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The federal agency with the broadest enforcement jurisdiction over consumer issues is the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). The mandate of the FTC's Bureau of Consumer Protection is to protect consumers against unfair, deceptive, or fraudulent practices. The Bureau enforces a variety of consumer protection laws enacted by Congress, as well as trade regulation rules issued by the Commission. Its actions include individual company and industry-wide investigations, administrative and federal court litigation, rulemaking proceedings, and consumer and business education. In addition, the Bureau contributes to the Commission's on-going efforts to inform Congress and other government entities of the impact that proposed actions could have on consumers.
Consumers can contact the FTC by mail or telephone or by submitting a complaint to the FTC's web site. Consumers can also submit complaints and obtain information from counselors at the FTC's Consumer Response Center. The toll-free telephone number for consumer calls is 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357). The fax number is (202) 326-2012.
The mailing address is:
Federal Trade Commission
Consumer Response Center
600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Room H-130
Washington, D.C. 20580
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A number of other federal agencies have law enforcement power over activities which relate to consumer issues:
The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is charged with reducing unreasonable risks of injury from consumer products. The CPSC has jurisdiction over approximately 15,000 products in the home, in schools, and in recreation.
The mission of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is to encourage competition in all communications markets and to protect the public interest. In response to direction from the Congress, the FCC develops and implements policy concerning interstate and international communications by radio, television, wire, satellite, and cable.
The Federal Reserve Board (FED) is the central bank of the United States. The FED is responsible for supervising and regulating banking institutions to ensure the safety and soundness of the nation's banking and financial system and to protect the credit rights of consumers.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) scrutinizes food, cosmetics, medicines, medical devices, and radiation-emitting products, such as microwave ovens, to ensure that they are safe, wholesome, and will not cause human injury or harm. The FDA has similar responsibility for feed and drugs for farm animals and pets.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is responsible for reducing deaths, injuries, and economic loss caused by motor vehicle crashes. NHTSA establishes and enforces safety performance standards for motor vehicles and items of motor vehicle equipment and conducts public safety programs.
The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) enforces the laws that ensure the fairness of the securities markets and that guarantee that investors have access to all material information concerning publicly traded securities.
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The following information will allow you to contact the United States Federal Trade Commission directly:
Internet Websites:
www.ftc.gov (English, with some sections in Spanish)
www.consumer.gov (English, with some sections in Spanish)
Telephonic Inquiries:
1-877-382-4357 (toll-free, in the U.S)
1-202-326-2222 (outside the U.S.)
Regular Mail Inquiries:
Federal Trade Commission
CRC-240
600 Pennsylvania Ave, NW
Washington, D.C. 20580
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