National Consumer Protection Week begins on March 1st! Consumer protection is an area of law that addresses debt collection, deceptive trade practices, warranties, small claims, data privacy, and more.

Below is an overview of consumer protection materials you can find at the library.

Books, E-Books, & CLE Courses

• The Consumer Rights page of our Recommended Books & E-Books guide has print and e-book titles on the Deceptive Trade Practices Act (DTPA), small claims cases, landlord/tenant law, and more.
• The Consumer Rights & Personal Finance page of our CLEs guide has continuing legal education courses from the State Bar of Texas. Topics include general consumer rights as well as issues like debt & bankruptcy.

You’ll need a library account to access these titles. If you’re a Texas resident, you can register for an account online or borrow books from us in person.

Guides

We have multiple Consumer Protection guides on various subjects. Here are a few popular choices:

• Our Consumer Protection guide discusses the DTPA, the main consumer protection law in Texas. The DTPA prohibits misleading acts like misrepresenting used goods as new or deliberately hiding problems with a product.
• See our Debt Collection guide for information on laws that apply to medical debt, debt collector calls, time-barred debts, and related lawsuits.
• Our Warranty Law guide covers Texas and federal laws that regulate warranties on motor vehicles, mobile homes, and general consumer products.
• Our Privacy & Personal Information guide covers Texas and federal laws that protect personal data. Here you can find information about medical record confidentiality laws, restrictions on telemarketing and spam, and identity theft.
• Our Small Claims Cases guide talks about these types of suits filed in Texas justice courts. We cover procedures from filing a case all the way to collecting a judgment.
• Tenant protections may not be an obvious area of consumer protection, but rental housing can be considered a consumer good. Our Landlord/Tenant Law guide has information about tenants’ rights, lease agreements, rent payments, eviction, required repairs, and more.

Legal FAQs

We also have a number of legal FAQs on Consumer Protection. Examples include:

• Can a business charge a fee for using a credit card?
• Can gift cards expire?
• How long can a debt stay on my credit report?
• What is the statute of limitations on debt?

Have a question about consumer protection or need help with your research? Ask a Librarian!