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Online Consumer Help from the Federal Government
By Ira Wilsker, APCUG Director; Columnist, The Examiner, Beaumont, TX; Radio & TV Show Host
Iwilsker(at)apcug.net

Obtained from APCUG with the author's permission for publication by APCUG member groups.

WEBSITES:
http://www.consumer.gov
http://www.recalls.gov
http://www.usa.gov
http://www.ready.gov
http://www.annualcreditreport.com
http://www.ftc.gov/idtheft
http://www.consumer.gov/military

President Bush has requested that all federal agencies make it easier for consumers (the general public) to locate and utilize information on federal websites.  In some cases a variety of federal agencies have pooled their resources and information, and compiled the data in easy to use websites that represent several agencies in one place.  Some of these integrated federal websites are consumer.gov, recalls.gov, and usa.gov.

Consumer.gov is probably the premier federal website for comprehensive consumer information.  The tabs across the top of the page lead directly to such consumer topics as food, product safety, health, home & community, money, transportation, children, careers & education, and technology.  The perimeter of the page contains icons and links which directly connect to specific government services.  

One of the icons links to “OnGuardOnline” which says, “OnGuardOnline.gov provides practical tips from the federal government and the technology industry to help you be on guard against Internet fraud, secure your computer, and protect your personal information.”  There is another link for “Consumer Sentinel” which contains comprehensive information on fighting and preventing fraud and identity theft.  

One link that I have personally used and strongly recommend leads to the “National Do Not Call Registry”  (donotcall.gov) where you can enter your home and cell phone numbers, and prohibit most telemarketers from calling.  After activation, if a telemarketer does call, there is a link to enter a complaint, which may lead to a substantial fine against the telemarketer.

You have probably seen a TV commercial hawking free credit reports, but the fine print and disclaimer advises that the credit report is only free with a paid subscription to a credit monitoring service.  It just so happens that congress has required that all Americans are entitled to a genuinely free credit report once a year, without the strings or necessity of paying for a credit monitoring service.  This free service is overseen by the Federal Trade Commission (ftc.gov), and linked to the consumer.gov website, or can be reached directly at www.annualcreditreport.com.

Many of us have had concerns about our children’s safety while online, and consumer.gov has a linked resource for that purpose as well.  The FTC has created an online child safety website “Kidz Privacy” which is a childish looking website that will appeal to kids of all ages.  On this site are resources for kids, adults, the media, and teachers.

We are all faced with higher prices at the gas pump, and we generally do not like it.  There are scammers out there promoting a variety of miracle products to dramatically improve our gas mileage, but there are also several legitimate tasks we can undertake to save gas.  Consumer.gov obliges with an icon linked to a FTC website “Saving Money at the Pump”.  This is a cute, interactive website with several tips that we may find useful and money saving.

There is a pandemic of identity theft taking place which is costing our society tens of billions of dollars per year, with millions of victims of identity theft annually.  Consumer.gov has a link to the central repository of identity theft prevention and information services, which is administered by the FTC at www.ftc.gov/idtheft.  On this site is a link to report identity theft, steps to follow if a victim, information on preventing theft, and other useful resources.

Many of us are inundated with prescreened credit card offers, and invitations to purchase insurance.  For those who want to reduce or end this unsolicited and often unwanted mail, there is a link to “Prescreened Credit Offers”.  On this site is information on how these prescreened offers work, and how to stop them.  For those who want to stop these prescreened offers, the FTC says, “Call toll-free 1-888-5-OPTOUT (1-888-567-8688) or visit www.optoutprescreen.com for details.”  That website and phone number are operated by the three major consumer credit reporting agencies, and they will ask for personal information, but promise that it will be treated confidentially.

Hardly a day goes by where we do not hear on the news about some consumer product or food item being recalled for a safety or health reason.  Occasionally we also hear about massive automobile recalls to correct some safety deficiency.  There is an icon and link on this site to a centralized database on recalls which is continuously updated.  This connects to a site recalls.gov, which is a joint venture of several government agencies that are involved in consumer recalls.  Categories of recalled products include consumer products, motor vehicles, boats, food, medicines, cosmetics, and environmental products.  What I find especially useful and informative on this website is the list of “Recent Recalls”.   There are six small windows on the recent recalls page that list the latest recalls from the Consumer Product Safety Commission,  Food and Drug Administration (FDA), National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Department of Agriculture (USDA), and the Coast Guard.  Personally, I check this site regularly, and sometimes find that I have a recalled product in my house.

Some of the other useful links on the Consumer.gov website are to specialized websites such as ready.gov and usa.gov.  Ready.gov is a website sponsored by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) that has resources about home and personal safety in a variety of threatening scenarios.  Also included on this DHS website is information for businesses continuity, and child safety during disasters.  USA.gov is the central clearing house for all federal agencies.  It uses a simple menu hierarchy that eases the location of desired information.  Topics are comprehensive, and include such helpful items as government benefits and grants, money and taxes, consumer guides, and many other topics.  This site can be a good starting point for someone looking for something to do on the internet,

Military personnel and families may find the link to “Military Sentinel” a very useful resource.  According to the website, www.consumer.gov/military, “Military Sentinel is a project of the Federal Trade Commission and the Department of Defense to identify and target consumer protection issues that affect members of the United States Armed Forces and their families.”  Included on this website is information on specific identity theft problems faced by military families, financial scams against military personnel, and other military specific information.

Other links on Consumer.gov are to the “Consumer Action Handbook”, www.consumeraction.gov, and information that the disabled may find helpful at www.disabilityinfo.gov.

The website at Consumer.gov is a goldmine of consumer information that is free for the taking.  I suggest that everyone should periodically visit this website and review any informational resources that may be of personal interest and benefit.

This article has been provided to APCUG by the author solely for publication by APCUG member groups. All other uses require the permission of the author (see e-mail address above).