South Carolina – Consumer Help Desk

South Carolina SC Consumer Help Desk

SC Consumer Help Desk Table of Contents

• General Consumer and Credit Information
• Check Your Credit Report
• Bankruptcy – What Happens When You Can't Pay
• How to Get Legal Help
  
• SC Consumer Info – Automobiles
• SC Consumer Info – Housing
• SC Consumer Info – Insurance
• SC Consumer Info – Travel, Airlines
  
  
• SC Department of Consumer Affairs
• SC Better Business Bureaus
  
  
• How to File a Complaint in SC
• How to Report Frauds in SC
• How to Get Off Lists
  
  
• SC Tax Guide
  
  
• SC, National Consumer Resources

SC Consumer and Credit Information

• Credit terms - detailed definitions
• Credit cards and charge accounts
• Equal Credit Opportunity Act
• How to cancel door-to-door sales contracts

How to Check Your Credit Report

• AnnualCreditReport.com - official site for free online credit reports
  
• Written request form - PDF - scroll down to last page
  
• Eligibility for free credit reports
• Information about credit and credit reports - includes steps for disputing reports
  – Español
• National credit reporting companies - reports will not be free
  – Equifax
  – Experian
  – Transunion
  

Bankruptcy – What Happens When You Can't Pay

• Guide to bankruptcy in South Carolina

How to Get Legal Help in South Carolina

• SC Attorneys - List of South Carolina attorneys and law firms - organized by location and type of law
• Lawyer Referral Service - Referrals from the SC Bar based on city and specialty - lawyers must be in good standing and offer malpractice insurance
• LawLine - useful online SC legal info
  
• Attorney fees - important information
• Choosing a lawyer
• Free legal services - criminal cases
• Free legal services - non-criminal matters
  – Pro bono services for low-income residents
  
• South Carolina Commission on Indigent Defense - programs for the legal representation of indigent defendants charged with criminal offenses in the courts of SC
  

SC Consumer Info – Automobiles

• How to deal with automobile dealerships
• Automobile warranties
• Extended warranties and service contracts
• South Carolina Lemon Laws
• Automobile repossessions

SC Consumer Info – Housing

• Rental leases
• Rights and duties of tenants
• Rights and duties of landlords
• Eviction of renters
• Manufactured homes information
• Buying and selling real estate

SC Consumer Info – Insurance

• Three types of life insurance
• SC Department of Insurance Consumer Services - info on auto, health, and insurance
  – Search for insurance companies and agencies - license status, contact info
  
• C.L.U.E. Reports - auto and home insurance reports available free once a year - will have to provide your social security number
  

SC Consumer Info – Travel, Airlines

• Federal Aviation Administration
• Air Travel Consumer Reports
• How to complain about airline service

SC Department of Consumer Affairs

• Web site
• How to file a complaint

SC Better Business Bureaus

• How to contact your local SC Better Business Bureau
• How to file a complaint with a Better Business Bureau
• Council of Better Business Bureaus - national website

How to File a Complaint in SC

SC consumers can file complaints about any business or charity through either of these two groups:

• Better Business Bureau Online Complaint Form
• SC Department of Consumer Affairs

More options are available for SC consumers who have complaints about the following:

• Accountants
• Acupuncturists
• Alarm system companies - fire, burglary
• Architects
• Assisted living facilities
• Attorneys
  – Fee disputes
  – Non-fee grievances
  
• Auctioneers
• Automobiles
  – Auto dealerships
  – Auto manufacturers
  
• Barbers
• Barber colleges
• Beauty salons
• Bodywork therapists
• Cars, trucks, SUVs
  – Car dealerships
  – Car manufacturers
• Charities
• Chiropractors
• Contractors - building
• Cosmetologists
• Cosmetology schools
• Counselors - marriage and family
• CPAs
• Dentists
• Doctors
• Electric companies
• Engineers
• Financial planners
• Foresters
• Funeral homes
• Gas companies
• Geologists
• Hair stylists
• Handicapped access - to public buildings and facilities
• Health care facilities
• Hearing therapists
• Home builders
• Home inspectors
• Insurance companies and agents
• Investment advisors
• Lawyers
  – Fee disputes
  – Non-fee grievances
  
• Manufactured home dealers
• Massage therapists
• Medical facilities
• Mobile home dealers
• Nail salons
• Nurses
• Nursing homes
• Occupational therapists
• Opticians
• Optometrists
• Pharmacists
• Philanthropic organizations
• Physical therapists
• Physicians
• Physician-assistants
• Podiatrists - foot doctors
  
• Psycho-educational specialists
• Psychologists
• Public officials, public employees - government ethics violations
  
• Real Estate agents
• Respiratory care practitioners
• Social workers
• Speech therapists
• Sprinkler fire proction system contractors
• Stockbrokers
• Surveyors - land
• Swimming pool, spa operators
• Telephone companies
• Veterinarians
• Water treatment plant operators
• Waste water treatment plant operators
• Well drillers

How to Report Frauds in SC

• Scam alerts
• SC Identity Theft Information
• SC Insurance Fraud
• SC Medicaid Fraud and Patient Abuse
• SC Securities Fraud Complaint Form
• National Fraud Information Center - telephone, Internet fraud only
  
• Federal Trade Commission Complaint Assistance
  – FTC identity theft complaint form
• Fraud-Aid.com - online fraud victim assistance and education
  

How to Get Off Lists

• Postal mail solicitation lists
• Preapproved credit or insurance offers
  
• Telephone solicitation lists