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Mass Consumer Affairs Blog
The Official Blog of the Massachusetts Office of Consumer Affairs and Business Regulation
With the fall upon us and temperatures dropping, you may be deciding to purchase wood to heat up your home this season. The Division of Standards (DOS) regulates the sale of wood and there are some things you should know. Whether you’re buying cordwood or …Continue Reading Get Heated, Not Cheated this Fall!
When it comes to residential contracting, home improvement contractors and homeowners go hand in hand. You may know about Home Improvement Contractor (HIC) registration but there’s always more to learn! In the last blog of our five-part, “HIC-Easy as 1-2-3” blog series, we explore HIC …Continue Reading HIC—Easy As 1-2-3! Part 5: Contractors
Whether you’re a new homeowner or have been living in your dream house for decades, it is never too late to learn more about the Home Improvement Contractor (HIC) law and its programs. In part four of our “HIC-Easy as 1-2-3” blog, we …Continue Reading HIC—Easy As 1-2-3! Part 4: Homeowners
In parts one and two of our “HIC-Easy as 1-2-3!” blog series you learned about the Home Improvement Contractor (HIC) law and how to apply for the Arbitration program. Now we’ll cover the fund that may reimburse a homeowner with an unpaid final judgment against …Continue Reading HIC—Easy as 1-2-3! Part 3: Guaranty Fund
After the ink is dry on your home improvement contract and the job is underway, sometimes things don’t go as planned. Thankfully, the Home Improvement Contractor (HIC) law Arbitration program allows homeowners and registered contractors the opportunity to seek a resolution should a dispute arise. …Continue Reading HIC—Easy as 1-2-3! Part 2: Arbitration
If you are a home improvement contractor or homeowner in Massachusetts, we’ve got you covered with our introductory guide to understanding the Home Improvement Contractor (HIC) programs – from both perspectives, the homeowner’s and contractor’s. This introduction to HIC programs is the first of our …Continue Reading HIC— Easy as 1-2-3! Introduction
In 2018 over 440,000 Massachusetts residents were impacted by data breaches. This month Equifax reached a $700 million settlement as a result of a 2017 large-scale data breach. Yesterday, Capital One announced a major data breach affecting over 100 million consumers. If you have …Continue Reading Hacked: What To Do If You Are The Victim Of A Data Breach?
Summer is here and Massachusetts is starting to heat up. Taking simple safety precautions is more important than ever. Educate yourself on precautions you can take to have a stress-free and enjoyable summer. Going Abroad? Get your vaccines or boosters. Refer to the Centers for …Continue Reading Summer Consumer Guidelines
When a disaster strikes, the last thing a homeowner wants to do when filing a claim is try to organize all of the items lost in the event in order to substantiate their loss in as much detail as possible. That’s why this hurricane season, …Continue Reading Inventory Your Belongings
Did you know Americans throw out 30 to 40% of the food they buy because it is expired? Except for infant formula, product dating is not required by Federal regulations, therefore most labeling is done by companies voluntarily in order for them to tell you …Continue Reading Don’t Eat the Cost
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2019