Congress and state legislatures have passed numerous laws to protect consumer's rights in the United States. Underlying these laws are the basic rights to which all consumers are entitled. These rights include: The right to choose from a selection of quality products and services that are sold at competitive prices. The right to safety or that products purchased in the marketplace and used as directed will not harm the consumer. The right to information about products so that consumers can make informed choices when purchasing goods. The right to be heard by manufacturers of products as well as by government agencies and courts when raising a complaint. The right to a remedy or redress when a consumer is dissatisfied with or injured because of a product or service. The right to environmental health, which means that manufacturers and marketplaces cannot operate their businesses in a way that damages the environment. The right to service that is convenient and respectful. The right to education about consumer rights and training to facilitate thoughtful and informed decisions in the marketplace. Before making a large or risky purchase, you should consider checking with other retailers to make sure that the item is not less expensive elsewhere. In addition, you should discuss your potential purchase with a trusted friend or family member who has made a similar purchase. You may also consider: Making a budget to determine whether you can afford the item. Deciding what features or services are absolutely necessary and what are unnecessary but costly. Reading reviews online about the product and determining whether the product has been recalled. You can check on recalled products at: https://www.recalls.gov. A warranty is a promise by a seller or manufacturer that they will repair or replace a product if it breaks down within a certain amount of time. Federal law requires that warranties must be available for consumers to review before purchasing a product. When reviewing a warranty or comparing warranties between manufacturers, you should look for the following: Check to see how long the warranty lasts and if anything voids your coverage. Who provides warranty service is it the manufacturer or someone else? Does the company repair or replace the product if it stops working? What repairs or problems are covered? Ask that any warranties made orally by a salesperson be put in writing or you may not be able to get the promised service. Before contracting with someone for professional services such as lawyers, contractors, plumbers or others, you should make sure that they are appropriately licensed before hiring them. Contractors, plumbers and electricians are all required to be licensed by state boards. You can request a service provider's license number and then check his or her licensure status online. You can find links to state license boards at: http://www.contractors-license.org. You check whether lawyers or doctors are licensed through state bar associations or medical associations. The Better Business Bureau (BBB) maintains a list of complaints and ratings for companies. Before hiring a business to provide services, you should review BBB's website to make sure the company has not mistreated consumers in the past. You can lookup companies on BBB at: https://www.bbb.org. When making purchases online, only provide your contact information and credit card companies at trusted websites. When making online purchases, you should look for a small padlock symbol in your address bar. This indicates that the website is secure. Website addresses that begin with "https" versus "http" offer a greater level of security. If you are unsure whether the site is trustworthy, conduct an internet search on the name of the company or website and the words "trustworthy" or "secure." This may help you uncover any problems people had with the website or reviews that the website is secure. You should always request and keep the receipt for any product or merchandise that you purchase. A receipt is usually required to return faulty merchandise or submit a complaint against a business. You should also keep other important documents related to the purchase of goods or services, such as, contracts, warranties and manuals. It is important to comply with the warranty and care instructions of a product. Some warranties will be voided if you use the product in manner that was not specified. Additionally, some manufacturers require that you register your product and/or warranty with them, either online or by returning a warranty card.
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One-sentence summary -- Learn your basic consumer rights. Evaluate large or risky purchases before making them. Ask about product warranties. Check that professionals are licensed. Check business reviews at the Better Business Bureau. Be careful making online purchases. Always request a receipt for purchases. Read and submit a warranty after purchase.

If you're saying 'thank you' in person, remember to smile and make eye contact with the person whom you're thanking. These small gestures add a massive amount of sincerity to the 'thank you.' Showing your gratitude to someone else is awesome. Gushing over them and falling all over yourself to say 'thank you' is overdoing it, and could end up embarrassing the person you're trying to thank. Keep your gratitude simple, to the point and pleasant. You should be thanking someone because you honestly and sincerely are grateful for something they did. You shouldn't be thanking someone because you were told to do it, or because you felt it was somehow required. Insincere gratitude is obvious and unappreciated. This is especially important for those who work in a retail environment where they may feel obligated to thank customers on a regular basis. If you aren't actually sincere about the thanks, the customer can tell. Even if it's your job to thank a customer, you can still make it sincere. There are certain situations that require more than just an in-person 'thank you,' such as being treated to dinner, being giving a present, etc. When these situations occur, a written 'thank you' is vital. Whomever treated you to this extra-special kindness deserves the same in return, and writing a 'thank you' note or card is the best way to show how much you really do appreciate what they did. If you decide to use a card, blank ones work best in these situations. Blank cards allow you to write a brief, but custom, note inside. Whatever form your 'thank you' note takes, it should specifically mention the reason you're saying 'thank you.' While emails can obviously be personalized, avoid sending an email in these situations. Emails just aren't as sincere and well-meaning as an actual note or card. Do not ask someone else to send someone a 'thank you' on your behalf, do it yourself. It isn't a sincere 'thank you' if it isn't coming from you directly. If you're a really busy person who doesn't have a lot of extra time, have some custom 'thank you' cards made for you and keep them handy. Or buy several boxes of blank cards to keep in your desk.
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One-sentence summary --
Smile and make eye contact. Keep it simple. Be sincere in your thanks. Write a thank you note or card. Avoid delegation.