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Consumer Protection

Consumer Protection: Advice from The Bucks County Consumer Advocates

February 2010

My wife and I are considering buying a puppy.  This is going to be our first dog so I have been doing some research.  The dog would have to be great with kids and not so big it takes over our small home.  One thing that I have found in my research is that dogs don’t come cheap.  How do I go about buying a dog that is healthy and worth the money?  P.G., Fairless Hills 

A.      The “Dog Purchaser Protection Act” is part of the Unfair Trade Practices and Consumer Protection Law.  Pet shops and kennels must be licensed by the Department of Agriculture.  This law requires that a seller must provide the buyer with a health record stating the dog’s breed, date of birth, sex, color, any markings, vaccinations and parasitical medicines given to the dog.  The seller must also sign a statement that all the information is true.  The seller has to provide either a health certificate from a veterinarian or a Guarantee of Good Health signed by the seller stating that the dog is free from disease and defects and does not appear clinically ill from parasitic infection.  If within ten days after purchase your dog dies from or is certified by a veterinarian to have a congenital or hereditary defect, you may return the dog for a replacement or a full refund, or you may keep the dog and be reimbursed for reasonable veterinary fees up to the purchase price.  Consumers should take their new puppy to their own   trusted veterinarian within the ten day time frame to be sure there are no problems.   For Bucks County residents who already own a dog this is just a friendly reminder that January 1st was the time to get your dog his/her new 2010 dog license.  Consumers who have just purchased their puppy have until the puppy turns three months old before they require a license.  Be careful, because a dog that is caught without a license can cost their owners a hefty fine. 

Q.      My husband and I have accumulated much more credit card debt than we can handle.  A job loss was the culprit.  I was watching the television and I saw a commercial for a debt settlement firm.  They claimed to be able to reduce credit card debt substantially.  My husband said it’s just a scam and that the only one that comes out ahead is the debt settlement firm.  Is my husband correct and if he is do we have any options for reducing our debt?  F.W., Levittown

A.      There are many different options for people who are in debt.  A real budget can help almost immediately.  Contacting an approved credit counseling agency is always the first step. A trained counselor can provide a consumer with facts and a plan.  If the consumer is in an unrealistic position and repayment is impossible, then consulting an attorney for bankruptcy may be the only viable option. 

Debt settlement firms always charge a fee for their service.  The fee is usually 20% of the credit card debt.  So if you owe $20,000 in debt, their fee would be $4,000 and they always collect the fee usually within the first half of the contract.  The basic structure of one of these plans is to promise everything and then put all the actual disclaimers in the contract that a consumer signs.  A debt settlement program does not stop collection calls or legal actions taken by the creditors.  Settlement firms usually instruct consumers to make monthly payments to a special bank account, until there is enough to make a lump sum offer to settle the debt.  That, in fact, could take months and the whole time the company is taking out a fee.  Some debt settlement companies may not even contact the creditor for months, all the while telling the consumer not to have contact with the creditor.  In that situation the consumer may have interest and penalties adding up and the creditor may in fact take legal action against you.  If any consumer looks at a debt settlement company we advise that no commitment is made until a copy of the contract can be read in full.  Look at the fine print; determine how much the fee will be and when monies start going to your creditors.  Most contracts state the company cannot guarantee any results or actual reduction of the original debt.  Also, debt settlement does damage your credit score.  The Federal Trade Commission is looking into proposing rules on the industry due to the volume of complaints.  We would suggest that consumers try to resolve their debt problems directly with the creditor. 

A.      The last three weeks we have seen a number of fraudulent calls being made to Bucks County residents.  Our office would like to remind all our readers that all calls to your home should be looked at with caution.  There have been calls made by supposed government agencies like Social Security, Medicare, and Grant Offices.  If you get a call like this ask questions and do not give the caller any information.  Hang up and call the agency yourself with a number that you know is legitimate.  Rarely do government agencies call consumers directly.  Most official notification comes via mail.  Unfortunately the mail also brings the second area of problems that we are seeing.  Bogus lotteries and fake checks are increasing at an alarming rate.  Even though we have warned people against these scams they continue to get victims.  These lotteries are all bogus and consumers need to throw them in the trash.  If you get any mail referring to a lottery winning do not respond.  If you respond you will get someone who will direct you to wire money for a number of fees or bogus taxes.  Some even send checks to cover the costs.  They look real but they are counterfeit and if you deposit them in your account they will bounce.  Your bank will hold you personally liable for the check.  The reality is that consumers are falling victim to these scams and are left with no money and no recourse.  It is almost impossible to track these scammers down. We are asking everyone to use caution when responding to calls, e-mails, and postal deliveries.  We are certainly not trying to scare anyone but the fact is people are continuing to fall victim.  If you or someone you know encounters something you feel is not legitimate, please call Bucks County Consumer Protection at 1-800-942-2669 before you respond.

Q.      I was living in a house with someone I thought was a friend for about nine months.  I thought we had an oral agreement that I could live there rent free and I would do the cleaning around the house.  Now after a terrible fight I was thrown out.  When I tried to get back into the house the police were called on me.  The police told me if I didn’t leave peacefully I would be arrested.  Don’t I have to be taken through District Court for an eviction?  B.W., Dublin

A.      No.  What you had with your friend is not consider a rental issue.  There would have to be some proof of rent being paid monthly.  Consumers who are considering renting should never rely on an oral agreement.  Make sure the lease is in writing.  Something else a consumer should do is keep a paper trail of the rent payments whether it is the canceled checks or receipt the landlord has signed.  For a free copy of the Landlord/Tenant act, please contact Bucks County Consumer Protection at 1-800-942-2669.    

Department of Consumer Protection /
Weights and Measures
Michael D. Bannon
Director
50 North Main Street
Doylestown, PA 18901
Phone: 215-348-7442
Fax: 215-348-4570
Canny Consumer Hotline 1-800-942-2669