Consumer Handbook

Each week Whitney Quick, with the Better Business Bureau in Cape Girardeau, brings you tips to help you be a better consumer and not be caught off guard by scams or the unexpected.

Consumer Handbook: Looking Out For Phony, Extravagant Product Claims

By • Mar 14, 2019
Elaine Smith/Flickr

Recently, the Better Business Bureau has received reports of consumers falling prey to pitches for products that claim to be endorsed by the popular television program, Shark Tank. This is a new twist on fraudulent free trial offers: a common scam that costs consumers millions of dollars each year.

Consumer Handbook: Educating Yourself On Returns, Exhanges, And Gift Cards When Stores Close

By • Mar 7, 2019
Roderick Eime/Flickr, License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/2.0/legalcode

As the retail landscape changes, many Americans find their favorite retailers going out of business. These closings often are accompanied by once-in-a-lifetime liquidation sales, but they also bring dramatic changes to the retailer’s return policies, not to mention questions about unused gift cards and warranties.