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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!
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
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
The Office of Consumer Affairs and Business Regulation surveys car dealerships in the Commonwealth semi-annually to evaluate their compliance with the Massachusetts Lemon Laws. Massachusetts law mandates that Lemon Law stickers must be displayed on every vehicle for sale, new and used, at every Massachusetts …Continue Reading Spring 2019 Lemon Law Audit Results
Consumers deserve to feel confident that the price they see advertised in stores is the price they’re going to pay. That’s why the state’s Division of Standards (DOS) annually inspects retail stores to make sure their pricing is accurate. While overall inspectors find accurate pricing, …Continue Reading What You See is What You Get: Shopping Price Accuracy
Many of us have experienced that moment of panic upon learning that our personal or financial information has been compromised. Will the thieves use my financial information and drain my accounts? Will they use my identity to open new accounts and ruin my credit? …Continue Reading Protect your child’s identity and future: What you need to know about Child ID Theft
Are you receiving emails or texts from an individual or company that you know but something seems a little fishy? Perhaps a friend wants you to review a google document but it’s just a link with no text in the body of the email. …Continue Reading Don’t Be Lured by Phishing Scams
Have you heard of peer-to-peer payment apps such as Venmo and Cash App? These money transferring apps sit on the phones of millions of Americans, and the numbers grow by the day. Their convenience is hard to dismiss, since they function as a bank …Continue Reading Avoid peer-to-stranger transfers when using peer-to-peer payment apps
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2019