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Consumer Protection

• Agencies / Organizations
  • Wisconsin
    • WI Dept. of Agriculture, Trade & Consumer Protection
      • Consumer Protection
        File a complaint & find Wisconsin's top consumer complaints. Learn about product alerts/recalls. Access factsheets on consumer-related issues including cars, charities, children's products & services, deceptive advertising & marketing, employment scams, funeral planning, get rich quick & pyramid schemes, housing, money, seniors, shopping, telecommunications and more.
      • Wisconsin Consumer Protection Laws
        Extensive guides to WI consumer law provides easy-to-understand information with references to applicable Wisconsin Statutes & Wisconsin Administrative Code. Topics include: advertising & sales claims, charity solicitations, consumer product safety, food safety & labeling, money-making schemes, motor vehicles, telecommunications & cable TV, unfair business practices, warranties, etc.
    • WI Dept. of Justice Consumer Protection & Antitrust Unit
      Investigates & prosecutes violations of state consumer laws. Site provides information on various scams including pyramid schemes, wireless phone service, loan & credit schemes, telemarketing fraud and more"
    • Wisconsin Better Business Bureau
      
      
  • National
    • Better Business Bureau
      • Consumer Tips/Information
        Auto, Charity, Computer/Internet, Family, Finance/Credit, Health, Home, Products, Scams, Travel
    • Consumer Financial Protection Bureau
      Information for mortgage and credit card debt issues, plus other consumer financial topics.
    • Consumer Product Safety Commission
      Report an unsafe product, view recall information & publications on product safety, and more.  Information for the consumer & the manufacturer.
    • Consumers Union
      Independent, nonprofit testing & information organization serving consumers. Provides resources on health care, food safety, technology, etc.
      • Defend Your Dollars.org
        Topics points to Consumers Union reports, press releases and letters. Topics include: bank cards, credit reports, electronic money & banking, financial privacy, home ownership, identity theft, payday loans, predatory lending and more.
    • USA.gov Publications
      Answers to questions about the federal government and consumer issues.
      • Consumer Action Handbook
        General tips for before and after you buy a product. Tips on purchasing cars, selecting a school, looking for a job, housing, money & credit, investing, privacy, shopping at home, making travel arrangements, and selecting utility services. Directory of appropriate places to file a complaint or ask a question.
    • Federal Trade Commission: Consumer Information
      Numerous publications offering advice on avoiding scams & rip-offs as well as tips on other consumer topics. Topics include automobiles, credit, diet/health/fitness, home ownership, investments, products & services, employment scams and more.
    • Consumer Sentinel, Military
      "Project of the Federal Trade Commission and the Department of Defense to identify and target consumer protection issues that affect members of the United States Armed Forces and their families." Complaints entered to the site are accessible to over 550 law enforcement agencies; your complaints will help target law enforcement actions against companies or individuals
      
      
• Complaints
  • Consumer Complaint (WI Dept. of Agriculture Trade & Consumer Protection)
    • For Sight Impaired (WI Dept. of Agriculture Trade & Consumer Protection)
    • Online (WI Dept. of Agriculture Trade & Consumer Protection)
  • Consumer Complaints (WI Better Business Bureau)
  • Consumer Complaints (Federal Trade Commission)
  • Consumer Protection (WI Dept. of Financial Institutions)
  • Food Complaints (WI Dept. of Agriculture Trade & Consumer Protection)
  • WI Communities
    • Milwaukee Co.
      • Consumer Fraud
• Directories
  • Corporate Consumer Contacts (Federal Citizen Information Center)
    Company contact information including toll-free numbers, mail addresses and website addresses.
  • Gethuman
    Find out how to bypass the automated phone systems of many consumer-related companies. Find "secret" phone numbers and codes to directly connect to a human being when calling a company for customer service.
• Fraud
  • National Fraud Information Center
    Report suspected fraud by using online complaint form or 1-800 number. Find information on telemarketing, Internet and elder fraud; scams against businesses and counterfeit drugs.
    
    
• Purchasing Goods & Services (Nolo.com)
  
  
• Recalls / Product Safety
  • Complaints
    • Product Safety Complaint (WI Dept. of Agriculture Trade & Consumer Protection)
    • Report Unsafe Products (U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission)
  • www.Recalls.gov
    One-stop-shop for recall information from the federal government including recalls of consumer products, motor vehicles, boats, food, medicine, cosmetics and environmental products.
• Right to Cancel
  • Right to Cancel (WI State Law Library)
    Provides links to resources and laws about Wisconsin's three day right to cancel.
• Statistics
  • Consumer Product-Related Statistics (Consumer Product Safety Commission)
  • National Electronic Injury Surveillance System (Consumer Product Safety Commission)
    Obtain estimates of the total number of product-related injuries treated in hospital emergency rooms nationwide.
    
    

The Law (Additional statutes, regulations & opinions may apply to your specific situation.)

• WI Statutes: ch. 421-429 "Wisconsin Consumer Act"
• WI Admin. Code: ATCP 90-139
  Includes:
  • Consumer Product Safety, ATCP 139
  • Fair Packaging and Labeling, ATCP 90
  • Price Comparison Advertising, ATCP 124
  • Sales Below Costs, ATCP 105
  • Telecommunications and Cable Television Services, ATCP 123
• WI Statutes and Admin Code on the WI Consumer Act (WI Dept of Financial Institutions)
• Federal Laws
  • Regulations, Laws and Information by Product (Consumer Product Safety Commission)

Search for more statutes, regulations & opinions.

County Resources

Recommended links from our County Resources database:

• Guides

  • Consumer Fraud Guide (Milwaukee District Attorney)

Last Updated: April 22, 2013 | Up to Top