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Consumer Protection
Telephone Numbers
Credit Report (free): (1) Call toll free at 877-322-8228, (2) use the
web:
(http:www.annualcreditreport.com),
or
(3) send a request by mail to Annual Credit Report Request Service, PO Box
105281, Atlanta,
GA 30348-5281.
Result of Fair and Accurate Credit
Transactions Act (FACT Act). (Chattanooga Times, June
1, 2005,
p. C1)
Do-Not-Call Registry (Federal): 888-382-1222 or http://www.donotcall.gov.
Do-Not-Call
Program (Tennessee): 1-877-872-7030 or
http://tennessee.gov/tra/donotcall/nocall.html
Drinking Water: 800-426-4791
Food Safety: 888-SAFEFOOD
Identity Theft: Call one these credit bureaus, and it
will notify the other two: (1) Experian at
888-397-3742,
(2) Equifax at
800-685-1111, and
(3) TransUnion at 800-916-8800. (Chattanooga Times,
September 7, 2006, p. A4)
Immunization: 800-232-2522
Opt Out of Preapproved Offers for Credit Cards - 888-567-8688
or register at
http://www.optoutprescreen.com
Poison Control: 800-222-1222
See also the
Charities
Topic
(http://library.chattanoogastate.edu/east/topics/charities.htm)
ConsumerSearch
Search for products in various categories.
(http://www.consumersearch.com)
Automobiles, Gasoline,
and Safety
CarFax
This site has vehicle history reports.
(http://www.carfax.com/)
CarMax
This site can be used for locating new and used cars and gives prices.
(http://www.carmax.com/)
Edmund's Automobile Buyer's Guide
Both Edmunds and the Kelley site below are helpful for buying a car.
(http://www.edmunds.com)
GasBuddy.com
Compare gasoline prices in your neighborhood.
(http://gasbuddy.com/)
Insurance Institute for Highway Safety
Compiles safety ratings for vehicles and has other
information.
(http://www.iihs.org/)
Kelley Blue Book
Automobile buyers and sellers can use this site for determining car values.
(http://www.kbb.com)
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
This site provides vehicle safety information aimed at reducing highway injuries and deaths.
Consumers can access
car crash tests and safety-recall information as well as register
complaints.
(http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov)
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Banks and Investments
BankRate.com
This site compares banks for best savings rates. Mortgage and
other information is also available.
(http://www.bankrate.com/brm/rate/dep_home.asp)
Securities and Exchange Commission
This site has information that can help protect investors.
(http://www.sec.gov/)
Drug
Medications
DailyMed
Prescription drug information from
the National Institutes of Health.
(http://dailymed.nlm.nih.gov/dailymed/about.cfm)
Drugs@FDA
Drug information is provided by the Food and Drug
Administration.
(http://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/cder/drugsatfda/index.cfm)
Drug Digest
Excellent source about drug comparisons and
information.
(http://www.drugdigest.org/wps/portal/ddigest)
Drug
Information from MEDLINEPlus
Prescription and over-the-counter medications information is provided.
(http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/druginformation.html)
Drugs
and Herbal Remedies Name
Search in the Health & Wellness Resource Center database
from our library web page.
(Health &
Wellness is a database on the library home page: http://library.chattanoogastate.edu/)
Drugs &
Medications A-Z
Look up a particular drug.
The WebMD
Medical Library link has various sources including new medical tests and
tools.
(http://www.webmd.com/drugs/index-drugs.aspx)
MEDLINEPlus
This site is from the National Library of Medicine and the National Institutes of Health.
Drug information, medical
encyclopedia, topics, dictionary, and news can be
found here.
(http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/)
PDRhealth
A starting point for information on
drugs, diseases, trials, and health.
(http://www.pdrhealth.com/)
U.S. Pharmacopeia
There is drug and dietary supplement information.
(http://www.usp.org/)
U.S. Food and Drug Administration
A wealth of information is available at the FDA site, including warnings and alerts about
cosmetics and other concerns
in food and drug areas.
(http://www.fda.gov)
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Food
About
Herbs
Information on various herbs from the Memorial
Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center.
(http://www.mskcc.org/mskcc/html/11570.cfm)
Center for Food Safety and Applied
Nutrition
This site on food safety is from the Food and Drug Administration.
One link is to the "Bad Bug
Book" on pathogens.
(http://www.fda.gov/AboutFDA/CentersOffices/CFSAN/default.htm)
Center for Science in the Public Interest
This is a consumer advocacy investigation site on nutrition and
health concerns.
(http://www.cspinet.org/)
Food Safety Information Center
This site comes from the National Agricultural Library.
Consumer
Corner has consumer related food information.
Food
and Nutrition Information Center has information on
various topics, like
vitamins.
(http://riley.nal.usda.gov/nal_display/index.php?info_center=16&tax_level=1/)
Food Safety Project
This comes from Iowa State University.
(http://www.extension.iastate.edu/foodsafety/)
Food Safety
Website
This site is from North Carolina State University.
(http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/foodsci/agentinfo/)
Herbal Safety
From UT El Paso includes herbal fact sheets and basic
information.
(http://www.herbalsafety.utep.edu/default.htm)
Nutrition.gov
There is information on dietary supplements and other topics.
(http://www.nutrition.gov/)
Office
of Dietary Supplements
This site is from the National Institutes of Health.
(http://ods.od.nih.gov/index.aspx)
Science.gov on Food
Safety
This is a collection of governmental web sites on various topics on food
safety from FirstGov for Science.
(http://www.science.gov/browse/w_105F.htm)
www.foodsafety.gov
A gateway to government food safety
information.
(http://www.foodsafety.gov/)
Fraud
Fraud
Watch International
Information about international scams is provided.
(http://www.fraudwatchinternational.com/)
National Fraud
Information Center
Fraud information and reporting can be found on this site
from the National Consumer's League.
(http://www.fraud.org/)
SEC Internet Fraud
The U.S. Security and Exchange Commission provides information about computer
investment scams.
Their phone number
for fraud is 1-866-358-6652.
(http://www.sec.gov/investor/pubs/cyberfraud.htm)
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General
Better Business Bureau
This is the central web server for the Better Business Bureau in the U.S. and Canada. This
site includes alerts and
news, charity and business reports, and a resource library.
Links to Chattanooga Better
Business Bureau.
(http://www.bbb.org)
Consumer.gov
There is a broad range of federal information resources available from this
site. The entire site is
searchable. Information is arranged in categories such as food, health, product safety, your money, and transportation.
(http://www.consumer.gov)
Consumer Information
The Federal Trade Commission provides links
to topics.
(http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/consumer.shtm)
Consumer Product Safety Commission
This is the official web site for the U.S Government's Consumer Product Safety Commission.
There is recall information.
(http://www.cpsc.gov)
Consumer World
This public service site gathers over 2,000 of the most useful consumer resources on the
Internet. Some of the
categories include product reviews, BBB, consumer rights, wholesale car prices, discount travel, and news.
(http://www.consumerworld.org)
"Do Not Call"
Use the Federal Trade Commission's
Do-Not-Call Registry (1-888-382-1222) at
no charge. Tennessee Regulatory
Authority also has a
Do-Not-Call Program (1-877-872-7030.)
Federal Citizen Information Center
This site brings together hundreds of consumer publications which can be ordered or
downloaded.
(http://www.pueblo.gsa.gov)
Federal Motor
Carrier Safety Administration
Links to information about moving.
(http://www.protectyourmove.gov/)
National Consumers League
This is "a private, nonprofit advocacy group representing consumers on marketplace and
workplace
issues. NCL
provides government, businesses, and other organizations with the consumer's
perspective on concerns including
child labor, privacy, food safety, and medication information."
The National Fraud Information Center link
helps consumers to report fraud and offers advice on how to avoid becoming a victim.
(http://www.nclnet.org)
National Safe Kids Campaign
This site has ideas for children's safety.
(http://www.safekids.org/)
State of Tennessee's Consumer Affairs
This division is part of the Tennessee Department of Commerce and
Insurance. The site serves and protects
consumers from deceptive business practices.
(http://www.state.tn.us/consumer)
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Health
Free Personal Health Managers - Sites from Chattanooga
Times, 12/5/08, p. A9:
BlueCross: http://www.bcbst.com
Microsoft Health Vault:
http://www.healthvault.com
Google Health:
http://www.google.com/health
United Healthcare:
http://www.myoptumhealth.com
Cigna: http://www.mycigna.com
WebMD:
http://www.webmd.com/phr
CDC Wonder
Single-access source for public
health data.
(http://wonder.cdc.gov/)
FDA Consumer Magazine
Health articles from the U.S. Food
and Drug Administration.
(http://www.fda.gov/fdac/default.htm)
Health Care Quality Report Cards
This site includes "the evaluation
results for these health care organizations": health insurance plans;
physician
practices, and other reports on
health care quality.
(http://reportcard.ncqa.org/)
Health Fact Sheets
From the Tennessee Department of
Health
(http://health.state.tn.us/FactSheets/index.htm)
Healthfinder
The government site says, "your guide to
reliable health information."
(http://www.healthfinder.gov/)
MEDLINEPlus
This site is from the National Library of Medicine and the National Institutes of Health.
Drug information, medical
encyclopedia, topics, dictionary, and news can be
found here.
(http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/)
Office
of Children's Health Protection
This site is from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
(http://yosemite.epa.gov/ochp/ochpweb.nsf/content/homepage.htm)
PandemicFlu.gov
This is from the U.S. Department of Health and Human
Services. It provides comprehensive information.
(http://www.pandemicflu.gov/)
Public Health Image Library (PHIL)
Images from the Center for Disease
Control.
(http://phil.cdc.gov/phil/home.asp)
Quality Check
This site checks for hospital quality reports.
(http://www.qualitycheck.org/)
Tennessee
Department of Health
This Tennessee government site has health topic information.
(http://www.state.tn.us/health/)
U.S. Food and Drug Administration
A wealth of information is available at the FDA site, including warnings and alerts about
cosmetics and other
concerns in food and drug areas.
(http://www.fda.gov)
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Insurance
InsWeb
Car and other insurance rate comparisons are provided on this site.
(http://insweb.com/)
Map of NAIC
State & Jurisdictions
National
Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) is the source of this site and
each state can be selected.
(http://www.naic.org/state_web_map.htm)
Tennessee
Department of Commerce and Insurance Division of Insurance
Tennessee insurance agents, laws and rules, and consumer information is
provided.
(http://www.state.tn.us/commerce/insurance/index.html)
Job Safety
Gateway for Safety & Health Information Resources
This is a site for comprehensive occupational safety and health information. There are useful
links to information on product safety, recalls, electrical safety, fire safety, and industrial
hygiene.
(http://osh.net)
National Institute for
Occupational Safety and Health
This site covers workplace safety and health.
(http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/homepage.html)
Occupational
Safety and Health Administration
This is the homepage of OSHA, a division of the U.S. Department of Labor..
(http://www.osha.gov)
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Law and Legislation
Federal Trade Commission
The Federal Trade Commission enforces federal antitrust and consumer
protection legislation.
Information on consumer protection and business
guidance is provided. Internet security
information can be found under Information Security.
The FTC has a
Do Not Call Registry
- 1-888-382-1222.
(http://www.ftc.gov)
Tennessee
Consumer Protection Act & Related Laws
Look under Consumer Laws in
the State of Tennessee's Consumer Affairs. The Tennessee
consumer protection act link is under
Consumer Laws. The Lemon Law in the Tennessee
Code is cited in this document as TCA 47-18-101.
(http://state.tn.us/consumer/)
FindLaw for the Public
This site provides a general understanding of consumer legal issues and the legal process.
There are links to The Consumer Resource Handbook, information on consumer complaints,
and federal, state, and international resources.
(http://public.findlaw.com/)
Securities and Exchange
Commission Laws
This site has laws that govern the securities industry. Click on the
"Litigation" link in the left
menu for current court cases.
Click on regulatory actions for
this topic.
(http://www.sec.gov/about/laws.shtml)
Nursing Homes,
Day Care, and Health Care Facilities
Child Care Features
Includes a link to
background checks and report card and to star quality program.
(http://tennessee.gov/humanserv/adfam/cc_main.html)
Licensed Health Facilities
Find facts such as licensing accreditation.
(http://health.state.tn.us/HCF/Facilities_Listings/facilities.htm)
Nursing Home Compare
Compare nursing homes that receive Medicare patients by
city or other criteria.
(http://www.medicare.gov/NHCompare/Include/DataSection/Questions/SearchCriteria.asp?
version=default&browser=IE%7C67CWinXP&language=English
&defaultstatus=0&pagelist=Home&CookiesEnabledStatus=True)
Pension Check
Pension
Rights Center
Check how your pension is funded.
(http://www.pensionrights.org/)
Privacy
Electronic Privacy Information Center
This site is from the Electronic Privacy Information
Center. See more information at
Homeland Security Topic.
(http://www.epic.org/privacy/)
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Toxic Substances and Environment
American Lung Association
State of the Air
The latest State
of the Air report can be found on this site.
(http://lungaction.org/reports/stateoftheair2005.html)
ATSDR: Toxicological Profile Information Sheet
This site covers hazardous substances. It is from the Agency for Toxic Substances and
Disease Registry.
(http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/toxpro2.html)
Environmental Defense
Fund
This is a nonprofit organization that seeks to preserve the environment.
(http://www.environmentaldefense.org/home.cfm)
Hazardous
Substances Data Bank Fact Sheet (HSDB)
This site, and the one below, is from the National
Institutes of Health, National Library of Medicine.
(http://www.nlm.nih.gov/pubs/factsheets/hsdbfs.html)
Household Products Database
Health and safety information about household products is provided by the
National Institutes of Health.
(http://householdproducts.nlm.nih.gov/)
Pesticides Assignment Guide
This is a guide prepared for ESC1120 by one of our
librarians.
(http://library.chattanoogastate.edu/williford/ag/esc/1120.htm)
Science.gov on Pesticides, Insecticides, and
Herbicides
This is a collection of governmental web sites on various topics on food
safety from FirstGov for Science.
(http://www.science.gov/browse/w_105H.htm)
Scorecard: The Pollution
Information Site
Enter your zip code and information on air, water, and
toxic chemicals. Top polluters in your
county may be accessed.
(http://scorecard.org/)
Sierra Club
This site monitors environmental concerns.
(http://www.sierraclub.org)
Tennessee Department of
Environment and Conservation
Superfund and other environmental topics are covered. This site links
to the Division of Air
Pollution Control.
(http://www.state.tn.us/environment/)
TOXMAP: Environmental
Health E-maps
Data is provided by the U.S. National Library of Medicine.
This includes metropolitan areas.
(http://toxmap.nlm.nih.gov/toxmap/main/index.jsp)
TOXNET
Find information about toxic substances at this site
hosted by the National Library of Medicine.
TOXMAP shows
where
certain chemicals are released.
(http://toxnet.nlm.nih.gov/)
U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency
Key topics at the EPA's site include human health, pesticides, and
pollutants.
(http://www.epa.gov/)
Worldwatch Institute
This organization is concerned with a variety of topics on environmental,
economic, and social concerns.
(http://www.worldwatch.org)
See also
Environmental Law
Topic for more organizations.
Transportation
Aviation Consumer Protection Division
Complaint forms are provided at this site.
(http://airconsumer.ost.dot.gov/problems.htm)
Federal Aviation Administration
Discriminatory treatment, for example, can be directed by
mail to this agency.
(http://www.faa.gov)
U.S. Department of Transportation
There is a link to the
Office of Aviation Enforcement
and Proceedings. The department also
includes the
Transportation Security Administration.
(http://www.dot.gov)
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Last Updated
December 01, 2009
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