BBB Can Help You Become A Savvier Consumer
March 7 is the kickoff to National Consumer Protection Week (NCPW) and Better Business Bureau is a proud supporter of the nationwide effort to help the public become savvier consumers. For anyone looking for advice on how to spend money wisely, Hawaii’s BBB is here to help, not just during National Consumer Protection Week but all year long.
“Even as our economy begins to recover, consumers need to take control of their spending habits and be vigilant against fraud and scams,” said Dwight Kealoha, chief executive officer of Hawaii’s BBB. “We encourage everyone to take time to get educated during National Consumer Protection Week and keep BBB in mind as a resource to help protect their hard earned dollars through the rest of the year.”
During NCPW in Hawaii, dozens of local organizations work together to educate consumers on the importance of taking control of their personal finances. Hawaii’s BBB will be part of the NCPW Consumer Fair at the King Kalakaua Building Courtyard in Honolulu on Thursday, March 11. The theme of this year’s NCPW is Dollars and Sense, Rated A for All Ages and highlights consumer education for every stage of life—from grade school to retirement.
Hawaii’s BBB helps consumers shop smarter and safer in many ways, including:
- Offering advice on how to manage your money and be a savvy consumer. BBB has created hundreds of tips columns and consumer alerts on personal finance topics such as how to build a family budget, hire a contractor, or avoid the latest scams. Advice you can trust is available online at hawaii.bbb.org.
- Helping you find trustworthy businesses. The BBB Accredited Business locator can help you find businesses that uphold BBB’s rigorous standards and have made a commitment to support the work of BBB.
- Providing reports on businesses before you buy. BBB has reports on nearly 4 million businesses across North America. A business’s reliability report will tell you how many complaints the business has received, how they responded to complaints and the letter-grade rating reflecting BBB’s experience with the business.
- Helping you resolve a dispute with a business. Not only is BBB here to help educate consumers before they buy, BBB can also lend a hand if you have a dispute with a business. Every year Hawaii’s BBB receives tens of thousands of complaints from disgruntled consumers and is usually able to help resolve the issue quickly and easily.
- Warning consumers of scammers. BBB isn’t a law enforcement agency and cannot arrest scammers or unscrupulous businesses, but your complaint helps BBB to identify trends and warn consumers, and hopefully prevent others from being taken advantage of as well.
Check out all of the online resources and tools BBB provides at hawaii.bbb.org. Consumer information and advice is also available on the National Consumer Protection Week Web site.
Established in 1945, Hawaii’s Better Business Bureau® (BBB) is the local authority on trust in the marketplace. BBB is an unbiased, nonprofit organization that sets and upholds high standards for fair and honest business behavior. Only businesses and charities that meet and adhere to BBB standards can receive BBB accreditation. Hawaii’s BBB provides objective advice, free business and charity reports, and educational resources on topics affecting marketplace trust. BBB also offers fair and timely dispute resolution programs for consumers and businesses. BBB resources are available online at bbb.org.