ETN Date: Wednesday March 27, 2002
Time: 1:00-2:50 pm
Host: Mary Fran Lepeska
Guest Speaker: Karen Goebel, Joan Kinney
and Glen Loyd from Department of Ag Trade and Consumer Protection

Consumers have the right to be informed as well as to complain and be heard when a problem arises. We also should take the time to become knowledgeable about product and services, and use the decision making model to avoid becoming a victim.
This session will review our rights and responsibilities as consumer, and inform us of the regulatory agencies that help protect consumers.

Content

Joan Kinney

• Basic consumer rights and responsibilities today

Karen Goebel

• Steps to wise decision making
  • identify the need
  • identify alternatives
  • weigh alternatives
  • make a decision
  • act on the decision
  • evaluate the decision

Glen Loyd

• Danger signs of fraud and examples of common frauds and schemes, puffery and exaggerations
  • Top 10 consumer complaints in Wisconsin - http://datcp.state.wi.us/servlet/press.release.ResultServlet?id=1007
  • How to file a complaint - http://datcp.state.wi.us/cp/consumerinfo/cp/complaint-form/cp_complaint_form.html

Joan

• Internet fraud statistics - http://www.fraud.org/internet/2001stats10mnt.htm
• Regulatory agencies where consumers can complain

Joan and Karen

• Telemarketing sales rules/cooling off rule - http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/conline/pubs/services/apact/apact01.htm
• Privacy issues and legislation
  • Financial institutions/how and why to opt-out - http://www.privacyrights.org/fs/fs24a-optout.htm
  • Identity theft - http://www.privacyrights.org/identit

   

• Summary - How consumers can protect themselves from becoming victims - Empowered consumers
  

Learning Objectives

1. Review consumer rights and responsibilities
2. Use the decision making model to avoid fraud and getting "ripped-off"
3. Know how to contact consumer protection agencies to report fraud or to complain
4. Understand consumer privacy issue, how to "opt-out"
   

Pre-session Assignments

Post-session Assignments

Evaluation

Links to Other Resources

List Serve Link - Participants can use this listserve for sharing ideas, questions, and feedback.

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