Every time we purchase something there is the possibility of a problem.
The product might be faulty. The product might be dangerous for children and not marked accordingly.The store where we bought the product from might be substandard or proposing sale priced items in the media and not standing behind the sale prices. Our credit card number might be illegally recorded and fraudulent charges made. Honestly, when you stop to think about it, buying something can be very scary.
The good news is that there is a government agency to protect us. It is called the Albany County Department of Consumer Affairs. They are the people to call if you suspect you have been cheated in a business transaction.FunctionAccording to its website, http://www.albanycounty.com/departments/consumeraffairs/default.
asp?id=192, the Albany County Department of Consumer Affairs is dedicated to the protection of Albany County consumers and businesses alike. They provide useful tips, a list of services and other information to assist the consumer in making educated, informed decisions in the marketplace. Their overall mission is to remove or reduce the risks associated with being a consumer on a daily basis.In short, they are the place to go with complaints between and among consumers and businesses operating in Albany County.Run by Thomas Fitzpatrick, the Commissioner of the Department of Consumer Affairs is located at 112 State Street, at the County Office Building in Albany. They offer a myriad of services.
One of the most important services they offer is consumer education. Available are a large variety of brochures for consumers to learn their rights.These brochures include pricing law information (to ensure that prices are clearly marked on products) for both products and services, problem resolution step-by-step procedures, identity theft protection information, predatory lending protection (this is the practice of mortgage loans priced above the prime competitive market) information, tips for working with home contractors, and sample complaint letters for consumers to use in formulating their own.This is the consumer’s first stop in their fight for justice if they have been violated. The Department advocates the peaceful and non-judicial form of action to rectify problems, starting with direct contact to the store or business where the problem originated. If that is not successful, then writing a complaint letter is the next step.
If there is still no success, they recommend involving their Department and/or initiating legal action as the last resort steps.The other important function of the Department of Consumer Affairs is the programs and services branch. Perhaps the most interesting part of their function, this is the branch that tests, retests and evaluates quality.The Department of Consumer Affairs conducts commodities inspections to ensure that all eligible stores adhere to NYS Agriculture and Markets Law. Goods for sale are inspected to ensure that they meet advertised weight.
Failure to comply with the law may result in fines. A current list of inspection violations is available on their website and they appear to be hefty. For example, Hanaford’s grocery store has had two fines in April, 2008, both for their club roll sandwiches. For exceeding the maximum variance allowed, they were fined $1400 and for short weight they were fined $200.
The Department of Consumer Affairs also conducts octane testing. They travel to random filling stations in Albany County to see that every gasoline pump and gas station in Albany County adheres to the New York State Clean Air Act and all local laws. Gasoline sold for use in combustible engines is tested to ensure that it meets the advertised level of octane. A list of the stations tested is available on the site and, fortunately, each of the stations tested recently has passed.
