How to Avoid Getting Ripped Off: Essential, but Hard-To-Find Consumer Facts for Women

This book is an absolute gold mine of information for the consumer, female or otherwise, and it is especially useful for women who may not have experience dealing with the ins and outs of the marketplace. Each topic is clearly described with terms defined, common pitfalls laid out and lots of reliable resources listed for supporting organizations and agencies. (Too bad a more recent edition doesn't exist.) Still, with an abundance of good, solid information on so many different topics-car repairs, barter networks, mail order, travel, insurance, home buying and repairs, credit and contracts- it's one of the most thorough and easy to digest consumer guides of any I've seen. -- From The WomanSource Catalog & Review: Tools for Connecting the Community for Women; review by Ilene Rosoff

When you order by mail, make a copy of the order form and keep the same information you would placing a phone order. It's a good idea to keep a copy of the advertisement or catalog with the other data.

If you have a problem with a phone order, first try to resolve it with the company. If that doesn't work, then you need to take stronger action.

Since the Postal Service is involved in delivering the merchandise, a good place to go is to the postal inspector. Call the local postmaster and ask for the inspector in charge. From him you can get a lot of valuable information about how to proceed with filing a formal complaint against the company that has either misdelivered merchandise or failed to deliver at all.