Web Site Aims To Protect College Consumers
POSTED: 9:06 am HST September 22, 2004
UPDATED: 5:17 am HST September 23, 2004
Between soaring tuition costs and more challenging coursework, college students still manage to spend $170 billion on consumer goods.
Sadly, some of that money is wasted on scams and poor consumer choices -- a situation the creators of a new Web site in New York hope to change."It's really aimed at the college population -- the college kids that are spending a great deal of money on CDs, on computers, on iPods," said Gretchen Dykstra of the New York City Department of Consumer Affairs "Consumer Campus" site.
On the site, there is plenty of information on product warranties, store policies and specialty purchases. The site is targeted toward New York-area college consumers, but there is also a national component provided by the Federal Trade Commission."It will give full access to everything the FTC offers on credit reports, debt collection, all sorts of credit issues and consumer credit laws that protect consumers," Dykstra said.
More Info:
Consumer Campus
"We're looking for the cheapest deals possible, and when we do that, sometimes we neglect to look at the fine print," said student Tracey Ann May. "Most of us are sort of new at having an income, and we're more liable to get into some problems and some mistakes," she added."I'm looking more for how to make my money grow," said Naima Hall, another student. "I think I'd be more interested in looking to how to safeguard my checking accounts and any kind of saving accounts that I'm trying to establish right now."While the focus is on college students, the site offers general consumer information as well.
Sadly, some of that money is wasted on scams and poor consumer choices -- a situation the creators of a new Web site in New York hope to change."It's really aimed at the college population -- the college kids that are spending a great deal of money on CDs, on computers, on iPods," said Gretchen Dykstra of the New York City Department of Consumer Affairs "Consumer Campus" site.
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Previous Stories:
- September 13, 2004: Many College Grads Carry High Degree Of Debt
- September 9, 2004: Insurance Needs Change When Kids Go To College
- September 9, 2004: Survey: College Tuition Hikes Ease
- September 1, 2004: Used Correctly, Credit Can Be Good For Students
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