Follow us on “The DCA Page,” Facebook, and Twitter for great tips all week starting March 3!
DCA’s great resources, programs, publications, social media alerts, and much more are available year-round, but pay special attention March 3-9 during National Consumer Protection Week (#NCPW2019) as we spotlight valuable tools!
We’re proud to be a partner during the 21st annual National Consumer Protection Week, a coordinated campaign that encourages consumers nationwide to take full advantage of their consumer rights and make better-informed decisions. Here are some of the ways DCA helps you do that:
Licensing for protection—We all know someone who’s had a bad experience with an unlicensed or unscrupulous contractor who does sloppy work, lacks proper insurance, or takes money upfront and disappears, or leaves the job incomplete. That’s why you’ve heard our mantra “check the license” repeatedly, because this is one way consumers can help protect themselves from frauds, scams, and financial harm. Licensing tells you that the person you are dealing with has met certain qualifications and levels of competency, and offers a remedy if a service is not delivered or work is not acceptable. Through its boards, bureaus, committees, and other entities, DCA regulates many industries and the people licensed to work in them. Check a license or file a complaint against a licensee by calling our Consumer Information Center at (800) 952-5210 or visit www.dca.ca.gov.
Consumer education, enforcement, and special programs—DCA staff educates consumers by giving them the information they need to avoid unscrupulous or unqualified people who promote deceptive or unsafe services. We do this through award-winning consumer publications, social media, blogs, Senior Scam StopperSM seminars from the Contractors State License Board, the Auto Body Inspection Program from the Bureau of Automotive Repair, the Veterans Come First Program from the Bureau of Security and Investigative Services, and many others. DCA also advocates consumer interests before lawmakers and enforces consumer laws. Our enforcement staff works with the California Attorney General’s Office and local district attorneys to fight fraud in the marketplace. In fact, many investigations are initiated by consumer complaints. If DCA determines wrongdoing, it can place licensees on probation, or suspend or revoke licenses.
Dispute resolution—When a dispute arises between a customer and a business in certain industries under DCA’s jurisdiction, alternative methods are available for resolving complaints without going to court in which the involved parties can work out a solution with the help of a mediator. Learn more on our website at www.dca.ca.gov or get our publication titled, Who We Are and What We Do. For a free printed copy, call the DCA Publications Hotline at (866) 320-8652.
Watch this quick video to see what DCA does for you.
Find more consumer resources at www.dca.ca.gov, https://oag.ca.gov/, www.consumer.ftc.gov, and #NCPW2019.
