Consumer Info - Internet Resources

Consumer Advocacy & Protection - Google Directory
Identity Theft - Google Directory
Privacy - Google Directory

• Amazon.com
• AnnualCreditReport.com
  request a free credit report every 12 months
• Auto Repair Online - Jonko
• Background Checks
  article about why background checks are done and how to do the research for them, links to commercial, government, other information sources
• Better Business Bureau
• Buildings & Land: Home Resource Efficiency - Rocky Mountain Institute
  sustainable, energy-efficient home design, fact sheets, appliances & lighting, home cooling, household greenhouse gas emissions, water efficiency, new construction, environmental building materials, renewable energy, indoor air quality, recycling
• Car Computer Diagnostic Codes - Save $ By Going To Non-Dealership Repair
• CarTalk
  car repair | classifieds
• Consumer.gov
  "information from federal, state, and local government agencies, and national consumer advocacy organizations"
• Consumer Reports
• Consumer Watchdog - The Foundation For Taxpayer & Consumer Rights
• Consumer World
• Consumers International
  "global federation of consumer organisations dedicated to the protection and promotion of consumer's rights worldwide through empowering national consumer groups and campaigning at the international level" | industry & regional reports, policy recommendations, corporate social responsibility, food safety, World Consumer Rights Day, international standards
• Consumers Union Guide to Environmental Eco-Labels
• Container Gardening - Colorado State U
  container gardening & small-space gardening, container water gardens, gardening as a renter, space-saving ideas
• Coop America & Green Pages
  search for green businesses and products
• Eco-Labels: The Consumers Union Guide to Environmental Labels - Consumers Union, Consumer Reports
• Ecological Footprint - Living Planet Report 2004
• Ecological Footprint Quiz - How Many Acres of Earth Does Your Lifestyle Consume? And What You Can Do About It
  (The US average rate of consumption per person requires 24 biologically productive acres - Whereas there exist 4.5 biologically productive acres per person worldwide - For everyone on Earth to live like Americans would require 6 Earths)
• Edmund's Automobile Buyer's Guide
• The Family Handyman Magazine
• Federal Consumer Information Center
• Freecycle.org
  free global-local recycling network
• Fuel Economy Site - EPA
  Find & Compare Cars database, MPG numbers 1985 to present, national & regional fuel price information, vehicle safety ratings & air pollution, mileage tips, hybrid & alternative fuel vehicles, current model year Fuel Economy Guide
• Gardening in Small Spaces - Home & Garden TV
  plans & ideas - containers, small lots, courtyards, side yards, decks
• GasBuddy.com - Find Cheap Gas by Zip Code
• Guide to Health Care Quality - Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, U.S. Dept of Health & Human Services
• Honolulu Gas Prices
• gethuman
  consumer wiki for tips on how to reach a human, incl specific companies' unlisted phone numbers
• Getting Ready - for natural disaster - Senator Boxer
  "This handy guide is meant to encourage you to take the steps necessary to be ready", incl stocking up on water & food, having an evacuation plan, what to keep in your car, preparedness at work & school
• The Home Sewing Association
• Identity Theft - Federal Trade Commision
  how identity thieves work, how to minimize your risk, what to do if you are a victim, how to file a complaint, applicable federal & state laws, examples of recent cases & scams, links to additional sites, publications, reports, and testimony, incl: "ID Theft: When Bad Things Happen To Your Good Name"
• Identity Theft Resource Center
• Kelley Blue Book Used Car
• KnowYourStuff
  free home inventory software
• MyMoney.gov - Financial Literacy and Education Commission
  consumer materials from federal agencies on financial issues, markets, budgeting, taxes, credit, financial planning, home ownership, privacy, fraud, retirement planning, small business
• National Do Not Call Registry
• The O'Mama Report - Organic Trade Association
  organic resources, articles, products, clothes, fabrics, home, kitchen, garden
• Nursing Home Guide - Consumer Reports
• PC World - 20 Things They Don't Want You to Know
• Privacy Rights Clearinghouse
• PrivacyToday.com
• Product Review Net
• Responsible Shopper
  "Investigate hundreds of companies on a range of issues, including: Sweatshops, Pollution, Ethics, Discrimination and more" - search by keyword or company name
• StolenID Search
  "the world's largest repository of stolen and compromised personal information...a free service that tells you if your personal information has been stolen or compromised" - SSNs or credit card numbers | anti-identity theft tools
• Sustainable Consumption - Sierra Club
  "the use of goods and services that satisfy basic needs and improve quality of life while minimizing the use of irreplaceable natural resources and the byproducts of toxic materials, waste, and pollution." | fact sheets, articles, book reviews, recipes, more
• ThrowPlace.com
  worldwide clearinghouse to donate & find goods
• TV-B-Gone
  turns off any TV - incl restaurants, airports, etc
• US Consumer Gateway
• Use Energy Wisely - American Petroleum Institute
  home & driving energy efficiency
• Vegetable Garden: Intensive Gardening Methods - U Arizona
  methods of gardening to make the best use of space & grow as much produce as possible, using raised beds, vertical gardening (such as trellises and poles), interplanting, close spacing, succession & relay planting, plant spacing recommendations, which crops bring the most value per square foot of garden space
• Vegetable Gardening in Containers - Texas A&M U
  such as pots & planter boxes, crop selection, growing media, fertilization, water, light, diseases, insects, planting charts, sample vegetable varieties
• Vehicle Identification Number Car History Search
• YouGotInsured
  health insurance guide, vocabulary, where to find, why universal health care is needed, healthcare stats, travel insurance, headlines