In Pueblo, CO there is a small department of the US government that distributes free and low cost consumer publications. One of the books they produce every year is the 2010 Consumer Action Handbook.
This is a great description of what it is: “The 2010 Consumer Action Handbook is a 172-page guide to becoming a savvy consumer, and includes information on buying a car, purchasing a home, preventing identity theft, shopping from home, creating a will, and handling unsatisfactory transactions. And much, much more.”
The book is free (though technically your tax dollars paid for it). It doesn’t go into great depth but it is a fantastic resource to have. There are several ways you can obtain a copy:
You can order it here in English and here in Spanish.
You can also view it in .pdf form and save it for future reference.
It contains tons of information on how to write complaint letters, which government agencies to contact to resolve issues, a list of all the Better Business Bureaus, and much more.
Take a few minutes and check it out. It will be worth your time!