Facts for Consumers from the Federal Trade Commission Smart Buying for Young Consumers -- November 1993 Whether you are trying to stretch your allowance or your paycheck, you will find that smart buying can help you hang on to more of your money. One place to start learning how to buy smart is to find out what protection consumer laws offer. Those laws may be Federal, state, or local. This brochure explains some Federal laws that are enforced by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). It tells you about some products you might be inclined to buy and about smart ways to buy them. More information about the topics described below is provided in individual FTC brochures, which you can receive free by writing to the address given at the end of this publication. Other Federal, state, and local agencies also enforce consumer protection laws and offer consumer assistance. Those resources are listed at the end of this brochure. How Consumer Laws Can Help You Buy Smart Knowing your legal rights can give you power in the marketplace. This brochure gives you some tips about how to buy things. For example, it includes suggestions about buying a used car (which may be the most expensive decision you've ever had to make). It also contains tips for understanding clothing care labels, shopping by mail, and protecting yourself against mail and telephone fraud. In addition, the brochure offers you advice about how to comparison shop for warranties on your major purchases and how to understand credit laws. Finally, the publication covers several health topics, such as the Eyeglasses Prescription Release Rule, indoor tanning claims, buying a sunscreen, and separating fact from fiction about health-care and beauty products. Buying a Used Car If you intend to buy a used car from a dealer, not a private party, look for the "Buyers Guide" sticker on the window of each used car. The Buyers Guide, which the FTC's Used Car Rule requires dealers to put on their cars, will give you important information and suggestions about making the purchase. For example, the Buyers Guide will tell you: l Whether the car comes with a warranty and, if so, what the warranty covers and for how long l That you should have the car inspected by an independent mechanic before you buy l That you should get all promises in writing and l What major problem areas to look for that are common to all cars. Before you buy a used car or a new car, you can get some smart buying tips by reading the FTC's car brochures suggested on page 8. Buying Clothes When you shop for clothes, read the care labels before you buy. Then you will know how to care for the clothes and will understand what that care may cost you. The FTC's Care Labeling Rule requires that most textile clothing must have a care label attached. These labels must give at least one satisfactory method of care and also must give a warning if any particular cleaning method would harm the garment or if no cleaning method is safe. For further information about care labels and your clothes, write for the free FTC brochure noted on page 8. Buying By Mail When you buy by mail, that is, when you use the mail to place your order or to make your payment, your purchase will be covered by the FTC's Mail Order Rule. The Rule requires mail-order companies to ship your order within the time period they advertise. If the company cannot ship as promised, it must offer you an option to cancel the order and to receive your money back. If no time period is advertised, most merchandise must be shipped within 30 days. In September 1993, the FTC amended the Rule to include telephone orders. The amendments become effective March 1, 1994. Until then, the current Rule, which applies only to mail order sales, remains in effect. Remember, when ordering by mail, you are sending payment to a company you may not know, for something you have not seen. Therefore, before you buy, it's smart to find out something about the company, if you can, and to ask about its return policy by calling its toll-free 800 number, if one's available. In addition, read the item descriptions; don't just rely on pictures. It's also smart to keep notes about what you ordered, the date, the order number, and the company's name, address, and telephone number. Later, if you have any problems about your order, that information may be useful.To learn more about shopping by mail and phone, send for the free FTC brochures listed on the last page. Telefraud and Mail Fraud When your telephone rings and the caller offers you a "free," "prepaid," or "special deal" on a vacation, beauty aid, magazine subscription, or anything else, be careful. Do not give out any personal information over the phone about you or your family, especially the ID numbers of your credit card or bank account. Also, a hurried "yes" to the caller may obligate you or your family to pay for nonexistent, overpriced, or unwanted products. Of course, not all telephone offers involve fraud, so you may want to ask callers to contact you by mail, so you can see the offer in writing. In addition to telephone fraud, some mail offers also may be deceptive and fraudulent. For example, you may get a notice that you won a prize _ a diamond ring or a trip. Before you pay a fee or spend time driving to get your prize, be sure it is worth winning. The "diamond" you won might be the size of a pin-head and the vacation award may include only discount coupons for inexpensive lodging. You can learn more about telephone and mail-order fraud by getting the FTC's free brochures. See page 8. Warranties Before you make a major purchase, it's smart to read what warranty protection the product manufacturer offers you. So, just as you compare the style and price of products before you buy, you also can compare warranties. The Magnuson-Moss Act of l975, which the FTC enforces, requires companies that offer warranties to make those warranties available to you before you make a purchase. The warranties must provide information that clearly states what product parts are covered, for how long, who pays for repairs, and whom to contact to obtain warranty service. For more details about warranty protection, see page 8 to order the free FTC brochure. Credit Laws You may be able to get your first credit card with your name on it through your parents. With that credit card comes responsibility, but also protection under the consumer credit laws. You may have some questions, such as: If there's a mistake on my credit card bill, what should I do? If my credit card is stolen, whom should I call? If I pay some bills late, will it be on my credit record? To get answers to these and other credit questions, send for the FTC's free credit brochures. Eyeglass Prescription Release Rule l Eyeglasses. Under this FTC Rule, you have a legal right to your eyeglass prescription, at no extra cost, immediately after an eye exam. So request the prescription if it is not provided. With prescription in hand, you can shop for eyeglasses just as you would for any other product and service, looking for the best quality at the best price. l Contact lenses. Although not required by federal law, many eye care specialist will give you a copy of your contact lens specifications. In fact, some states require it. It is essential to have a copy of these specifications if you want to buy your contact lenses, replacements or duplicate lenses from a different specialist. Otherwise, you may have to pay for another fitting exam.To learn other shopping tips about eye wear, read the FTC free brochure. Indoor Tanning You may have heard claims like "Tan indoors with absolutely no harmful side effects" and wonder whether indoor tanning devices are safe. Whether you tan outdoors in natural sunlight or indoors in a tanning parlor, tanning is not risk-free. You are increasing your chances of: developing skin cancer later in life; suffering cataracts and retinal damage; and developing premature skin wrinkling. If you have questions about possible side effects associated with tanning, check with your doctor or nurse and write for the free FTC brochure. Sunscreens When you buy a sunscreen, you will get the greatest benefit from a sunscreen with a high sun protection factor (SPF) number, such as 15 or greater. The SPF number gives you some idea how long you can remain in the sun before burning. If, for example, you would normally burn in 10 minutes without sunscreen, applying a 15 SPF sunscreen may provide you with about 150 minutes in the sun before burning. Swimming and perspiration, however, will reduce the actual SPF value for many sunscreens. Unfortunately, even sunscreens with high SPF numbers offer you less than full protection. Sunlight exposes you to two kinds of ultraviolet light, called UVA and UVB. Both can cause skin damage, including wrinkling and skin cancer. Although virtually all sunscreens provide some level of protection against UVB rays, no product yet screens out all UVA rays. SPF sunscreen numbers indicate sunburn protection from UVB rays only. So, even if you use high SPF number sunscreens, your skin still can be damaged from the sun's UVA rays. For more information about sunscreens, send for the free FTC brochure. Health and Beauty Products Unfortunately, fraudulent promoters of health-care and beauty products often thrive on the wishful thinking of those who want short-cuts to weight loss, beautiful bodies, or other appearance improvements. There are ways to tell which health and beauty aid products are legitimate and which are not smart buys. Learn to recognize worthless products by the typical phrases advertisers use to promote them. l Does the product promise "a quick and easy fix"? l Does the ad use key words such as miraculous, exclusive, secret, or ancient? l Does the ad mention undocumented case histories that sound too good to be true? Also remember some basic facts: l If you want to lose weight, lower your calories intake and/or increase your calorie use by exercise. Claims that you can eat everything you want and lose weight effortlessly are not true. l If you want to lose weight and tone up as well, exercise. Without exercise, fat cells, called "cellulite" by some advertisements, do not shrivel up. l No amount of rubbing, wrapping, massaging, or scrubbing will get rid of "cellulite" (or increase your biceps or your bust size). Where to Find More Information There are many places where you can get consumer information, ask questions, or make complaints. However, before sending your complaint to a Federal, state, or local consumer protection agency or the Better Business Bureau, always try to resolve complaints with the company first. To locate Federal, state, and local consumer protection agencies, national consumer organizations, local Better Business Bureaus, trade associations, and many companies, send for the Consumer's Resource Handbook, published by the U.S. Office of Consumer Affairs. It is available free from the Consumer Information Center, Pueblo, Colorado 81009. You also can get telephone numbers for your state and local consumer protection offices or local Better Business Bureau by looking in your telephone directory or by asking your librarian. If you want information or publications from the FTC, write to: Public Reference, Federal Trade Commission, Washington, D.C. 20580. Listed below are titles of publications you may find useful to help you buy smart. Buying a Used Car New Car Buying Guide Care Labels Shopping by Mail Shopping by Phone and Mail Warranties Eye Wear Using Plastic: A Young Adult's Guide to Credit Cards Telemarketing Travel Fraud Magazine Telephone Scams Indoor Tanning Sunscreens Health Claims: Separating Fact from Fiction "Best Sellers" for Consumers A Guide to the Federal Trade Commissio