CHOOSE A TOPIC FTC BUR. OF CONSUMER PROTECTION JACKSONVILLE DEPT. CONS. AFFAIRS TENN. DEPT. OF CONSUMER AFFAIRS CAL. ATTY. GEN. CONS. INFO. PAGE FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION (FTC) NORFOLK DEPT. OF CONS. AFFAIRS CAL. ATTY. GEN. PUBLIC INQ. UNIT MASS. OFFICE OF CONS. AFFAIRS SECURITIES & EXCHANGE COMM. U.C. GOVERNMENT INFOMINE FTC CONSUMER LINE

Government consumer protection agencies; a real help or a waste of time? by Bill Baker, J.D. Federal, state, and local government agencies are political creatures subject to budget cuts, the whims of public opinion, and political change. As a result of the unstable atmosphere in which these agencies exist there is a lack of continuity. Some of these agencies are about as reliable as one of the ACME bombs or rocket sleds Wile Coyote uses in his attempts to catch the ever-elusive Roadrunner while others operate with laser precise efficiency. The service you receive from any particular government employee can run the gamut between extraordinary, beyond the call of duty, lay his or her life down for his or her country type service to lazy, no-account, I don't give a dam, kick the dog, I don't have to help anybody dereliction of duty. You don't have to work to get excellent service from top notch government agencies and you have to work like you had a second or third job to get any service from poorly run government offices. A point to be made here is that you are also a consumer when it comes to government services. When you get poor service or no service at all don't put up with it. If you aren't being served, complain. Start with the person's supervisor and work your way as far up the chain of command as is necessary to resolve your problem. The fact of the matter is that if you have a complaint you probably won't have to go too far up the chain of command to get your complaint dealt with because most government agencies are working hard to improve service and their public image. When dealing with government agencies be persistent; follow up on your complaints and inquiries. Put your communication(s) in writing. When you mail an important request, file a complaint, or make a filing, mail it by Certified Mail so there is a record of when your correspondence was mailed, who it was mailed to, and when it was received. If you send your message by fax maintain a copy of your fax log. Make sure you contact all agencies having jurisdiction over the subject matter you are concerned about. Many local, state, and Federal agencies have overlapping jurisdictions so if you can't get service at the agency you contact, you may be able to get what you need through a different local, state, or Federal agency. In other words, exhaust all of your possibilities. START HERE The links presented on the right side of this page are good starting points for learning about government agencies that can assist you with your investment or financial services related questions or problems. Use these links as well as internet search engines, such as: Yahoo!, Lycos, or Excite. Thanks for visiting WEBtown's Government Agencies web page. If you have any comments or suggestions about this web page please send them to us. GO TO THE TOP OF THIS PAGE Copyright © 1996 WM. BAKER ASSOCIATES All Rights Reserved