Back-to-school shopping is in session! To help parents and students tackle bustling store aisles with confidence, the New York City Department of Consumer Affairs (DCA) today offered basic tips, and Commissioner Jonathan Mintz challenged New Yorkers to test their back-to-school shopping savvy by taking DCA's quick online quiz at www.nyc.gov/consumers  

 Test-takers and bookworms alike will get quick lessons on:

• How to use credit cards responsibly.
• What to know about refund policies.
• Protecting personal information when shopping online.
• Reading the fine print in advertised offers.
• Doing some homework before buying computers.
• How to go "green" by saving money and the environment this fall.
  And more…

DCA is working with local retailers, including Cookie's Department Store and the Staten Island Mall, to distribute back-to-school bookmarks with shopping tips citywide. To take DCA's quick online quiz, or to download a free bookmark with shopping tips, go to www.nyc.gov/consumers. Free copies of DCA's back-to-school bookmarks are also available by calling 311 (or 212-NEW-YORK), New York City's 24-hour Citizen Service Hotline.

Download DCA's back-to-school shopping tips (in PDF)