to see what we can find about the producer of
the site.

MousePrint: This one, if nothing else, is fun. The website is www.mouseprint.org. It’s produced by a consumer advocacy group to examine the often overlooked small print on product ads, labels and contracts. In the advertising business this is sometimes called the “mouse print.”

Mouse print is often buried out of easy sight. In the worst cases it can completely change the meaning or contradict the primary claims being made. MousePrint goes to the asterisked fine print rather than the advertising headlines.

MousePrint features a sample of new ads or product offers every week. Plus, it has a long list of advertising categories you can research to see what has been previously reported. The categories include autos, computers, electronics, financing, food, health products, retail, travel and more.

Some of the fine print disclaimers are humorous just from the stand point that advertisers think they can get away with it, and some are downright outrageous.

MousePrint is entertaining. A warning, though, it can be addictive.

SafeShopping: On the more serious side, there is a consumer website called www.safeshopping.org that is a must for people who do online shopping. The site is a project of the American Bar Association to help consumers do business safely when shopping online.

A large share of Americans these days do at least some online shopping. It is fast, convenient and opens up a whole new world of merchandise and services. But done wrong, it can also open you up to some serious problems.

SafeShopping is loaded with straight forward information and advice. It’s nicely packaged into information categories. Topics include maintaining your security and privacy, best payment methods, checking out sellers and products, terms and delivery, records you need to keep and handling complaints.

If you are already a frequent online shopper, it’s well worth a read to test how well you understand and avoid the pitfalls.