You are here: Fairness.com > Resources > Personal Finance & Career > Personal Finance > Consumer Protection/Customer Issues > Product Issues

Product Issues

Categories underneath Product Issues:

Search only Product Issues, and everything underneath:

Articles and Resources

Date Fairness.com Resource Read it at:
Oct 23, 2016 If your shampoo says “organic” on the label, it probably doesn’t mean anything (Buyer Beware)

QUOTE: for non-food items, such as shampoos, cosmetics, and textiles—there is no such certification process. The Federal Trade Commission has a “flexible” rule for industry, which requires marketers to have accurate and reliable science to back up their claims. But there is no formal definition for “organic” outside of food...

 Quartz
May 25, 2011 PeopleClaim: Taking Complaints Public Via the Web

QUOTE: A site called PeopleClaim aspires to go beyond mere venting, to assist customers in filing a complaint with the service provider in question....PeopleClaim aims to provide an alternative to the legal system for consumers with beefs who may not have the time or money to go even to small claims court...

 New York Times
Jun 09, 2010 Lies, damned lies, and technology hype

QUOTE: in this age of short attention spans, where stories flare up and die off on the Web in the matter of hours, it could well be a tactic. Get the headlines first, correct the mistakes later, hope nobody notices.

 InfoWorld
Aug 31, 2009 Europe’s Ban on Old-Style Bulbs Begins

QUOTE: Restrictions on the sale of incandescent bulbs begin going into effect across most of Europe on Tuesday in the continent’s latest effort to get people to save energy and combat global warming. But even advocates concede the change is proving problematic.

 New York Times
Dec 12, 2008 Visa to the rescue: Caught in the MPC Chapter 11 mess (or any warranty mess, for that matter)? Maybe your credit card can help.

QUOTE: According to the Visa site, "Warranty Manager Service offers you a number of valuable features, including warranty registration and Extended Warranty Protection."

 InfoWorld
Mar 25, 2008 Trust, But Verify: Retail salespeople are often well informed, but there are enough predatory types out there to warrant researching purchases beforehand.

QUOTE: [buying cell phones is a] particular concern since they come with required two-year contracts and cancellation penalties. Granted, there's usually a 30-day return policy (20 in the case of T-Mobile). But once that period expires, you're stuck—and there's certainly reason to be worried.

 Smart Device Central
Aug 09, 2007 10 Common Home Theater Buying Mistakes

QUOTE: Mistake #1: I Forgot My CDs and DVDs! * Mistake #2: They Sounded Fine in the Store! * Mistake #3: I'll Buy the Surround Speakers Later * Mistake #4: This Looked Great in HiDef! * Mistake #5: It's Too Big! Let's Get a Smaller One! * Mistake #6: What is this 'Calibration' You Speak of? * Mistake #7: HDMI is HDMI, Right? * Mistake #8: It's Got Enough Connectors * Mistake #9: I Don't Need a Universal Remote * Mistake #10: Not in Stock? I'll Buy This One Instead

 ExtremeTech
Jun 28, 2007 Why Most Sunscreens Don't Work: A new study finds that most sunscreens don't offer sufficient protection. How to find the right one.

QUOTE: the FDA reports that a new regulation addressing UVA protection is "currently in its final clearance" and will likely be released by the end of the summer...Dermatologists, however, are not buying it.

 Newsweek
May 23, 2007 The Time-Share Industry: Caveat Emptor

QUOTE: for a product that's been around for 40 years and is perfectly legal, the time-share business is remarkably rife with slimy sales tactics.

 Smart Money
Jul 11, 2006 What Gas Stations Won't Tell You

QUOTE: It's hard to know if you're getting all the gas you paid for at the pump. But in some places there's a very good chance you're not.

 Smart Money
Dec 06, 2005 Honey, they shrunk the warranty

QUOTE: On many expensive consumer electronic items and personal computers, warranties are shrinking. Instead of getting a standard one-year warranty for parts and labor, consumers are getting less and are often being pushed by manufacturers and retailers to shell out money for extended warranties that critics say are basically worthless.

 Bankrate.com
Aug 02, 2005 Sweet Streams: How to listen to new music for free.

QUOTE: When the Supreme Court smacked down Grokster last month for enabling copyright infringement, downloaders everywhere winced. But there's still hope for those of us who love to check out music for free but don't want to risk prosecution.

 Slate
Jun 21, 2005 Store Brands vs. National Brands

QUOTE: The latest argument from store aisles gives a slight edge to plain store-label products. A double-blind nationwide taste test released last month by Meyers Research found that participants overall preferred the taste of private-label products over better-known national brands by 51 percent to 49 percent.

 Washington Post
Feb 03, 2005 Price-Comparison Sites Do the Legwork

QUOTE: The prediction was, price-comparison sites would create perfectly competitive environments in which all firms would have to charge the same price, but then there would be no reason to go to price-comparison sites," Professor Baye said. "We found that the fee structures at some price-comparison sites provide incentives for firms to charge random prices..."

 New York Times
Sep 19, 2004 Mattress Mystery Shopping: To Find Something to Dream On, You Face Days of Confusion

QUOTE: Instead, his dream of finding the right bed has turned into a shopper's nightmare...'How can you do comparison shopping when you're not comparing the same product?' he asks rhetorically. It's a fair question. But perhaps the wrong one.

 Washington Post
Jul 09, 2004 27 Fires Linked To Oil Changes In Honda CR-V

QUOTE: But auto safety advocates say they're dismayed that the agency didn't take a stronger stand. 'Relatively new cars catching on fire?...' said Sally Greenberg...

 Washington Post
Apr 27, 2004 8 common scams: How to spot them and stop them

QUOTE: There are no new scams -- just new suckers. Scam artists add new spins to age-old scams and go in search of victims.

 Bankrate.com
Aug 25, 2002 Know Your Credit Card Bill

QUOTE: Today's lesson focuses on what you find on your credit card statement...
Mar 01, 2002 10 Things Your Jeweler Won't Tell You

QUOTE: But after the work was done, Parrish realized that some of the stones were chipped. When she had it reappraised, she learned that some of the diamonds had been switched for lesser stones...

 Smart Money
May 01, 2001 Spring Broke? How to Avoid a Spring Break Ripoff

ABSTRACT: This MASSPIRG study gives information about how companies price their spring break packages and gives information about how they may rip off students. This resource was used in the article "Headed to the Beach? Don’t Get Burned by Spring Break Scams." [] --- Sarah Beck
Jan 07, 1997 Better Business Bureau of Metropolitan Dallas

QUOTE: The Better Business Bureau of Metropolitan Dallas is warning consumers nationwide of phone slamming complaints it's received against a local company.
May 30, 1996 Prepaid Phone Cards May Have Hidden Gimmicks

QUOTE: According to Bast, consumers can protect themselves from purchasing a phony card through a number of steps.
Jan 01, 1111 Leases and Security Deposits

QUOTE: Consider the following before renting...Make sure your lease contains...
Jan 01, 1111 Suggestions for Subletting

QUOTE: When you sublet your apartment, you become the sublessor; in other words, you are a kind of landlord.
Jan 01, 1111 Rental Scams

QUOTE: Do you know what happens when there's a shortage of rental property? People become prime targets for rental scams. Beware of them.
Jan 01, 1111 Apartment Renters Top 10 Questions

QUOTE: In talking with renters certain questions come up again and again. We've selected 10 of the most common ones to list here.
Jan 01, 1111 Renter Beware!

QUOTE: This pamphlet has been designed by the Student Council Housing Committee and Student Legal Services (SLS) to inform students of their rights and obligations as tenants.
Jan 01, 1111 New Regulation to Combat Telemarketing Fraud

QUOTE: With the enactment of a new Federal Regulation called the "Telemarketing Sales Rule" there is additional help for consumers in dealing with various telemarketing problems including unwanted sales solicitations.
Jan 01, 1111 A Road Map To Avoiding Credit Card Hazards

QUOTE: A guide for getting a credit card, avoiding credit troubles and clearing up your credit problems.