The Consumer Handbook is intended to help you become a better-informed and more confident consumer. It offers information on a wide range of topics such as online shopping, contracts, housing and home renovations, identity theft, collection agencies, and much more, to help you build your buying skills. Knowing what’s on offer in today’s marketplace and whether it suits your needs –in other words being a well informed consumer - is key to protecting yourself. Critically examine product and service offerings before purchasing to make sure there are no unexpected or negative implications. Always remember – if it seems too good to be true, it usually is. Along with consumer tips, the Handbook includes a directory of government and non-government contacts useful to consumers. The Handbook was created and is updated by the Consumer Measures Committee. This Committee is a joint federal/provincial/territorial committee which provides a forum for national cooperation to improve the marketplace for Canadian consumers, through the harmonization of laws, regulations and practices and through actions to raise public awareness. The Office of Consumer Affairs at Industry Canada, as Secretariat for the Consumer Measures Committee, is responsible for maintaining the Canadian Consumer Handbook.