BBB showcases resources for National Consumer Protection Week
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Better Business Bureau is marking National Consumer Protection Week (NCPW) next week by highlighting its resources that advise consumers about spending money wisely and avoiding being scammed by con artists.
BBB is a proud sponsor of NCPW, during which hundreds of national and local organizations work together to educate consumers on the importance of taking control of and protecting their personal finances. The theme of this year’s NCPW is Dollars and Sense, which emphasizes consumer education for every stage of life – from grade school to retirement.
Connecticut Better Business Bureau President, Paulette Scarpetti, says BBB offers a wealth of advice to aid consumers manage their money and make smart choices in the marketplace.
“It is never too early or too late to learn how to take control of one’s finances. Most college students learn their first lessons the hard way when they find themselves struggling to make monthly payments on loaded credit cards.
“Adults have a lot to learn as well. Scammers work hard to find ways of exploiting technological advances to cheat people out of their money.”
BBB helps consumers shop smarter and safer, and offers advice if:
•You need every-day tips on how to manage your money and be a savvy consumer.
BBB has created hundreds of tips columns and consumer alerts on personal finance topics such as how to build a family budget, hire a contractor or avoid the latest scams at http://www.bbb.org/us/consumer-tips-index.
•You need help finding a business you can trust. The BBB Accredited Business Locator can help you find businesses in your area that uphold BBB’s rigorous standards and have made a commitment to support the work of BBB: http://www.bbb.org/us/bbb-accredited-businesses. There are nearly 400,000 BBB accredited businesses across North America including retailers, contractors and online businesses.
•You want to research a business before you buy. BBB maintains reports on nearly 4 million businesses across North America at www.bbb.org/us/Find-Business-Reviews. A business’s Reliability Report will tell you how many complaints the business has received, how they responded to complaints and their letter-grade rating reflecting BBB’s experience with the business.
•You have a dispute with a business. Not only is BBB here to help educate consumers before they buy, BBB can also lend a hand if you have a dispute with a business. Every year BBB receives hundreds of thousands of complaints from disgruntled consumers and is usually able to help resolve issues quickly and easily. https://odr.bbb.org/odrweb/public/getstarted.aspx
•You have been cheated by a scammer. While BBB is not a law enforcement agency and cannot arrest scammers or unscrupulous business owners, your complaint enables BBB to identify trends and warn other consumers and hopefully prevent them from being taken advantage of as well.
Check out all of the online resources and tools BBB provides at www.bbb.org. More information and advice also is available on the National Consumer Protection Week Web site, at http://consumer.gov/ncpw.
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