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Consumer Protection

OSPIRG’s consumer program works to alert the public to hidden dangers and scams and to ban anti-consumer practices and unsafe products. If you have a question or concern on a consumer issue, see OSPIRG's consumer resources below, or ask your question directly. We'll get back to you with an answer.

RESOURCES FOR CONSUMERS

TROUBLE IN TOYLAND

For 27 years, OSPIRG’s "Trouble In Toyland" report has surveyed store shelves and identified choking hazards, noise hazards and other dangers. Our report has led to at least 150 recalls and other regulatory actions over the years.

Get our tips for buying safer toys.

BIGGER BANKS, BIGGER FEES
In April, OSPIRG released a report in which we surveyed more than 350 bank branches and revealed that fewer than half of branches obeyed their legal duty to fully disclose fees to prospective customers, while one in four provided no fee information at all. We also found that despite widespread stories about the “death” of free checking, free and low-cost checking choices are still widely available, if consumers shop around.

Find out how to beat high bank fees.

RENTERS RIGHTS
In the United States, you can protect your legal rights only if you know what those rights are. Renting is a two-way street. Renters and landlords may unknowingly jeopardize their rights by not fulfilling their legal responsibilities.

Know your rights

SEE ALL CONSUMER RESOURCES

Issue updates

Report | OSPIRG | Consumer Protection, Food

Recipe for Disaster

To assess one cost of not strengthening our food safety system, Consumer Federation of America, the Center for Science in the Public Interest, and U.S. Public Interest Research Group studied recalls of foods regulated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) from August 1, 2009, to October 2010. That study found that a wide variety of foods were recalled in the 13-month period due to contamination by Salmonella, Listeria monocytogenes, and other bacteria.

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Media Hit | Consumer Protection

Q&A: WTF is up with Overdraft Changes?

I haven't been keeping a close eye on the national debate about reforming banks' outrageous overdraft fees, so when a letter arrived from my credit union this month saying something about the overdraft laws changing, my main response was... what? I

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Result | Consumer Protection, Health Care

Plan to cut health care waste moves ahead in Oregon

Members of the Oregon Health Policy Board approved a plan to cut health care administrative waste and save Oregonians $100 million per year in the process.

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Media Hit | Consumer Protection

Wall Street reforms a step in the right direction

On Wednesday, July 21, President Obama signed The Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, which contains the most comprehensive reforms to the American financial system since the Great Depression.

> Keep Reading

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Tools & Resources

TOY SAFETY TIPS ON-THE-GO

From toxic chemicals to choking hazards to dangerous magnets, see what dangerous toys to watch out for while you shop.

TOYSAFETY.MOBI

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