Health & Human Services

Consumer Protection/Weights & Measures:

The Division of Consumer Protection/Weights & Measures is a local enforcement agency. Our inspectors use highly accurate equipment to inspect scales, meters, scanning equipment, and packaged products. They inspect a wide range of businesses including supermarkets, gasoline stations, packing plants, and lumber yards.

Consumer Protection/Weights & Measures also educates consumers and protects consumers' interests in the marketplace in daily commodity purchases and enforces the NJ Consumer Fraud Act. Additionally, consumer protection is provided for all items purchased by weight or measure through routine inspection and complaint follow up. For more information, call (856) 374-6001.

***Consumer Alert***

The Camden County Board of Freeholders
in cooperation with the U.S. Products Safety Commission
announces a voluntary toy recall of the following products:

List of Toys (pdf format)

Complaint Form & Instructions

Instructions

Form

Weights & Measures

Almost everything we buy is sold by weight, volume, length, count or measure. For example .... a dozen eggs, a liter of soda, a yard of cloth, a gallon of milk, a pound of hamburger, a cord of fire wood. Since we don't carry a scale or measuring tape with us, how can we be sure a pound is a pound and an inch is an inch?

In 1911 Governor Woodrow Wilson established the Office of Weights and Measures to protect the citizens of New Jersey. Part of the Division of Consumer Affairs, under the Department of Law and Public Safety, Weights and Measures' officials work to keep the marketplace honest by using highly accurate equipment to inspect scales, meters, scanning equipment, gasoline station pumps and lumber yards throughout the state. Weighing or measuring devices are not permitted to be used for commercial purposes unless they are registered with the Office of Weights and Measures.

Because of the inspections and investigations conducted by the men and women of Weights and Measures, New Jersey consumers can have confidence when shopping.

However, consumers should also pay attention when making purchases. Small, seemingly insignificant errors can add up.

Scales and Scanners

• Always check for the Weights and Measures seal, indicating a scale has been tested. Each registered business also receives a Registration Certificate which should be prominently displayed.
• Check to make sure scales are set at zero prior to weighing produce. If the weight display on a scale indicates a weight when there is nothing on the scale, bring this to the vendor's attention. Any weight indicated on the scale prior to weighing of your item will result in additional cost to you.
• Be cautious of scales which appear to be in poor condition. Scales with broken glass or those which are not level are more likely to be in error.
• Make sure the shelf price or advertised price agrees with the scanner price on your receipt.

Home Heating Oil

• Request a specific delivery date and plan to be home at that time.
• Make sure the meter register reads all zeros before delivery begins.
• When the delivery is completed, compare the delivered gallons printed on the ticket with the gallons indicated on the meter register.

Gas Pumps

• Check for the seal indicating that the dispensers have been tested by Weights & Measures.
• Make sure the price on the sign is the same as the price on the pump.
• Make sure attendants have reset the pump to zero before filling your tank.
• Check to make sure your receipt matches what the pump registers prior to signing your credit card form.

Propane

• When having your propane cylinder (the type used for barbecuing) filled by weight, make sure the weight of the cylinder and any remaining propane is not part of the total weight you are paying for.

Timing Devices

• The Office of Weights and Measures registers approximately 155,000 timing devices (vehicle parking meters, laundry drying/washing machines, tire air pumps, car wash vacuums, etc.) annually. " Check for seals and certificates indicating devices have been inspected.

If you have a problem with a weights and measures issue, try to resolve it with the manager or owner. If they can't resolve your problem to your satisfaction, contact the Camden County Department of Health & Human Services, Division of Consumer Protection/Weights & Measures at 856-374-6001

To file a complaint, call or write to the Division of Consumer Protection/Weights & Measures at DiPiero Center, Lakeland Road, P.O. Box 9, Blackwood, NJ 08012. You can also email our offices at Consumer Protection

Information Security

For more information on Identify Theft, Privacy Policy and an ID Theft Affidavit, please click here: www.ftc.gov/ftc/privacy.htm or www.consumer.gov/idtheft/index.html.

Consumer Alerts

Disaster Scams

In the aftermath of a disaster, there are those who will prey upon consumers using marketing scams, deceptive door-to-door sales, home improvement scams and misleading solicitation for non-existent charities. While it is impossible to list all scams that might develop, some are:

• Telephone sales of "Disaster Relief Kits"
• Fictitious fund-raising for disaster victims
• Prize promotion schemes where funds supposedly go to victims
• People falsely claiming they can help process disaster relief for a fee
• Advance fee loans for those in need of money to begin home repairs
• The traditional door-to-door home repair scams
• Phony inspectors actually selling unnecessary items like home water treatment systems
  
  

CONSUMER TIPS

Home Improvement Contractor Registration

The Contractors’ Registration Act, signed into law in May 2004 and amended in November 2004, requires for the first time in this State oversight of those who perform certain kinds of residential construction and also for some who provide certain services at the homes of New Jersey residents.

The law requires contractors engaged in the business of selling or making home improvements to register with the Division of Consumer Affairs by December 31, 2005. Click on www.state.njus/lps/ca/contractor.htm to read the details of this new law.

Getting What You Pay For
http://www.pueblo.gsa.gov/cic_text/money/whatupay/whatupay.htm

Kelly Blue Book – Find out what your car is worth or how much to pay for the vehicle you want to purchase
http://www.kbb.com/

For a minimal fee Car fax will tell you everything about the vehicle you want to purchase. Just input the VIN (Vehicle Identification Number) and Car Fax will tell you how many owners the vehicle had, if it was ever in an accident, flood or salvaged and many details about the vehicle
http://www.carfax.com/cfm/general_check.cfm?partner=OCF_3&CMP=KNC-Overture

Home Repair

As floodwaters recede, you may discover that your flood-damaged home or business needs extensive repairs. Unfortunately, fraudulent home repair companies flock to your area. As you rush to make your home or office inhabitable again, use good judgment. Protect yourself from dishonest home repair contractors by calling the Camden County Consumer Protection Office at (856) 374-6161. For contractors located outside the Camden County area, please call the State of N.J. Office of Consumer Affairs at 1-800-242-5846. These agencies will be able to advise you whether any complaints have been filed against the particular contractor you were anticipating using. Also:

• Beware of home improvement contractors who say they are licensed - there is no such license in New Jersey. However, home repair contractors offering financing for home repair work must be licensed by the N.J. Department of Banking and Insurance: (609) 292-5360.
• If you let someone inspect your home, go with them and make sure you get a second opinion fro a reputable source before you sign a contract to have the work done. Always ask for identification. Representatives of utilities and reputable businesses will have proper identification. When in doubt, look up the company's number in the phone book and call to verify the identity of the worker.
• If a contractor requests advance payments or large cash deposits, don't provide them unless you have checked out the contractor's credentials and have a written contract with a description of the work to be performed, the total cost, and guarantees on labor and materials.
• Do not accept verbal agreements. Get a copy of the contract before paying and a receipt afterward. Common complaints involve payment for repairs and work that never gets started or completed.
• Avoid transient repair contractors. If you hire a contractor make sure you get names, addresses (no P.O. Boxes), phone numbers, license plate number and vehicle descriptions. If a problem does occur, this information will help law enforcement locate the contractor.
• When you pay your contractor ask for a lien waiver. A lien waiver is a receipt that states that the works and material suppliers will not ask you for money once you have paid the contractor. Beware of any request by a contractor to have you sign a statement that says that you will cover the costs of materials and labor if the contractor does not pay.
• All permits must be obtained by the contractor, not the homeowner. However, the contractor will charge you for the price of the permit.
• If hiring a plumber or electrician, make sure he or she is licensed. Ask to see their license identification card.

Remember, if an offer is good "now or never", you can bet it will never be good.

Auto Repair

Under the best of circumstances, automobile repair complaints top Consumer Affairs' list of complaints. Each year thousands of complaints are logged. The majority involves overcharging, poor workmanship and deceptive practices.

As you start looking for a repair shop to repair your water-damaged car, you need to remember to thoroughly check out repair shops.

• Check to see if the shop is accredited by the Motorist Assurance Program (MAP). MAP is an industry-sponsored organization that has established Uniform Inspection Guidelines for inspecting vehicles and recommending repairs.
• Get a cost estimate in writing and instruct the mechanic to call for authorization before making repairs not listed on the original repair order.
• If you believe the mechanic has recommended unnecessary work or you are dissatisfied with the estimate, get a second estimate.
• If the work is guaranteed, get all the warranty information in writing on the repair order or bill.

Charitable Solicitations

While there are numerous legitimate organizations providing relief to flood victims, history has shown that con artists move in to collect funds for non-existent charities and then pocket the money and run. How can you protect yourself?

• By law, all charities soliciting money in New Jersey must be registered with the New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs' Charitable Registration Unit. Call the Charities Hotline at (973) 504-6215 to make sure the charity soliciting you are legitimate.
• Don't give cash. Write a check and make it out to the charity.
• Don't give your credit card number to strangers over the phone.
• Legitimate charities will give you time to decide whether to donate and how much.
  

Price Gouging

When a disaster occurs there may be temporary shortages of essentials. When those circumstances arise, some individuals may attempt to charge exorbitant prices for such goods. If you feel you are paying excessive prices for goods or services you may file a complaint with the Camden County Consumer Protection Office.

How To File A Complaint

To file a complaint about auto repair, home repair or price gouging, contact the Camden County Consumer Protection Office at (856) 374-6161.

To file a complaint against an electrician, call the Board of Electrical Contractors at (973) 504-6410.

To file a complaint against a plumber, call the Board of Master Plumbers at 9973) 594-6420.

Consumer Information

“2004/2005 Consumer Action Handbook (FREE)”

Order this invaluable FREE booklet, printed by the Federal Government, on everything you need to know about your rights in the marketplace.

Write to:
Handbook Citizen Information Center
Pueblo, CO 81009

Or

Call: 1 (888) 878 3256

Or

Online: www.pueblo.gsa.gov

You can also visit the Consumer Action Website at www.consumeraction.gov for weekly updates.

Product Recalls, Scams, Alerts, Etc.


U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission Product Recalls and much more

Federal Trade Commission Scam information, identity theft and much more

Federal Communications Commission Media, wireless telecommunications, landlines and much more

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