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Why you should care about National Consumer Protection Week

In the aftermath of the recent, unprecedented data breach at Anthem Insurance, Connecticut Better Business Bureau says this National Consumer Protection Week (N...
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In the aftermath of the recent, unprecedented data breach at Anthem Insurance, Connecticut Better Business Bureau says this National Consumer Protection Week (NCPW) takes on a new sense of urgency for all consumers and businesses.

NCPW is a coordinated campaign which began yesterday and will run through Saturday. The week is devoted to helping consumers know their legal rights and aiding businesses in taking greater measures to prevent fraud.

According to Connecticut Better Business Bureau Executive Communications Director, Howard Schwartz, “Consumer protection has gone from being a subject of interest to a way of life. Businesses are going through a learning curve to better protect consumers’ data, and consumers are learning that they have to be more proactive about learning how to avoid fraud.”

Because so few of our transactions are done face-to-face, it can feel like we are at a disadvantage and be extremely frustrating to get a problem resolved through customer service. It is also a daunting task to find out who to contact for a given problem.

The centerpiece of NCPW is a website, www.ncpw.gov, which touches upon issues from consumers’ legal rights to how to spot and prevent scams. The site also hosts a consumer blog and has connections to a long list of resource partners, ranging from state and federal agencies to regulators, advocacy groups and non-profit organizations, including Better Business Bureau.

Consumers can research a company, charity or professional, find out what other consumers’ experiences have been like or file a complaint in the event of a dispute at www.bbb.org/connecticut.

Find out more about National Consumer Protection Week at ncpw.gov. Additional Connecticut-specific resources, regulations and tips are available from the Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection.

Howard Schwartz, Connecticut Better Business Bureau

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