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The Official Blog of the Massachusetts Office of Consumer Affairs and Business Regulation
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
Sadly, we’ve all heard stories about elderly men and women who have been solicited or scammed. So it should come as no surprise that some reports indicate an estimated $37 billion is lost annually due to elder fraud. The goal of all scammers is …Continue Reading Ready Your Refusal Scripts!
Most consumers have heard of the term “bait and switch,” but may not be aware when it happens to them. A sales representative may try to convince you to buy a different item than the one you came for, which may simply seem like a …Continue Reading Holiday Shopping Series: Bait and Switch
Looking for health insurance for you or your family and your employer doesn’t offer it? The Commonwealth’s Health Insurance Connector’s Open Enrollment begins this year on November 1, and continues through January 31st, 2017. Massachusetts and federal law prohibit consumers from purchasing an insurance plan outside of the Open Enrollment period unless there is a qualifying event, such as a birth or adoption of a child, marriage, divorce, loss of insurance through employer, etc.
We’ve all seen the ads for weight-loss pills and other dietary supplements online, in our favorite magazines, and in television commercials. But what do consumers really know about this market? After a recent investigation by Consumer Reports into the supplement market, we put together some tips consumers should keep in mind.
Cable service is available in most Massachusetts communities through one or more providers, and may be offered as a stand-alone service or as part of a bundled package. The term “bundled package” refers to a specially-priced combination of services that may include telephone service (wireless or landline), television (cable or satellite television), internet or a home security system. Bundled packages often include a contract agreement that will require you to maintain your services for a fixed period of time, usually 12-24 months.
Cable service is available in most Massachusetts communities through one or more providers, and may be offered as a stand-alone service or as part of a bundled package. The term “bundled package” refers to a specially-priced combination of services that may include telephone service (wireless or landline), television (cable or satellite television), internet or a home security system. Bundled packages often include a contract agreement that will require you to maintain your services for a fixed period of time, usually 12-24 months.
Cable service is available in most Massachusetts communities through one or more providers, and may be offered as a stand-alone service or as part of a bundled package. The term “bundled package” refers to a specially-priced combination of services that may include telephone service (wireless or landline), television (cable or satellite television), internet or a home security system. Bundled packages often include a contract agreement that will require you to maintain your services for a fixed period of time, usually 12-24 months.
One of the newest innovations in digital commerce is the “sharing economy,” a term used to describe a variety of businesses that use digital technology to directly match services and goods with customers. In just a few years, these businesses have developed the technology to facilitate peer-to-peer transactions, as well as streamline business-to-consumer transactions, in order to connect consumers with almost any good or service on demand.
The Massachusetts Office of Consumer Affairs and Business Regulation compiles publicly-available scam, identity theft, and fraud complaints from around the Commonwealth via police logs and news outlets, as well as through the Office’s Consumer Information Hotline.
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2019