CONSUMER ISSUES

A PATHFINDER

Money is tight.  We all want to make good decisions when we spend our money  and to be fairly treated in any transaction.  Let the CH Booth Library help you find  information on a variety of consumable goods and services and show you where to turn when you need help.

CONSUMER REPORTS

     When purchasing consumable goods and services many people like to refer to Consumer Reports magazine.  Consumer Reports is available on the 3rd floor of the CH Booth library behind the reference desk.  It is also available online through our homepage and can be accessed  both  at the library or from your home computer.  Our library website is www.chboothlibrary.org. When using any of our on line databases from home you must enter your library card number at the beginning of your search.   Once our homepage is in front of you, click on “ON-LINE DATABASES” on the left hand side of the screen.  Next  choose “Consumer Reports Online”.  It is easy to use.

     ICONN.org is another database to use when looking for consumer information in other magazines.  It is easy to use and can be found above Consumer Reports Online in the “ON-LINE DATABASE” section of the homepage.  

REFERENCE SOURCES

• Consumer Reports New Car Buying Guide  REF DESK 629.22 New
• Consumer Reports Used Car Buying Guide  REF DESK 629.2 Used
• Consumer Reports Electronics Buying Guide REF DESK

       These 3 guides can be found behind the reference desk.  They do not circulate but copies can be made when you find some useful information.

• Lemon-Aid Car Guide  REF DESK 629.222 EDM

        This  guide  gives  detailed  information concerning hard to find, confidential and little known documents that automakers don’t want you to see. 

• NADA Guides     REF DESK

          This is a useful guide to pricing information for used cars and light trucks

SEARCH THESE TOPICS IN OUR CATALOG

• Automobiles—Purchasing—Handbooks, manuals etc.
• Automobiles—Reliability—Statistics
• Bankruptcy—United States—Popular works
• Consumer Credit
• Consumer Education
• Consumer Protection
• Funeral Rites and Ceremonies—Planning
• Health Care Reform—United States
• Housing—Finance
• Identity Theft
• Used Cars—Purchasing—Handbooks, manuals etc.

WEBSITES

• www.ct.gov/ag  the Connecticut Attorney Generals Office has an amazing website filled with information designed to help consumers with questions from auto issues to travel scams.
• www.bbb.org  the Better Business Bureau is an independent, non- profit,  non- governmental organization founded by people in the business community.  The consumer portion of this website has a great deal to offer: learn about a charity, file a complaint, look into the lemon law and so much more.
• www.ct.gov/dob  the website of the Connecticut Department of Banking  Cyberfraud site.  The title says it all.
• www.ct.gov/dcp  the Dept. of Consumer Protection’s is designed to protect the consumer from unsafe products and practices.
• www.cpsc.gov  the Consumer Product Safety Commission protects the public from unreasonable risk and/or injury from many consumer products.
• www.ftc.gov  the Federal Trade Commission pursues effective law enforcement and advances consumers’ interests by sharing its expertise with federal and state legislatures and U.S. and international government agencies.
• www.fraud.org  the NFIC is the oldest nonprofit consumer organization in the US designed to fight the growing menace of telemarketing fraud.
• www.uspirg.org  the US Public Interest Research Group is an advocate for the public interest.  USPIRG’s mission is to deliver persistent, result oriented public interest activism that protects our health, encourages a fair and sustainable economy.
• www.connpirg.org  the Connecticut Public Interest Research Group works for consumers in Connecticut the same way the USPIRG works for consumers on the national level.
• www.lemon.com this site contains lemon law information for all 50 states.  Click on “Connecticut” and follow the prompts.
• www.consumeraction.gov  this website is designed to help consumers with virtually every aspect of consumer advocacy from how and where to file a complaint to information on recalled products and so much more.
• www.kbb.com  The Kelly Blue Book is an online pricing guide for both new and used cars.
• www.nada.com  the online version of the NADA Official Used Car Guide.

Updated September 2010