MilConsumer Blog Feed

Halloween is almost here. What could be scarier than not having your costume ready? How about ordering a costume online and never getting what you paid for? Scammers are making this season extra spooky by pretending to be real companies like Spirit Halloween and Party City. But it’s all a trick. Here’s what to know. You see an ad on Facebook or Instagram that looks like it’s from a company like Spirit Halloween or Party City, promoting a huge...

It’s unfair and illegal to increase the amount someone ends up paying to buy or lease a car based on their race or how they look. But that’s how the FTC says a group of three auto dealerships in Rhinelander, Wisconsin allegedly overcharged some of their customers. Read on to learn more about the case — and what you can do to get a fair deal when buying a car. According to the FTC and the State of Wisconsin, the Rhinelander dealerships unfairly...

We’ve all heard the adage “Proper preparation prevents poor performance.” It’s been attributed to everyone from Vince Lombardi to Secretary of State James Baker. As we’ve discussed in the first four installments of our Franchise Fundamentals series, proper preparation – including a thorough pre-commitment investigation into the franchise – may help reduce the risk of painful problems later. But what if a franchisee is concerned that a subsequent business breakdown could be due to a franchisor’s precarious promises? Report it to the FTC through a dedicated link just for franchise issues.

You think a franchise may be for you. You can’t wait to cut that ribbon and get your business up and running. But to avoid a false start, it makes sense to spend more time in the starting block. This post – the fourth in the FTC’s Franchise Fundamental series – covers key steps to take before you’re off to the races: 1) carefully evaluating critical documents that may (or may not) be attached to the Franchise Disclosure Document; 2) scrutinizing the financial performance representations included in the Franchise Disclosure Document; and 3) and running through every detail of the deal with an experienced attorney and accountant.

Starting September 25, you can order four free test kits per household through COVIDtests.gov . The tests will detect the currently circulating COVID-19 variants and are intended for use through the end of 2023. The kits will include instructions on how to verify extended expiration dates . Many kits have had their expiration dates extended beyond what may be printed on the packaging. You don’t have to pay for shipping, and you’ll never be asked...

Love at first sight may (or may not) be a real thing, but when it comes to investing your money, it’s unwise to fall for a franchise without first subjecting it to tough-minded scrutiny. The third in the FTC’s Franchise Fundamentals blog series walks through an essential part of that evaluation: an in-depth review of the Financial Disclosure Document (FDD) required by the FTC’s Franchise Rule . You must receive the Franchise Disclosure Document...

Finding and keeping health insurance for your family can be stressful and expensive. During the pandemic, your state’s Medicaid Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) might have helped — but with the end of the pandemic, states may be reaching out to update your family Medicaid enrollments. Except scammers might try to get to you first. So how can you spot them? First, while the process to renew may differ from state to state, nobody legit...

The Department of Education (ED) just announced that it will approve full federal student loan forgiveness for some University of Phoenix students. Want to know if you’re eligible to get your federal loans forgiven? Keep reading.

Were you or your kids one of the many millions of people charged in Fortnite for unwanted V-Bucks or in-game items (like gear, llamas, or battle passes)? Here’s how to know if you might be eligible to get a refund of some of the money you lost. Starting today, and over the next month, the FTC will send emails to millions of Fortnite players who might be eligible to get some of their lost money back. The refunds come out of the FTC's settlement...

No one would try to run a marathon with just a few days of preparation. It takes months of rigorous training before you can step up to the starting line with confidence. Of course, the process of studying, selecting, opening, and operating a franchise can make a marathon feel like a stroll in the park. In the second of our Franchise Fundamentals blog series, we take a closer look at the extensive research “road work” prospective franchisees...