Consumer Information

There are so many different brands and different items to shop for that it can be intimidating to figure out where to start. Luckily, there are a number of resources you can use to begin your research, some of which you can access with your library card and some of which are available online for free. 

• ConsumerReports.org has ratings, buying guides, and recommendations for hundreds of products. You can access the website with your library card, check out issues of the magazine, or read the magazine online. 
• Wirecutter is a branch of the New York Times dedicated to in-depth buying guides and product reviews. If you don’t have a subscription to the New York Times, you can get free access with your library card.  
• Among the many free online resources are Good Housekeeping and CNET. 
• Some websites focus on specific types of products. For instance, Serious Eats reviews recipe ingredients and kitchen equipment, while The Best Bike Lock is so narrowly focused that it only reviews bike locks. You can enter “best [product you’re looking for]” into your favorite search engine and see what comes up—you might find this kind of website that way.  
• You may also see links to posts on websites like Reddit. While those reviews will be far less professional, you'll at least know that they’re the real opinions of real people, so they may be worth reading. 

When searching the internet, you’ll see lots of information, some from the websites we already mentioned, but others from websites you may not have heard of. Check them out and compare the information to what you’ve already read to research more broadly.  

If you’re looking for a service, like a hair salon or a plumber or a mechanic, here are some resources to help you research those companies. 

• Consumers’ Checkbook has ratings, reviews, and information about whether the prices for each company are generally higher or lower than the local average. 
• Consumers’ Checkbook also has useful articles about different topics, such as buying used cars, manipulative marketing, and how to make a complaint. They also have a podcast, Consumerpedia.
• When you're looking for companies and services, you can also use websites that collect user reviews and ratings like Yelp, the Better Business Bureau, and Google. 

If you'd like to learn more about scams and how to protect yourself from fraud, there are resources you can use online and in the library. 

• The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has a collection of useful resources.
• You can also borrow books from the library. 

Scams

The Office of the Illinois Attorney General has a brochure with quick information about common scams.  

Fraud Reporting or Recovery

If you need to report a fraud that has already occurred, or get your money back, there are legal routes you can take. 

• You can file a consumer complaint with the Office of the Illinois Attorney General. They can assist you with disputes about purchases, identity theft, health care services and providers, home repair and construction, and auto sales and repair.
• If your dispute involves money owed to you, you can begin a small claims court case (as long as the amount owed is less than $10,000). Illinois Legal Aid Online has information about this process, and the library has books available to check out or read in the library.  

If you need free or low-cost legal assistance, there are local organizations that will help you. 

• The Coordinated Advice & Referral Program for Legal Services (CARPLS) will provide free legal advice. You can call their hotline at 312-738-9200, Monday-Friday, 9 am-4:30 pm. 
• Illinois Legal Aid Online has a tool on their website to connect you with legal information and referrals.
• The Legal Aid Society of Metropolitan Family Services aims to provide legal services regardless of your ability to pay. Call them at 312-986-4105. 

You can also leave reviews of companies on websites like the Better Business Bureau.