Did you know that Bucks County government has a department focused on assisting consumers?
The Bucks County Consumer Protection and Weights and Measures Department, which is one of just a few similar teams in the state, operates to offer advice and assistance.
The Bucks County Commissioners issued a proclamation Wednesday to mark Consumer Protection Week.
The consumer protection team provides advice and mediation for a wide range of resident disputes.
According to longtime director Mike Bannon, the department’s workload often includes landlord-tenant conflicts, warranty disputes, and issues involving home improvement contractors.
According to longtime director Mike Bannon, the department’s workload often includes landlord-tenant conflicts, warranty disputes, and issues involving home improvement contractors.
“The Bucks County Consumer Protection Department can help residents with all sorts of different problems,” Bannon said. “There’s a great team that are right here behind me and ready to help residents with any kind of consumer-related problem.”
The department’s reach is expanding through a new collaboration with Bucks County District Attorney Joe Khan’s office.
A newly established civil division within the prosecutor’s office will now focus on consumer protection litigation and provide additional support to Bannon’s team.
Elizabeth Oquendo, the district attorney’s office chief of civil enforcement, will head the prosecutorial side of the some complaints.
Oquendo brings state-level experience to the role and has served as a senior deputy attorney general for the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office Public Protection Division. She also served as a former Bucks County deputy solicitor.
“I’m certainly thrilled to be back at the county working for DA Khan to expand a new practice area of the district attorney’s office, which is a civil division,” Oquendo said. “The bulk of my work will be working with our Office of Consumer Protection to be able to bring civil litigation in support of our Bucks County consumers.”
Commissioner Gene DiGirolamo credited the Bucks County Consumer Protection and Weights and Measures Department’s accessibility as a vital resource for constituents navigating financial or contractual headaches.
“Whenever I get a question and people don’t know where to go, I always call you up first because you always figure out a way to help people, you and your staff,” DiGirolamo told Bannon during the meeting. “I just want to thank you very much for all the good work that you do on behalf of the people who live here in Bucks County.”
The annual Consumer Protection Week serves as a campaign to bolster consumer education and fraud prevention as the marketplace continues to evolve.
More information on the Bucks County Consumer Protection and Weights and Measures Department can be found on the county website or by calling 1-800-942-2669.
This article appears courtesy of a content share agreement between Central Bucks Now and LevittownNow. To read more stories like this, visit https://www.levittownnow.com.
