurring after the date of their marriage. A party has a privilege to prevent his or her spouse from testifying against the party as to events occurring after the date of their marriage." |
| Husband-Wife Privilege | |
| Spousal Privilege | "The marital confidences privilege is a form of privileged communication protecting the contents of confidential communications between husband and wife. This privilege applies in civil and criminal cases. When applied, a court may not force one spouse to testify against the other concerning confidential communications made during marriage." |
| Getting the Facts Straight: Spousal Privilege | "he law holds that no one has a privilege to refuse to testify unless otherwise provided by constitution (e.g., the right to avoid self-incrimination), statute, or state or federal rules of evidence. The spousal privilege is a combination of two elements: 1) the right not to be compelled to testify against one's spouse, and 2) the protection of marital confidences. " |
| Privileged Communication | "Conversation that takes places within the context of a protected relationship, such as that between an attorney and client, a husband and wife, a priest and penitent, and a doctor and patient. The law often protects against forced disclosure of such conversations. However, there are exceptions that can invalidate a privileged communication, and there are various circumstances where it can be waived, either purposefully or unintentionally." |
| All States Should Adopt Spousal Privilege Exception Statutes | "Spousal privilege exception statutes are used to compel the testimony of a spouse when one spouse has committed a crime against the other spouse. These statutes do not allow the victim spouse to claim spousal privilege, which in the past allowed spouses the right to refuse to testify against the other spouse with no repercussions. States without these statutes are unable to compel the testimony of a spouse and, therefore, in some instances cannot prosecute the crimes of one spouse against the other." |
| Spousal & Family Privileges | " There are two spousal privileges. The spousal testimonial privilege provides that a spouse may not be compelled to testify against a defendant-spouse in a criminal prosecution. A second privilege involves confidential communications between spouses and applies in both civil and criminal cases. Some jurisdictions have both privileges, while others have one or the other." |
| Spousal Privileges in the Federal Law | "The common law has recognized spousal privileges since medieval times. The privileges have evolved and taken different forms over the years. The current form of spousal privileges grew out of three distinct privileges: 1) incompetency, 2) anti-marital facts, and 3) marital confidentiality" |
| "Physicians have always had a duty to keep their patients' confidences. In essence, the physician's duty to maintain confidentiality means that a physician may not disclose any medical information revealed by a patient or discovered by a physician in connection with the treatment of a patient." | |
| Medical Patient Confidentiality | |
| Medical Privacy | "The regulatory regime for protecting privacy of health information is complex and fragmented. Some protections apply only to information held by government agencies. Some protections apply to specific groups, such as federal employees or school children. Some protections apply to specific medical conditions or types of information, such as information related to HIV/AIDS or substance abuse treatment." |
| Medical Confidentiality | "Patient privacy has always been an important concept in the medical profession. New laws are taking this notion a step further, making it mandatory for medical facilities to protect individually identifiable health information." |
| Doctor-Patient Confidentiality | "The duty of confidentiality continues even after patients stop seeing or being treated by their doctors. Once doctors are under a duty of confidentiality, they cannot divulge any medical information about their patients to third persons without patient consent. There are, however, exceptions to this rule." |
| Confidentiality and Coping with Law Enforcement Inquiries | "Increased visits to libraries by law enforcement agents, including FBI agents and officers of state, county, and municipal police departments, are raising considerable concern among the public and the library community. " |
| Attorney-Client Privilege | "Can a lawyer ever violate his/her duty of confidentiality to protect his/her own interests?" |
| Reflections on Confidentiality | "Ethical standards regarding confidentiality vary from one profession to another, and the public may commonly expect a much different standard of privacy than is actually the case. That is especially true when it comes to religious leaders or to those entrusted by a religious group with the provision of pastoral care. " |
| Confidentiality - Christian Virtue or Christian Necessity? | "Knowledge of a person's medical history can result in inappropriate judgments being made which reduce the patient as an individual. " |
| Confidentiality and Mandatory Reporting: A False Dilemma? | "The existence of state laws requiring clergy to report evidence of physical or sexual abuse of children has become a source of controversy. " |
| What is Attorney Client Privilege? | "The attorney-client privilege is the foundation for which confidentiality issues lie in legal matters. It is everything in terms of how a case is handled and how it proceeds." |
| Silence is Golden | "Generally, in order for the attorney-client privilege to apply, there must be an attorney-client relationship and the communication must be made by the client in confidence for the purpose of obtaining legal advice. It does not matter whether the information is communicated orally, in writing, or by nonverbal communication, such as nodding the head. The privilege also applies to information provided by the attorney to the client." |
| Does Confidentiality Continue After Death? | "The only explicit reference of which I am aware with regard to the continuance of patient privilege after death is in the World Health Organization's International Code of Medical Ethics which states that the physician must keep secret all he or she knows about the patient, even after the patient's death." |
| Patient Confidentiality After Death | "One of the consistent messages from MDU medicolegal advisers during what can be an emotionally fraught time is that doctors still have a duty of confidentiality to patients even after death, and breaching this duty could have serious consequences." |
| Patient Confidentiality Extends Beyond Death | "The Information Tribunal has ruled that medical records of a dead woman should not be released, because there is still a duty of confidentiality in its contents following death." |
| "The organization is focused on conducting in-depth research, analysis, and consumer education in the area of privacy. It is the only privacy-focused public interest research group conducting independent, longitudinal work. The World Privacy Forum has had notable successes with its research, which has been groundbreaking and consistently ahead of trends." | |
| World Privacy Forum | |
| The Right of Privacy | "The U. S. Constitution contains no express right to privacy." |
| Family Educational Right to Privacy Act | "Any educational agency or institution making public directory information shall give public notice of the categories of information which it has designated as such information with respect to each student attending the institution or agency and shall allow a reasonable period of time after such notice has been given for a parent to inform the institution or agency that any or all of the information designated should not be released without the parent's prior consent. " |
| Right to Financial Privacy Act | "The Right to Financial Privacy Act was Congress' response to a U.S. Supreme Court decision that found bank customers had no legal right of privacy for their financial information held by financial institutions. The law is largely procedural and requires government agencies to provide notice and an opportunity to object before a bank or other institution can disclose personal financial information to a government agency, usually for law enforcement purposes. " |
| Your Right Of Privacy | "Having read through the amendments though, I can’t find any amendment that explicitly protects a United States citizen’s right of privacy." |
| Does the Constitution Contain a Right to Privacy? | "The Constitution also doesn't include the right to buy products from foreigners, or to have children, or to read a book, or even to eat food to survive.How could the Constitution have overlooked such basic human rights?" |
| A Right Of Privacy: Access To Personal Information | "The right of privacy has evolved to protect the ability of individuals to determine what sort of information about themselves is collected, and how that information is used." |
| The Workplace Privacy Project | "A long term project to study and document privacy practices in the areas of job applicant privacy, workplace privacy, background checks, and related areas. " |
| Right to Privacy n the Workplace | " One issue of primary concern is whether the current law provides adequate protection for the individual's right to privacy in the workplace from threats posed by computer technology, electronic eavesdropping, video and sound recording equipment, and databases filled with personal information. " |
| The Right of Publicity | "The Right of Publicity prevents the unauthorized commercial use of an individual's name, likeness, or other recognizable aspects of one's persona. It gives an individual the exclusive right to license the use of their identity for commercial promotion. " |
| What Is A Tenant's Right to Privacy? | "A landlord's right to enter a tenant's apartment is a hotly debated topic. There are huge disputes regarding what's allowed and what isn't. And rather than a general set of nationwide standards, the answer is likely to reflect local laws and traditions." |
| A Tenant’s Right To Privacy | (PDF) Minnesota law says that a landlord or caretaker can only enter your apartment for a business reason or an emergency. If it is for a business reason, the landlord has to tell you ahead of time. A landlord cannot make you sign anything giving up your right to know ahead of time if they want to enter your apartment. |
| Protecting Your Privacy On The Web | "When you go to a Web site, there may be several other companies besides the owner watching your every click. Recent studies have shown that over 90% of Web sites gather personal information. Almost all major Web sites enable third-party tracking through remote images you can't even see, and with Web bugs." |
| Nursing Home Residents’ Rights | "When you live in a nursing home, you have the right to expect privacy when you visit, have telephone conversations, or exchange mail with family, friends, government representatives, Ombudsmen, or anyone else." |
| Search Warrents | "A search warrant is a judicial document that authorizes police officers to search a person or place to obtain evidence for presentation in criminal prosecutions. Police officers obtain search warrants by submitting affidavits and other evidence to a judge or magistrate to establish probable cause to believe that a search will yield evidence related to a crime. If satisfied that the officers have established probable cause, the judge or magistrate will issue the warrant." |
| When Is a Search Warrant Not Necessary? | "Most Americans understand that police officers sometimes need a warrant to search for information believed to be related to criminal activity. They may also be aware that, according to the exclusionary rule, evidence gained in an illegal search cannot be used to convict someone of a crime. However, in many circumstances the police do not need a warrant for a search, or for the evidence gained from a search, to be legal and used in court." |
| Can An Officer Dig Through Your Garbage Without A Warrant? | "Once you dispose of your trash such as placing it in a communal dumpster or on the sidewalk, you would not have a reasonable expectation of privacy, since anyone could go through the trash." |
| Government May Not Need Warrant To Search Your E-Mail | "The maker of Enzyte, a "natural male enhancement" product, has found himself on the wrong side of a government lawsuit, but he's fighting back against the attempt to get access to his email without a search warrant." |
| Cops Need Warrant for Cellphone Location Data | "The government cannot force your cellphone provider to turn over stored records about your location without proving to a judge there is probable cause you have violated the law, a federal district court ruled Wednesday." |
| Is the NSA Listening to Your Phone Calls? | "To deter narcotics trafficking, the NSA collects and analyzes Americans’ phone records if they call someone in Latin America. There’s no warrant or other due process involved. The NSA simply approaches a phone carrier, asks for the records, and analyzes them." |
Product Liability
Product Liability
Product Liability |
"When individuals are harmed by an unsafe product, they may have a Cause of Action against the persons who designed, manufactured, sold, or furnished that product. In the United States, some consumers have hailed the rapid growth of product liability litigation as an effective tool for Consumer Protection. The law has changed from caveat emptor ("let the buyer beware") to Strict Liability for manufacturing defects that make a product unreasonably dangerous." |
| Product Liability | |
| Product Liability | "Products liability refers to the liability of any or all parties along the chain of manufacture of any product for damage caused by that product. " |
| Defective Products | "A "defective product" is one that causes some injury or damage to person as a result of some flaw or weakness in the product, its labeling, or the way the product was used. The manufacturer of the product that caused the injury, as well as those involved in the chain of commerce, are often liable for injuries caused by defective products." |
| Product Liability Advisory Council | "A non-profit association with over 120 corporate members representing a broad cross-section of American and international product manufacturers. These companies seek to contribute to the improvement and reform of law in the United States and elsewhere, with emphasis on the law governing the liability of manufacturers of products." |
| Strict Liability | "Strict liability often applies when people engage in inherently hazardous activities, such as doing "blasting" in a city, or keeping wild circus animals. If the blasting damages you -- no matter how careful the blasting company was -- it is liable for the injury." |
| Strict Liability Products Liability - Ultrahazardous Activity |
"Strict liability in tort is the concept that in certain situations a defendant is liable for plaintiff's damages without any requirement that the plaintiff prove that the defendant was negligent." |
| Alternative Rules for Determining Tort Liability | "The doctrine of strict liability allocates the presumption of responsibility for certain types of accidents to the defendant instead of the plaintiff. This alleviates the burden of proof that usually rests on the plaintiff when trying a case." |
| "The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission is charged with protecting the public from unreasonable risks of serious injury or death from thousands of types of consumer products under the agency's jurisdiction. The CPSC is committed to protecting consumers and families from products that pose a fire, electrical, chemical, or mechanical hazard or can injure children." | |
| Consumer Product Safety Commission | |
| Recall.gov | "To provide better service in alerting the American people to unsafe, hazardous or defective products, six federal agencies with vastly different jurisdictions have joined together to create www.recalls.gov -- a "one stop shop" for U.S. Government recalls. " |
| Recalls, Market Withdrawals and Safety Alerts | "This page includes the most significant product actions of the last 60 days, based on the extent of distribution and the degree of health risk." |
| Safe Kids: Product Recalls | "Check for children's product recalls from the past year below. If you are looking for older recalls click on the headings in the orange box." |
| Food Safety Inspection Service | "The Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is the public health agency in the U.S. Department of Agriculture responsible for ensuring that the nation's commercial supply of meat, poultry, and egg products is safe, wholesome, and correctly labeled and packaged. " |
| Food Recalls | From consumeraffairs.com |
| "Extended warranties sell costly "peace of mind" for repair nightmares that probably won't occur, according to a survey of more than 8,000 readers in December 2007 by the Consumer Reports National Research Center. We have long advised that extended warranties are a poor deal for almost every product. Now we have the first data showing that this advice applies to most new cars as well." | |
| Extended Warranties: A High-Priced Gamble | |
| A Salesman's View of Extended Warranties | "Yes it is a source of income, which is at times more that the commission. On the other hand they are a huge source of frustration, embarrassment and even fear for sales people." |
| The Truth About Extended Warranties | "You know the drill. You're ready to plunk down some money on a state-of-the-art PC. You've run through a gauntlet of decisions, and just when you think you're done, here comes one more: "Do you want to buy an extended warranty to protect that purchase?"" |
| The Truth Behind Extended Warranties | "Warranty Week, an industry publication, last year estimated that of the $15 billion in premiums charged consumers in 2004, $7.5 billion went straight into the pockets of the stores that sell warranties as their cut." |
| The Truth Behind Extended Warranties | "Being educated about what it is you are purchasing, what is covered and what are the long term benefits of coverage are key to getting your money's worth." |
| The Truth About Auto Extended Warranties | "One of the oldest car dealer tricks is the forced extended warranty scam. It's easy for them to do and it can cost you thousands! Learn how to identify this scam and avoid being a victim! " |
| The Truth About Extended Warranties | "Anyone who's purchased an appliance in the past 10 years knows the drill: as soon as you agree to make the purchase, your salesperson switches gears. Now that he's persuaded you that the product is reliable enough to purchase, he starts pressuring you to buy an extended warranty." |
| Extended Auto Warranty Contracts | "Automobile Extended warranty contracts usually don't pay for themselves. In my experience I have found that most of the extended auto warranties contracts that I had to make a claim on paid very little-if any-of the repair cost." |
| Auto Extended Warranties | "Whenever I write about extended warranties I always get strong responses from people in the car business. I guess you can question ethics, conduct and business principles, but don't mess with the extended warranties!" |
| Auto Extended Warranty: You May Be Entitled to a Refund | "As a vehicle owner, with auto extended warranty coverage, should the vehicle be sold or traded-in prior to the expiration of the manufacturers warranty, the dealership which originally made the vehicle sale, including the auto extended warranty, will be required to refund all of the monies paid for the extended warranty which will not be used due to premature sale." |
| The Dirty Truth About Extended Warranties | "Extended warranties are a scam, a way for electronics stores to up the profit margin on consumer electronics sales. But when our Olympus camera blew a pixel after less than two years, we replaced it with a Canon that we purchased from the same London Drugs that sold us the first camera — but this time we backed it up with an extended warranty. Maybe it was a scam, we figured, but at least we’d save ourselves some hassle if the thing broke down." |
| How to Beware Of Extended Warranty Scams | "In most cases when you purchase appliances, electronics and cars you receive pressure from the salesperson to purchase an extended warranty. " |
| Extended Warranty Scams | "They called the extended warranty company who promptly said they do not cover ANY of those things...." |
Free and Inexpensive
Free and Inexpensive
"Welcome to our ever-growing list of goods and services that are very inexpensive, or better yet, FREE." |
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| Clark Howard Free & Cheap List | |
| Give Us Feee Stuff | "We love free stuff so much that we are allways searching the web to find more free giveaways and free samples. Once we find them, we post it here on our site GiveUsFreeStuff.com for all to see. Our goal is to help people find the best free stuff, free samples and discount coupons on the web." |
| Sampleville | "Hundreds of the best products, coupons and freebies sent directly to you." Caution: you must fill out questionaires before getting the products. Proceed with caution. |
| Free Sample Forager | "The FSF makes serious efforts to ensure all posted freebies are legit, safe, offered by responsible and legal outlets, and do not require anything more than 1) filling out a single form 2) a form + survey 3) a quick phone call 4) emailing a request or 5) picking up a freebie being offered at a store (such as a free can of soda). Though some free stuff offers may require signing up for an account on the sponsor site, we will not post links to free stuff offers or sites where a purchase or other commitment is required." |
| Free Software on the Internet | "This is a listener-provided list software and services available for FREE on the internet. Some are scaled-down versions of more expensive software. Some are full-featured, but have ads in them to help pay for the service. Either way, here is a list of useful things you can download that won't cost a cent: " |
| Free Sample Blog | "Free Samples Blog is dedicated to bringing you completely or almost completely free stuff, coupons and more." |
| FreeFly | "Cheap is good, but free is better." |
| All Free Samples | "Choose from many free product samples including candy, health and beauty products, food, make up and cosmetics, perfume and cologne, baby products, diet pills and many more free samples categories." |
This is a new Slightly Creaky category as of October 13, 2009. We are seeking addition links for free and discounted consumer goods. If you know any (as long as there are no membership fees), please notify us. |
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"On the site you will find online coupons, products, sales, reviews, and rebates. The site is updated throughout the day by its staff and forum members. We are dedicated to providing you with the tools needed to find the best deals online. " |
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| Deal Catchers | |
| Retail Me Not | "Connect with other shoppers so you get the best coupons, offers and deals. Share the fashions you love, hook up for shopping events, see what coupons your friends are using, add your favorite deals, make a wishlist for all your friends to see and more!" |
| Restaurant & Pizza Coupons | "Locate coupons to local restaurants, national restaurant chains, and pizza coupons in the U.S.A. and Canada." |
| Clothing Deals Online | "This blog is here to save you money when you by clothes online. We search the Internet night and day to find online clothing sales and we blog about what deals we find here. We cover all types of clothing imaginable and we hope we will have found the right deal for you. " |
| Sudden Values | "Using the SuddenValues service, participating merchants collect their customer’s contact information with their permission enabling them to send offers via email and text messaging. All customer information is stored in private and secure online databases allowing merchants an interface to connect with their customers in real-time. Customers redeem special offers by displaying their coupon or text message at the time of their purchase." |
| Nifty News | "Our goal: to find you the best deals, current coupons, quality rebates, and great prices on computers, electronics, kitchen stuff, etc. Save time, save money!" |
| Brad's Deals | "BradsDeals finds and filters online shopping deals, online coupons and codes and in-store printable coupons." |
| Headline Deals | Coupons, discounts, and special deals |
| Coupons, Codes, Deals - Online Coupons and Deals | "Coupons, online codes, deals for shopping online. Over 1,000 online stores offering deals, coupons, free shipping, money back and daily deals." |
| My Promotion Department | "Please note that we are constantly updating our listings; recently-expired coupons may not always be removed immediately. We cannot guarantee all coupons' functionality or validity: this is the responsibility of the merchant or online retail shop that may have issued that offer. " |
| Grocery Savings and Coupon Zone | "Resources for helping you save on food. Find information on double coupons, grocery store contact links and contact information, tips on saving on groceries, free menu lists, and shopping lists and other valuable information for saving on groceries." |
This is a new Slightly Creaky category as of October 13, 2009. We are seeking addition links for free and discounted consumer goods. If you know any (as long as there are no membership fees), please notify us. |
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| "The idea behind this website is to save you a few bucks with coupons while shopping online. Very few websites have the large number of stores and coupons that you will encounter here at Rather-Be-Shopping.com! We try really hard to have only coupons that have not expired, but we still encourage you to always verify that your coupon is visible in your order total prior to you finalizing your purchase. There is nothing worse than paying full price when you don’t have to!" | |
| Rather Be Shopping | |
| Coupon Mom | "Review the Grocery Deals list for your state or store each week. Even if you do not have the coupons from prior weeks, it will give you an idea of the kinds of deals you can expect in future weeks as your coupon supply grows. " |
| Brad's Deals | "BradsDeals finds and filters online shopping deals, online coupons and codes and in-store printable coupons." |
| Nifty News | "Our goal: to find you the best deals, current coupons, quality rebates, and great prices on computers, electronics, kitchen stuff, etc. Save time, save money!" |
| Coupon Smarter | "Search CouponSmarter.com, the world's largest coupon source, by entering a store's web address or keyword below:" |
| Coupons, Codes, Deals - Online Coupons and Deals | "Coupons, online codes, deals for shopping online. Over 1,000 online stores offering deals, coupons, free shipping, money back and daily deals." |
| Free Coupons & Great Deals! | "It really is incredible how much you can save with grocery coupons! Whether you're one of those people who consistently looks for coupons every week and uses them every time you go to the store, or the type who never remembers to use them at all—online printable grocery coupons are the best way to go. No clipping them out of the paper. No looking through all those different wasteful inserts in your mailbox. Just one stop, here at CoolSavings, gets the job done.? |
| Cents Off | "In these tough times, $avings is the name of the game and Savings mean economic policies for the household. The policy is to pick coupons that give you the most value and savings on your weekly grocery bill." |
| The Coupon Clippers | "We are the nation’s largest online grocery coupon clipping service, offering more than a million national-brand coupons at any given time in our warehouse and shipping center. Browse our huge selection and start saving $$$ today!" |
| Smart Source | "Select the coupons you want; click “Print Now” when you’re done!" |
| Coupons.com | "Coupons, Inc.'s core couponing, customer acquisition, and e-mail marketing services provide clients with creation, distribution, tracking, and reporting of consumer-printed coupons that can be used for traditional in-store redemption." |
| Coupon Cabin | Online usage only. "Online coupons reward shoppers who place orders over the internet. It's important to note that these exclusive discounts can not be used for in-store purchases." |
| EBates | Must join. Receive rebates and store discounts. |
| Ultimate Coupons | Includes online and product coupons. |
Price Research Sites
Price Research Sites
| Canada: "Almost half of Canadians say they are going without fresh, healthy food because it is too expensive, according to the results of a national study released yesterday by the Heart and Stroke Foundation.The survey found 47 per cent of Canadians don't buy fresh fruit, vegetables, dairy and whole grain products, lean meat or fish because of the cost. " | |
| Food Prices Vary Across the Country | |
| Retail Food Prices Vary Significantly Across U.S. Region | "Variations in regional food prices stem from differences in production and transportation costs and the level of retail competition in each region." |
| Some Seasonal Price-Variations In Food | "The egg market lends itself well to the study of many of the forces which influence prices. Irregularity of the supply, variation in the quality of the product, and a highly elastic demand are characteristics strongly accentuated in the egg market." |
| Huge Price Variations in Generic Drugs | "A Wall Street Journal investigation showed great price variations in the marketing of some generic drugs in the U.S. For example, the so-called "average wholesale price" (AWP) for generic Prozac (fluoxetine), the most commonly prescribed generic in the U.S., was $2.66 a pill -- while in fact, pharmacies could actually buy the same pill for only 5 cents." |
| Wal-Mart Revamps Great Value Line | "Wal-Mart is stepping up the competition to draw cost-conscious shoppers, promising that store-brand products from cereal to cookies will be tastier, smell better and look more attractive." |
| Nine Ways to Supermarket Savings | "Some retailers, besides offering their low-priced store brand goods, have also established "value-added" brands that come with higher prices -- sometimes even exceeding those of national brands -- but also feature higher quality or unique ingredients. " |
| The Market Determines Price, Not the Government | "The reason that a home is worth some amount of money, any amount of money for that matter, is because that is the amount of money that someone else is willing to pay for it. This is the way free markets work. The value of a commodity, in this case a home, is determined by supply and demand and a buyer’s willingness to pay." |
| Why Do Average Property Prices Vary So Much? | "Average house prices are reported by a variety of organisations, such as the two large mortgage lenders Nationwide and Halifax, property website Rightmove, and the Land Registry, and you many have noticed that every few months they release figures that rarely match up." |
| Yapta Tracks Prices | "Pick your preferred flights and hotel and get email alerts when prices drop. You can also get alerts when frequent flier miles can be used for award seats." |
| State Sales Taxes | State Sales Tax Rates |
| State Sales, Gasoline, Cigarette, and Alcohol Tax Rates by State | "To zoom in, print, select text or search the following document, please use the grey toolbar below. Years from 2000 - 2008 are available in the Excel sheet at the bottom of this page." |
| Submit the zip code and get not only a list of gas stations, but a quick glace at the highest and lowest prices and what each station is charging. Each entry is dated. At the bottom of the page is the national lowest and highest prices for regular gasoline throughout the country. | |
| MSN Autos – Local Gas Prices | |
| Gas Buddy | Set up by community throughout the United States and Canada, and reported by community members. Anyone can join and submit the current prices for stations in your community. |
| MapQuest National Gas Prices | Input the type of fuel you need, regular, premium, diesel, or alternative, then put in the zip code. Starts off locally, then expands outward to nearby communities. Place your mouse pointer over the listing and the station appears on the map. |
| AAA Daily Fuel Gauge Report | While this does not list actual pump prices, you can see statewide trends, averages, and other useful information. |
| The Heritage Foundation | "Based on a review of the energy legislation currently before the House of Representatives, the price of regular unleaded gasoline could rise from average August 1st prices of $2.09 per gallon to $5.58 in 2016. That is an increase of 167 percent. Analysts in the Center for Data Analysis developed this estimate and comparable ones at the state level from assumed effects of three major provisions in the legislation: continued mandates for biofuels content of gasoline, new taxes imposed on energy companies, and new regulations that will affect the oil producers. This estimate also takes into account price gouging legislation that was passed by the House earlier this year. To see state specific estimates, please move your mouse pointer over the state below” |
| Comparing World Gas Prices | "It is a comparison of gasoline prices. Here is a sample of the data on what a gallon of gas costs:" |
| Motor Trend Gas Prices | "Our gas price locator can help you find the cheapest gas prices in your area. Why waste money on expensive gas when you could be spending that money on a new car? Find cheap gas at local gas stations by making a selection below." |
| Gas Price Watch | "Enter a location using the control panel above, or search directly in the map: Drag the map with your mouse, Double-Click to zoom in, Use the slider to zoom in and outZoom in to the 5th "notch" to see stations." |
| Pay Less For Food | "Learn how to drastically slash your grocery and food bills." |
| Home Heating Fuel. Most web sites in this category want a service fee to assist. They contact local fuel companies and attempt to get them to bid on your needs. In most cases, though, we find they have affiliate sites that win the bid ignoring whether they were the lowest price, best quality, or most reliable. Slightly Creaky suggests you find a listing of heating fuel sites in your area and contact them by telephone getting their current prices. | |
| Home Heating Oil Prices.com | Has contact information for local fuel companies. On occasion they list recent prices. |
| Heating Oil and Propane Update | During heating season only "The data are published weekly and are updated every Wednesday after 1:00 p.m. (Eastern time). For weeks which include Monday holidays, publication is delayed by one day." |
| Residential Heating Oil Prices: What Consumers Should Know | "Heating oil is a petroleum product used by many Americans to heat their homes. Historically,heating oil prices have fluctuated from year to year and month to month, generally being higher during the winter months when demand is higher. This winter, distillate fuel inventories are low and customers will be concerned about the potential for higher prices. To understand the reasons for these price variations, consumers need to understand how heating oil is used and how and where it is produced. " |
| Appraisals. Most of these sites off limed free price estimates. None promise that they will be totally accurate as products must be evaluated in person to assess quality. | |
| The American Society of Appraisers | "Helps the public and professionals find an ASA accredited appraiserIs the only professional valuation organization that accredits members in every appraisal discipline Works to grow the appraisal professionFosters professional excellence in its membership through education, accreditation, publication and other services with an emphasis on professional ethics to protect the public." |
| Appraisers Association of America | "The Appraisers Association of America continues to serve the arts, legal, and financial communities and private and corporate collectors, with our members providing appraisals of fine and decorative arts, jewelry, and household contents to the highest industry standards." |
| Kovels | "Millions of collectors visited Kovels.com in 2008 looking for prices for their favorite antiques and collectibles. Here are the top 50 favorites out of the 700,000+ listings in the Kovels.com Online Price Guide." |
| Price and Value Guides for Collectibles and Antiques Online | From About.com. "Want to know what something is worth? Check out this alphabetical list of price and value guides on the Collectibles web site. " |
| Consumer Products. Slightly Creaky suggests that you do not depend on any one consumer product site as none of them are all-inclusive. Check out these locations to find a product and to get an idea of current retail prices. Then go to the web site for your favorite stores and check weekly advertisements to get the best deals. | |
| Shopzilla | Enter the product you are looking for and Shopzilla will produce a listing of current retail and online prices as well as pictures of the product and reviews. |
| Price Grabber | Gives you the opportunity to select a product category or to input the product in a search engine. Includes product description and reviews. |
| BizRate | "Welcome to our free comparison shopping site! We'll help you:Find the biggest selection from the Web's top-rated stores and Compare product features, prices & reviews!Get the best deal every time!" |
| Become | Select a product category or to input the product in a search engine. Includes product description and reviews. |
| MySimon | “A comparison shopping site for almost everything: Apparel, computers, electronics, jewelry, video games, and more. We gather prices on millions of products from thousands of stores, so you can compare products and find the lowest price before you buy.” |
| Shopping.com | "A comprehensive comparison shopping service that helps you use the power of information to make the best shopping decisions. It is the only comparison shopping service that combines millions of consumer product reviews with detailed price information on millions of products from thousands of stores to help you find, compare and buy anything." |
| Smarter.com | Includes information about rebates and discount coupons. "Come to Smarter.com before you buy online. Using an unbiased system to compare prices on products from thousands of different merchants, Smarter.com helps you shop and find the best prices, products and websites. As the leading price comparison shopping site online, Smarter.com carries top merchants including: Circuit City, Crutchfield, Buy.com, B&H and many other popular online stores." |
| My Triggers | "If you like shopping online, get ready to like it a whole lot more. With the myTriggers.com comparison shopping search engine, all you have to do is enter the item you're shopping for and click Shop. myTriggers.com provides the best selection and the best savings online, we will search over 100 million items from more than a million sellers, and instantly provide you with a list of items that match your search criteria, including pictures, all in one neat and tidy results page! Browse the results, select the item description or image you want, and one click later, you'll be ready to make your purchase." |
| Ben's Bargins | Includes coupons, rebates, and daily specials. "Ben is a fanatical online shopper and an online shopping expert. He has run BensBargains.net since the beginning of the year 2000, during the heydey of the internet boom and bubble." |
| Discount More | "DiscountMore.com is a unique comparison shopping website that searches all of the top comparison shopping sites and the top shopping sites along with the top auction sites and gives you back results all on one page. With DiscountMore you can search over 25 websites and receive all of their results with pictures, description and price from each site in seconds! DiscountMore puts the power of 25 websites at your fingertips with one touch. Who really has the lowest price? You decide." |
| CNET Shopper | " CNET Shopper.com will help you find the right product at the right price when you're shopping online. With pricing and merchant information for computers and electronics, a trusted merchant-certification program, and tools to compare prices, product reviews, and technical specs, CNET Shopper.com has everything you need to make your technology purchases. " |
| Best Web Buys | "Best Web Buys provides a fundamentally better way for consumers to shop. Most people shopping on the web go from store to store to find the products they want at the right price. With thousands of online stores to choose from, this process is tedious and time consuming. Best Web Buys' service allows consumers to search for products they want across several stores at the same time." |
| Deal Catcher | "DealCatcher is an online community that helps shoppers save money and make educated purchases. On the site you will find online coupons, products, sales, reviews, and rebates. The site is updated throughout the day by its staff and forum members. We are dedicated to providing you with the tools needed to find the best deals online. " |
| Deal News | "Each day, dealnews reports the best deals available on computers, technology, gadgets, and other items you want to buy. dealnews is updated with as many as 200 new bargains, coupons, and sales in a single day. Each deal we list is by definition the lowest price available on that item from a reputable merchant, period." |
| Car Price Trends | From J.D. Powers. "Predicted TMV® Pricing Trends is Edmunds.com's forecast of the likely price change for all car, truck, and SUV models over the 30-day period from the date this list was posted. Predicted TMV® Pricing Trends is generally updated during the second and last week of each month, and is calculated at the model level; accordingly, a style with a predicted change that is significantly different from the other styles of that model is separately identified." |
| U.S. Domestic Airline Fee Chart | "Airline Fees are a fact of life, it is important that everyone take into account airline fees while shopping for airfare. We have compiled a handy comparison list of U.S. domestic airline fees. Fees are changing rapidly and we’ll do our best to keep the chart up to date. 1st and 2nd checked bag fees are waived for passengers with “elite” status." |
| Automotive Insurance Ratings | From J.D. Powers. Ratings of the most popular automotive insurance companies based on five factors. |
| Homeowner's Insurance Ratings | From J.D. Powers. Ratings of the most popular home owners insurance companies based on seven factors. |
| Free Coupons & Great Deals! | "It really is incredible how much you can save with grocery coupons! Whether you're one of those people who consistently looks for coupons every week and uses them every time you go to the store, or the type who never remembers to use them at all—online printable grocery coupons are the best way to go. No clipping them out of the paper. No looking through all those different wasteful inserts in your mailbox. Just one stop, here at CoolSavings, gets the job done.? |
| Cents Off | "In these tough times, $avings is the name of the game and Savings mean economic policies for the household. The policy is to pick coupons that give you the most value and savings on your weekly grocery bill." |
| The Coupon Clippers | "We are the nation’s largest online grocery coupon clipping service, offering more than a million national-brand coupons at any given time in our warehouse and shipping center. Browse our huge selection and start saving $$$ today!" |
| Smart Source | "Select the coupons you want; click “Print Now” when you’re done!" |
| Coupons.com | "Coupons, Inc.'s core couponing, customer acquisition, and e-mail marketing services provide clients with creation, distribution, tracking, and reporting of consumer-printed coupons that can be used for traditional in-store redemption." |
| Coupon Cabin | Online usage only. "Online coupons reward shoppers who place orders over the internet. It's important to note that these exclusive discounts can not be used for in-store purchases." |
| EBates | Must join. Receive rebates and store discounts. |
| Ultimate Coupons | Includes online and product coupons. |
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