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Consumer Protection

Consumer Protection: Advice from The Bucks County Consumer Advocates

April 2008

Q.  My friends and I want to hire a limo to take us to the prom.  My mother told me to call around and find a limo service.  I really don’t know what I’m looking for and neither do my friends.  They just laugh at me and leave it for me to do.  I’m running out of time.  Can you tell me how to go about hiring a good limo service? K.P., Levittown         

A.  What you want to do is call around and get at least three price quotes so you know that you aren’t paying way too much.  Charges can vary among companies.  Then check out the companies.  Any limousines operating in Pennsylvania must be licensed by the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission.  They must maintain adequate insurance coverage and adhere to vehicle safety regulations.  By definition limousines are luxury-type vehicles seating ten passengers or less, excluding the driver.  Limousines should have at a minimum:  air conditioning, AM/FM stereo, deluxe leather or fabric upholstery, deluxe wheels or wheel covers, four doors, and a wheelbase of at least 109 inches.  Ask about the other amenities that they have in the limousine.  Rates may be based on either mileage or time, or both.  Consumers should be advised of any and all charges including gratuities when quoted a rate for service.  Retain all paperwork received from the company such as service agreements and receipts.  Be sure the limousine company is licensed by the PUC.  Ask the company to provide their PUC number (if not listed in the phone book or advertisement).  To verify the validity of the company’s license, call the PUC District Office at 215-965-3721.  Consumers may also want to call Bucks County Consumer Protection at 1-800-942-2669 to see if there are any complaints.     

Q. I was at a senior expo last year and picked up a book called Consumer Action Handbook.  I found it to be very useful and full of great consumer information.  Unfortunately I lent it to my daughter and never got it back.  Can you tell me where I can get one or do you folks have any left?  M.B., Doylestown

A. If it was last year, then you had a 2007 edition.  Every year the Federal Citizen Information Center puts out a new edition.  Our office is currently out of the 2008 edition but we do have them on order.  If you have internet access you can go to www.consumeraction.gov and order a free 2008 edition directly from them.  If not you can call 1-888-878-3256, which is the Information Center’s toll free number and they can help you order one.  The Consumer Action website has lots of great information for consumers, and it is well worth your time to look it over.  The Federal Citizen Information Center website is www.pueblo.gsa.gov.  That site also offers consumers a wealth of information that is current and relevant to today’s issues.  The Consumer Action Handbook’s first sixty pages will give the consumer information on every consumer issue from A to Z.  From there it lists corporate contact information and Federal and state agencies for all fifty states.  It shows consumers how to deal with complaints and how to make savvy decisions on purchases.  It really is a quality publication and our office cannot say enough about it.  Our theory is an informed consumer is a smart consumer and the more you know the better the choices you make.

Q. The weather is starting to break and I would like to do some work around the outside of my home.  One of the big jobs I’m thinking about doing is getting a new driveway put in.  I have been looking into paving contractors, but there are so many to choose from in the phonebook.  I’m sure there are good ones out there, but there are so many stories of people getting ripped off.  What is your thought on pavers?  M.S., Levittown     

A.  There are definitely several pavers who give the business a bad name, but there are really good ones out there too.    Springtime is when they start coming out of the woodwork.  The ones to watch out for are the ones that come to your door to tell you that they have extra materials left over from another job in the area and they can give you a good deal.  Don’t settle for anything less then a written contract providing the information of what the job entails.  Verbal contracts are not wise.  If there are any problems it will be your word against the contractor.  Also, there is no way that the information you should have in a contract could fit on the back of a business card.  If you think I’m joking, I’m not.  Bucks County Consumer Protections has gotten complaints from consumers and all they had was some scribble on the back of a business card to stand as their contract.  Make sure you have an actual address for the business.  Most of the time the address is not printed in the phonebook or on their business cards or equipment, so make sure you ask for it if you don’t have it.  And whatever you do, don’t pay for the job until it is completely finished to your satisfaction.  Before you hire anyone to do any kind of work, consumers should call Bucks County Consumer Protection at 1-800-942-2669 to check on the business that they are interested in.     

Q.  Last week I was in my local drugstore and for the first time noticed a price verification permit.  It was issued by the County’s Weights and Measures Department.  I know that they check gas stations and scales because I have seen their seals.  But what is price verification?  P.M.D., Warrington

A.  Any store that uses a price scanner device must have their system inspected for accuracy.  The permit means that the store has met or exceeded Pennsylvania’s accuracy standards for price scanning.  The goal is 100% accuracy.  A test result of 98% or better is required to pass the inspection.  A test result of anything less then 98% will result in re-inspections every thirty days until the device passes.  If a store fails to pass after three inspections, higher level enforcement action will be taken by the Weights and Measures Department.  The law allows civil penalties up to $10,000 in cases of repeated inspection failures.  Under the Consolidated Weights and Measures Act this law took effect in February of 1997.  The law requires annual inspection of Universal Product Code (UPC) scanning systems and Price Look Up (PLU) devices.  These systems are very common now and most consumers recognize bar code technology.  The inspectors must select and check a random sample of items offered for sale.  In a store that has three scanners or less, a minimum of 25 items or more is required and stores that have three or more scanners must have a minimum of 50 items tested.  The Bucks County Weights and Measures Department works hard to create a fair and equitable marketplace. 

Department of Consumer Protection /
Weights and Measures
Michael D. Bannon
Director
50 North Main Street
Doylestown, PA 18901
Phone: 215-348-7442
Fax: 215-348-4570
Canny Consumer Hotline 1-800-942-2669