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The Official Blog of the Massachusetts Office of Consumer Affairs and Business Regulation
June 21st officially marked the start of summer and pools, boats, ATVs, motorcycles are all the toys of the season. But do you know how to safely use them? The Office of Consumer Affairs and the Division of Insurance recommend that consumers evaluate their …Continue Reading Are Your Summer Toys Insured?
“Doc fees,” short for “documentation or documentary fees,” are fees that may be charged by a car dealership as part of a motor vehicle sale. They are neither required nor prohibited by Massachusetts state law. What’s the scoop on doc fees? Doc fees generally …Continue Reading Doc Fee Audit
Earlier this month, a federal court in Illinois ordered penalties totaling $280 million against Dish Network as a result of litigation brought by the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) for violating the FTC’s Telemarketing Sales Rule and the …Continue Reading Why Dish Network’s Do Not Call List Violations Matter
It is estimated that five million elders are exploited each year in the U.S, costing them $36.5 billion annually. Yet, studies show that only 1 in 14 cases are reported to the authorities. As a group, the elderly control a large amount of the …Continue Reading Preventing Elder Financial Abuse
Video game retailer GameStop recently disclosed a data breach affecting over 34,000 Massachusetts residents. According to GameStop, from August 2016 – February 2017 personal information, including customer names and credit card numbers, may have been compromised. As required by Massachusetts law, GameStop provided written …Continue Reading GameStop Data Breach
The United States offers a variety of different vacation destinations, from its warm beaches in Hawaii to exhilarating ski mountains in Colorado. Still a trending option, timeshare companies offer consumers partial ownership and regular access to vacation properties, providing them with a consistent and …Continue Reading Timeshares: A Way to Take Affordable Vacations?
Almost 470 million members share their personal information and professional details on LinkedIn to market themselves to potential employers. That‘s why it’s important to keep an eye out for suspicious people reaching out to you, as scammers use the service to target unsuspecting job seekers. Scammers …Continue Reading LinkedIn Scams
If you’re someone who likes to save money, you may have used a daily deal site such as Groupon or Living Social. With a strong presence in the U.S. and abroad, these websites are well-known for daily deals and deep discounts on services, clothing, …Continue Reading What’s the Deal with Daily Deal Sites?
Student loan debt can be difficult to manage, especially when the average student holds about $30,000 in debt. So it is not surprising that many look to companies offering promises of loan consolidation or assistance with repayment. In March, we warned about student …Continue Reading Students Rejoice: The FTC went after a student loan debt relief scam
Memorial Day marks the beginning of the summer vacation season and many families will be hitting the road for a weekend getaway. The Office of Consumer Affairs and Business Regulation and its regulatory agencies put together some tips for consumers to know how to …Continue Reading Memorial Day Travel Tips
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