FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                                    March 3, 2008

HOME IMPROVEMENT CONTRACTORS # 1 CONSUMER COMPLAINT
Consumer Department recovers record amount on behalf of consumers

            Home improvement contractors continue to have the dubious distinction of being Westchester County’s number one consumer complaint.

To mark National Consumer Protection Week, County Executive Andy Spano today released the “Top 10 List” of consumer complaints from 2007 in Westchester and celebrated the record-setting amount of restitution obtained last year by the Department of Consumer Protection.

            Complaints about home improvement and repair (362 complaints), automobile dealers and furniture stores were atop the list of over 1,300 complaints received by the county. Next on the list were food stores, department stores and professional services.

But all was not lost for many of the complaining consumers – the Department of Consumer Protection recovered an all-time high of $975,000 in restitution for consumers in 2007, an increase of 36 percent over the prior year.

“If you have a problem, you don’t have to fight it alone,” said Spano.

            To receive further information or to file a consumer complaint, log onto the department’s website, www.westchestergov.com/consumer, or call (914) 995-2155.

         According to Gary Brown, director of Consumer Protection, most of the complaints against home improvement contractors involved firms that were unlicensed, in violation of county law.

“The county takes a zero- tolerance approach with respect to these unlicensed contractors,” said Brown.    “Last year we conducted our first-ever undercover sting of unlicensed contractors, in which county police set up a ‘sting’ house, posed as homeowners, contacted unlicensed contractors and invited them to bid on various

projects. Our inspectors also conducted countywide sweeps looking for unlicensed home improvement contractors.  And, for the first time, we just seized a vehicle from an unlicensed contractor using the county’s new  ‘Seizure/Impound’ law.” 

 The department also emphasizes prevention by providing the latest consumer tips and advice.

            “Whether it’s making sure that recalled toys have actually been removed from store shelves, launching new crackdowns and stings targeting unlicensed home improvement contractors, uncovering the presence of lead in children’s jewelry, or investigating the sale of outdated foods in area supermarkets, the Department of Consumer Protection is at the forefront of protecting the safety, security and pocketbook of Westchester consumers,” said Spano.

  The department’s Web section,  www.westchestergov.com/consumer, is constantly updated with useful information such as how to prevent identity theft, how to protect your privacy, how to hire a home improvement contractor, and how to choose the health club that’s right for you.  The Web also has a searchable database of licensed home improvement contractors and a regularly updated survey of gasoline and home heating oil prices throughout the county.

            In addition, the department conducts public education campaigns on important issues such as how to choose the credit card that best suits your needs, the pitfalls of credit cards for college students, how to reap the health benefits of eating fish while avoiding the health risks of mercury, and how to avoid scams that target seniors.

            Through its Weights and Measures Division, the department also inspects and certifies the accuracy of all weighing and measuring devices used in the marketplace, including supermarket scales and scanners, gasoline pumps and heating oil delivery meters.

WESTCHESTER’S TOP 10 CONSUMER COMPLAINTS

1. Home improvement and repair

2. Automobile dealers

3. Furniture stores

4. Food stores (pricing, scanner accuracy, outdated merchandise, rain checks)

5. Department stores

6. Professional services

7. Utilities

8. Manufacturers (consumer products)

9. Wireless phones

10. Appliance stores