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CONSUMER TIP:  Under Contruction    Abatement order issued for Appliance Repair Company

The District Court of Maryland issued an Order for Abatement in October 2008 for Montgomery Maytag, LLC to prohibit the company from performing any appliance repairs in Montgomery County until the firm receives a license. The company has continued to operate in violation of the court order. Montgomery County’s Office of Consumer Protection has received five complaints from consumers against Richard Frederick Buls, Jr. trading under several names, including “Montgomery Maytag Service, LLC,” “Maytag Service” and “R.F. Buls, Jr.” for failure to properly repair household appliances. Civil citations were issued to the merchant for failure to be properly licensed to perform appliance repairs in Montgomery County

Consumer Protection Issues Warning About Door-to-Door Sales of Water Treatment Systems

Montgomery County’s Office of Consumer Protection (OCP) advises residents to beware of unscrupulous door-to-door salespeople selling water treatment systems by misrepresenting themselves to be government employees. OCP recently received complaints from four Spanish-speaking consumers in Silver Spring who reported that salespeople knocked on their doors claiming to be County government inspectors there to test the drinking water in their homes. Upon investigation, OCP determined that these individuals were unlicensed door-to-door vendors selling water treatment systems costing thousands of dollars. In addition, the water treatment systems they sold were later installed by unlicensed plumbers. For Press Release in Spanish, click here.

Consumer Protection Office Launches Webpage Providing Domestic Workers Model Contract

Montgomery County’s Office of Consumer Protection (OCP) has launched a webpage that provides a domestic workers model contract, disclosure statement, resource links and information regarding the new law that protects the rights of domestic workers in Montgomery County. The law was passed in July of last year and goes into effect on January 18, 2009. The new site enables employers and domestic workers to print a written contract that complies with all of the provisions of the law. The contract can be printed in English, Spanish or French.

 

 Certified Electrical Products -- What Should Consumers Look For?

Montgomery County's Fire and Rescue Service and Office of Consumer Protection (OCP) announced that they have found and removed electrical space heaters and extension cords, as well as other potentially dangerous electrical items being sold throughout Montgomery County that were not properly tested and certified. County and State laws provide that it is illegal to sell electrical products unless they are clearly labeled with the symbol from a certified testing laboratory.

Consumers can check to see if items have been tested by a certified testing laboratory by checking the Maryland State Fire Marshal's website for a full list of approved testing laboratories. You can also check to see if products are certified by Underwriters Laboratories (UL) or Electrical Testing Laboratories (ETL) by going to their websites.

Gift Card Reports        

Office of Consumer Protection has issued its fifth annual gift card study. "Gift Cards 2007: Best and Worst Retail Cards; A Deeper View of Bank Cards Doesn't Improve Their Look."  The report contains valuable information and recommendations regarding gift cards issued by 22 major retailers and restaurant chains and 20 bank card issuers.

2006 "Gift Cards 2006: Retail Cards Continue to Improve (with Prodding); Bank Cards Still Have Problems."