SC Consumer Help Desk Table of Contents

• General Consumer and Credit Information
• Check Your Credit Report
• What Happens When You Can't Pay
• Types of Bankruptcy
• How to Get Legal Help

• SC Consumer Info – Automobiles
• SC Consumer Info – Housing
• SC Consumer Info – Insurance
• SC Consumer Info – Travel, Airlines

• SC Department of Consumer Affairs
• SC Better Business Bureaus

• How to File a Complaint in SC
• How to Report Frauds in SC
• How to Get Off Lists

• SC, National Consumer Resources

SC Consumer and Credit Information

• Credit terms - basic glossary
  –  More credit definitions - longer, detailed definitions
• Credit cards and charge accounts
• Equal Credit Opportunity Act
• How to cancel door-to-door sales contracts

How to Check Your Credit Report

• AnnualCreditReport.com - official site for free online credit reports
  
• Written request form - Adobe Reader
• Eligibility for free credit reports
• Frequently asked questions about credit reports - includes steps for disputing reports
  –  Español
• National credit reporting companies - reports will not be free
  –  Equifax
  –  Experian
  –  Transunion
  

What Happens When You Can't Pay

• What creditors can and cannot do
• What debt collectors can do and not do - SC Fair Debt Collection Practices Act
  
• Automobile repossessions
• SC bankruptcy laws and information
• Consumer Credit Counseling Service - free, confidential counseling service for people who are in financial trouble
  

Types of Bankruptcy

• Chapter 7 - straight bankruptcy
• Chapter 12 - for family farmers
• Chapter 13 - wage earner repayment plan

How to Get Legal Help

• LawLine - useful online SC legal info - also accessible by telephone
  
• Lawyer Referral Service - provided by SC Bar
• Attorney fees - important information
• Choosing a lawyer
• Free legal services - criminal cases
• Free legal services - non-criminal matters
  –  Telephone hotline for low-income residents - LATIS - Monday-Friday
  

SC Consumer Info – Automobiles

• How to deal with automobile dealerships
• Automobile warranties
• Extended warranties and service contracts
• South Carolina Lemon Law
• Automobile repossessions

SC Consumer Info – Housing

• Rental leases
• Rights and duties of tenants
• Rights and duties of landlords
• Eviction of renters
• Manufactured homes consumer guides
• Buying and selling real estate

SC Consumer Info – Insurance

• Three types of life insurance
• SC Department of Insurance Consumer Services - info on auto, health, and insurance
  –  Search for insurance companies and agencies - license status, contact info
  
• C.L.U.E. Reports - auto and home insurance reports available free once a year - will have to provide your social security number
  

SC Consumer Info – Travel, Airlines

• Federal Aviation Administration
• Air Travel Consumer Reports
• How to complain about airline service
• Consumer Travel Rights Center
• How Rule 240 can help you with airlines

SC Department of Consumer Affairs

• Web site - scroll down for contact info
• How to file a complaint

SC Better Business Bureaus

• How to contact your local SC Better Business Bureau
• How to file a complaint with a Better Business Bureau
• Council of Better Business Bureaus - national website

How to File a Complaint in SC

• Better Business Bureau Online Complaint Form
• SC Department of Consumer Affairs

• Accountants
• Acupuncturists
• Alarm system companies - fire, burglary
• Architects
• Assisted living facilities
• Attorneys
  – Fee disputes
  – Non-fee grievances
  
• Auctioneers
• Automobiles
  – Auto deleaships
  – Auto manufacturers
  

• Barbers
• Barber colleges
• Beauty salons
• Bodywork therapists

• Cars, trucks, SUVs
  – Car deleaships
  – Car manufacturers
• Charities
• Chiropractors
• Collection agencies - debt collectors
  
• Contractors - building
• Cosmetologists
• Cosmetology schools
• Counselors - marriage and family
• CPAs

• Debt collectors
• Dentists
• Doctors

• Electric companies
• Engineers

• Financial planners
• Foresters
• Funeral homes

• Gas companies
• Geologists

• Hair stylists
• Handicapped access - to public buildings and facilities
• Health care facilities
• Hearing therapists
• Home builders
• Home inspectors

• Insurance companies and agents
• Investment advisors

• Lawyers
  – Fee disputes
  – Non-fee grievances
  

• Manufactured home dealers
• Massage therapists
• Medical facilities
• Mobile home dealers

• Nail salons
• Nurses
• Nursing homes

• Occupational therapists
• Opticians
• Optometrists

• Pharmacists
• Philanthropic organizations
• Physical therapists
• Physicians
• Physician assistants
• Podiatrists - foot doctors
  
• Psycho-educational specialists
• Psychologists
• Public officials, public employees - government ethics violations
  

• Respiratory care practitioners

• Social workers
• Speech therapists
• Sprinkler fire proction system contractors
• Stockbrokers
• Surveyors - land
• Swimming pool, spa operators

• Telephone companies

• Veterinarians

• Water treatment plant operators
• Waste water treatment plant operators
• Well drillers

How to Report Frauds in SC

• Types of fraud + ways to avoid
• SC Insurance Fraud
• SC Medicaid Fraud and Patient Abuse
• SC Securities Fraud Complaint Form
• National Fraud Information Center - telephone, Internet fraud only
  
• Federal Trade Commission Toll-free Consumer Help Line
  –  FTC fraud complaint form
  –  FTC identity theft complaint form
• Fraud-Aid.com - online fraud victim assistance and education
  

How to Get Off Lists

• Email solicitation lists - SPAM, junk e-mails
  
• Postal mail solicitation lists
• Preapproved credit or insurance offers
  
• Telephone solicitation lists
• Sweepstakes lists

Related SC & National Consumer Resources

• National Consumers League
• Consumer.gov - consumer information from the Federal Government