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The Desk: A helpful set of consumer goals to see you safely through the year
Mar 06, 2013 (The Oregonian - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) --
For those consumers who forgot their New Year's resolutions -- or have already strayed from that two-month old long list -- here's a good set of aspirations for the rest of the year.
Let's call them New Season's resolutions, after all the Spring Equinox is just a couple weeks away.
In searching through a variety of recent consumer protection publications in light of National Consumer Protection Week, The Desk stumbled across a very helpful publication out of the Connecticut Attorney General's Office. In particular was this great list of ways to protect yourself and your loved ones from some of the more common scams out there today.
Enjoy this from the January issue of "Consumer Watch, A Monthly Newsletter from the Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection" (links below have been updated to Oregon info):
Resolution 1: I won't waste time listening to telemarketers; I will just hang up, no explanation needed. My time and money are my own!
Resolution 2: I will thoroughly read -- not scan -- every written agreement or contract that I sign. The devil is in the details, as the saying goes.
Resolution 3: I will remember what contracts come with a 3-day right to cancel, and I will use it if necessary.
Resolution 4: I will go online to the Oregon Construction Contractor's Board to check for active, valid
registrations and licenses for every contractor I hire.
Resolution 5: I will not be persuaded to wire money out of the country for any person, prize, grant, or job opportunity.
Resolution 6: I will read and understand all disclosures when I buy anything, including computer equipment, software, vehicles and service contracts.
Resolution 7: I will understand refund and return policies at the places where I shop, and I will save my receipts until I'm sure that no returns are needed.
Resolution 8: I will get my free credit reports at Annualcreditreport.com.
Resolution 9: I will keep documents with my social security number and all my financial records in a safe, out of the way place at home.
Resolution 10: I will never give financial or personal information on the phone, unless I am sure who is at the other end of the line.
Resolution 11: I will place my number on the Do Not Call List, and sign up for the Direct Marketing Association's DMAChoice service to opt out of most junk mail.
Resolution 12: I will always give myself a few days to think about and get input from a trusted family member or friend before I agree to any offer that "seems too good to be true."
Resolution 13: I will never agree to home improvement or repairs from persons going door to door in my neighborhood.
-- Laura Gunderson
___ (c)2013 The Oregonian (Portland, Ore.) Visit The Oregonian (Portland, Ore.)
at www.oregonian.com Distributed by MCT Information Services
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