Topic Links - consumer organizations

Call for Action

3400 Idaho Avenue, N.W.
Suite 101
Washington, DC 20016
Tel.: (202) 362-3813; fax: (202) 244-4881

 

Call for Action does assist consumers with marketplace problems. An international non-profit hotline, Call for Action is affiliated with radio and television stations and helps consumers and small businesses through mediation of marketplace disputes. A list of the affiliated radio and television stations is available by contacting the hotline.

 

Consumer Action (CA)

116 New Montgomery
Suite 233
San Francisco, CA 94105
Tel.: (415) 777-9635 (consumer complaint hotline);
fax: (415) 777-5267

Consumer Action does assist consumers with marketplace roblems. An education and advocacy organization specializing in credit, finance, and telecommunications issues, Consumer Action offers a multi-lingual consumer complaint hotline, free information on its surveys of banks and long-distance telephone companies, and consumer education materials in as many as eight languages.

 

Consumers Union of U.S., Inc. (CU)

101 Truman Avenue
Yonkers, NY 10703-1057
Tel.: (914) 378-2000; fax: (914) 378-2900
A non-profit, independent organization, CU researches and tests consumer goods and services and disseminates the results in its monthly magazine, Consumer Reports, as well as other publications and media.

 

National Association of Consumer Agency Administrators (NACAA)

1010 Vermont Avenue, N.W., Suite 514
Washington, DC 20005
Tel. (202) 347-7395; fax: (202) 347-2563
An association of the administrators of local, state, and Federal government consumer protection agencies, NACAA provides training programs, public policy studies and conferences, professional publications, and other member services.

 

National Consumers League (NCL)

1701 Street, N.W.
Suite 1200 Washington, DC 20006 Tel.:  (202) 835-3323; fax: (202) 835-0747

 

Tele-Consumer Hotline

1331 H Street, N.W.
Washington, DC 20005
Tel. (800) 347-7208

Provides information on special telephone products and services for person with disabilities, selecting a long distance company, money saving tips for people on low income, reducing unsolicited phone calls, telemarketing fraud, dealing with the phonecompany, pay phones, and other issues. All telephone assistance and publications are free of charge, and Spanish-speaking counselors are available.

Consumer Education

National Institute for Consumer Education (NICE)

207 Rackham Building
College of Education
Eastern Michigan University
Ypsilanti, MI 48197
Tel. (313) 487-2292; fax: (313) 487-7153
A consumer education resource and professional development center for K-12 classroom teachers, business, government, labor and community educators. NICE conducts training programs,develops teaching guides and resource lists, and manages a national clearinghouse of consumer education materials, including videos, software programs, textbooks and curriculum guides.

Consumer Fraud

National Fraud Information Center (NFIC)

P.O. Box 65868
Washington, DC 20035
Tel.  (800) 876-7060; fax: (202) 835-0767

NFIC does assist consumers with recognizing and filing complaints about fraud. A project of the National Consumers League, the center's toll-free hotline assists consumers with information to help them avoid becoming victims of fraud, referral to appropriate law enforcement agencies and professional associations, and assistance in filing complaints.

The center also provides professionals involved in consumer fraud prevention and enforcement with telecommunications systems and data links to improve fraud regulation, prevention and law enforcement.

 

Government Consumer Protection Agencies

The National Association of Attorney Generals (NAAG)

Consumer Protection Committee
444 North Capitol Street, NW
Washington, DC 20001
Tel. (202) 434-8000; fax: (202) 434-8008

Consumer Organizations -Insurance

American Council of Life Insurance

1001 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W.
Washington, DC 20004-2599
Tel.: (800) 942-4242

Insurance Information Institute

110 William Street
New York, NY 10038
Tel.  (800) 942-4242
National Insurance Consumer Helpline is a resource for consumers with automobile, homeowners, life and health insurance questions. The Helpline is open Monday through Friday from 8 am to 8 pm, eastern time.

National Insurance Consumer Organization (NICO)

Consumer Federation of America (CFA)

1424 16th Street, N.W., Suite 604
Washington, DC 20036
Tel.: (202) 387-6121; fax: (202) 265-7989

 

Made up of more than 240 organizations representing a membership exceeding 50 million consumers, CFA is a consumer advocacy and education organization. Issues on which it currently represents consumer interests before Congress and Federal regulatory agencies include telephone service, insurance and fianancial services, product safety, indoor air pollution, health care, product liability and utility rates.

 

It develops and distributes studies of various consumer issues, as well as consumer guides in book and pamphlet form. In addition, CFA publishes several newsletters. The National Insurance Consumer Organization (NICO) has merged with CFA and is now know as CFA Insurance Group.

Consumer Organizations - Financial Planning

International Association for Financial Planning (IAFP)

National Headquarters
2 Concourse Parkway, Suite 80
Atlanta, Ga 30328
Tel.: (404) 396-1605
Membership: Individuals involved in financial planning.

 

American Institute of Certified Public Accounts

Professional Ethics Division
Harborside Financial Center
201 Plaza III
Jersey City, NJ 07311-3881
Tel.: (201) 938-3175
Membership: Professional society of accountants certified by the states and territories.

 

Founded in 1899, NCL is America's pioneer consumer advocacy organization. The league is a non-profit, membership organization working for consumer health and safety protection and fairness in the marketplace and workplace. Current principal issue areas include consumer fraud, food and drug safety, fair labor standards, child labor, health care, the environment, financial services and telecommunications. The league develops and distributes consumer education materials and newsletters.