Consumer Agency's Recent 'Gift Travel' May Spur a Ban
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Records newly released by the Consumer Product Safety Commission demonstrate that its employees traveled on industry-financed trips dating at least to 1998, demonstrating a wider use of "gift travel" than previously known.
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InfoWorld - People who received MP3 players as holiday gifts may want to steer clear of some Web sites that claim to offer legal music but don't have licensing agreements with major music labels, the Center for Democracy and Technology (CDT) said.
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The IRS is cracking down on a Hollywood tradition: outrageously expensive gift bags
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Top aides to Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger have skirted state regulations limiting gifts from special interest groups by spreading them around through their families, the Los Angeles Times reported Sunday.
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Think exchanging Santaâs mistake will be quick and easy? Not if you donât know the storeâs rules on receipts, time limits, restocking fees, or opened electronic items.
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Just as surely as shoppers unwrap their presents, they will return or exchange a gift they couldn&#39;t wear or tolerate. The never-enjoyable experience has become less jolly this holiday season because retailers
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U.S. market regulators are looking  into gifts of Super Bowl tickets, private jet rides, wine and  expensive golf outings by brokerage firms to mutual fund  executives, officials said on Tuesday.
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By Dennis Rockstroh, San Jose Mercury News, Calif.  Dec. 12--For the holidays, don't give an identity thief the gift of your personal information, says the California Department of Consumer Affairs.   The state has tips to protect yourself from identity theft.
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Camera phones may make great Christmas gifts, but people better not use them for peeping-Tom photos on federal property.
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Â· Consumer revolt on hold while court case is heard  Â· Ruling may lead to refunds but also end free banking
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Come Dec. 1, many Floridians may find an unwelcome piece of mail interspersed between bills, holiday catalogs and greeting cards: a non-renewal or cancellation letter from their insurers.
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(InfoWorld) - Santa Claus may take online orders this year, but the Grinches will also be on the Internet. Holiday shopping online is expected toÂ reach new peaksÂ this year, and with the surge comes concern over the safety of transactions, according to technology services company EDS and the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC), both of which have issued guidelines for Web shoppers. U.S. shoppers are expected to buy about 25 percent of their holiday goods online this year, with a typical shopper spending nearly $800, according to the National Retail Federation. But various vendors and consumer groups have issued warnings for online shoppers because a likelihood of fraud accompanies the increase of buying online. Internet-related fraud cost an estimated $340 million last year, the FTC said. EDS and the FTC cautioned that online shoppers should: -- Know your retailer. Stick with reputable businesses with contact numbers and physical addresses. Some Web sites display seals that vouch for their security, but these can also be faked. -- Use secure Web sites. Sites that use encryption to protect data should display "https://" rather than "http://" in the address bar. Secure sites should also display a padlock symbol to show that the Web site has a secure, encrypted connection. EDS advises against sending a retailer more information than they need to complete a purchase. -- Be aware of phishing e-mail. Most people have received fraudulent e-mail asking for personal information. Never send information and never click on links in such e-mails, which are likely to be directed to look-alike Web sites designed to harvest identity and financial details. It's safe to type a Web site address into a browser. Reputable businesses do not ask for information through e-mails. -- Review privacy and security policies. Most companies will tell you what information they collect and how they use it. Also, foreign Web sites may be bound by different laws for how they can handle your personal information. -- Use antivirus and firewall software. -- Check your credit report and credit card balances regularly. The FTC Web site has a page devoted to holiday shopping tips, including those for online shoppers. Â
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Credit cards issuers may face penalty from the regulators as credit cards solicitation is not as reliable as they are said. Consumers sometimes are not given the whole information about the possibly imposed
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PHILADELPHIA - Now that gifts are unwrapped, a trip to the merchandise return counter can&#39;t be far behind. Just be sure to take along your receipt - and a photo ID.
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As more and more consumers turn to plastic to solve their gift-giving dilemmas, many states are passing laws to protect those buying gift cards from what may be hidden in the fine print.
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By Clint Swett, The Sacramento Bee, Calif.  Dec. 14--As the holiday shopping season heads into its final days, the appeal of hitting your keyboard for gift-getting only gets brighter.
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Don't write off the 2007 holiday shopping season just yet. Consumers are set to cash in $60 billion worth of gift cards in the next seven days, experts say.