Departments

Community Services

Consumer Protection

Consumer Protection Committee

A new committee, Consumer Protection Affairs, has been formed by the four counties of Delaware, Montgomery, Chester and Bucks. The purpose and function of the committee is to share important consumer-related information and help people find solutions to difficult consumer problems. All residents should benefit by closer cooperation among the four neighboring counties.

Consumers encounter problems in everyday activities, from buying a car to returning merchandise. Home improvement contracting tops the list of consumer complaints. There is evidence that some unscrupulous contractors were crossing county lines in order to defraud homeowners. The same business names were turning up on complaints in each of the four counties. Without coordinated communications this might have gone unnoticed. Some cases actually proved to be criminal acts, not just poor service. In these cases, the files were turned over to the proper authorities for possible prosecution.

When a complaint comes in to the county department, the first step is generally mediation. The company in question is sent a letter outlining the complaint and given a chance to respond with their side of the story.

National Consumer Protection Week is February 2nd through the 8th. Each county will be setting up displays in courthouses, malls, and other locations to get the message out to the public that the departments are available to assist them.