Many agencies exist to protect consumers. Below are the most important and useful for consumers. Each site contains a multitude of information regarding general consumer protection, services available to consumers and options to file complaints or take action.
The BBB is a nonprofit organization that serves consumers. Their main goals are to create a community of trust, set standards on marketplace trust, support business best practices and speak out against untrustworthy business practices. The BBB provides a wealth of consumer information, a database where consumers can investigate the nature of businesses, their standing and any official actions that have been taken against them. Consumers can also take action and file a complaint against companies that they believe are doing wrong.
CARU oversees advertising aimed at children and is known as "the children's arm of the National Advertising Review Council. CARU supports truthfulness, accuracy and consistency in the children's marketplace and has creating comprehensive guidelines for self regulating this area of advertising: CARU Self-Regulatory Guidelines for Children's Advertising
The ERA is a trade organization that serves the direct-to-consumer marketplace. The ERA serves business interests but does so by promoting best business practices and encouraging responsible advertising.
The NAD provides alternatives to litigation for advertisers. Although, NAD is a business resource, it provides useful information for consumers on current advertising issues, trends and products that are being questioned.
NARC is a self-regulatory system that encourages advertiser compliance to rules and standards. NARC believes in truth and accuracy in advertising and supports self-regulation over litigation. See AlsoGovernment Agencies