Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights Is Now Consumer Watchdog; Redesigned Website is Public Forum for Dialogue on Consumer Rights

SANTA MONICA, Calif., March 19 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights (FTCR) has changed its name to Consumer Watchdog. The group, which was founded by Proposition 103 author Harvey Rosenfield in 1985 and is the most prominent consumer group in the West, has also launched an easy-to-use, action-oriented website at Consumerwatchdog.org. http://www.consumerwatchdog.org/

"Our website's been redesigned by our chief engineer Kent McInnis to be a public forum rather than a lecture hall," said Consumer Watchdog Chairman Jamie Court. "Not only can you find out how our lawyer just saved Allstate customers $250 million (at http://www.consumerwatchdog.org/insurance/articles/?storyId=19227), you can add a comment, rate the article, and set up a custom news feed for future developments on this issue."

The philosophy behind the rebuild is embodied in the report by McInnis, The Activist Web, which was prepared with a generous grant from the Consumer Education Foundation. Read it at: http://www.consumerwatchdog.org/resources/activistweb.pdf

The key features of the new Consumer Watchdog are:

-- Consumers can now take actions, watch videos, find related articles, and access insider blogs by our advocates on every one of the site's 10,000 pages.

-- Consumers can search the largest consumer rights library in the nation from our powerful search engine. http://www.consumerwatchdog.org/search/

-- The library is organized through six main campaigns:
Protecting Patients http://www.consumerwatchdog.org/patients/
Cheaper, Cleaner Energy http://www.consumerwatchdog.org/energy/
Keeping Politicians Honest http://www.consumerwatchdog.org/politicians/

Affordable Car and Home Insurance http://www.consumerwatchdog.org/insurance/

Fighting Corporateering http://www.consumerwatchdog.org/corporateering/
Going To Court http://www.consumerwatchdog.org/courts/

-- Watchdog Blog lets consumers hear the spontaneous responses of Consumer Watchdog advocates to breaking news, court cases, political rumors and misinformation in the news. http://www.consumerwatchdog.org/blog/

Consumers can subscribe to an RSS feed of the blog here: http://www.consumerwatchdog.org/find.dyn/cwd-blog.xml

A full RSS feed for the new Consumer Watchdog is available here: http://www.consumerwatchdog.org/find.dyn/cwd-main-rss.xml

-- Consumers can build their own connections and spark action by submitting your consumer complaint. http://www.consumerwatchdog.org/complaints/

Consumer Watchdog is a nonpartisan, nonprofit public interest group. Contributions are tax deductible.

First Call Analyst:
FCMN Contact:

Source: Consumer Watchdog

CONTACT: Doug Heller +1-310-392-0522 ext 309, or Jamie Court
+1-310-874-9989, both of Consumer Watchdog

Web Site: http://www.consumerwatchdog.org/

2008-03-19 16:39:09 0316729 PRNEWSWIRE