BBB & Office of Consumer Affairs Join Forces to Educate the Community

Better Business Bureau Serving E. MA, ME, RI & VT (BBB) and the Massachusetts Office of Consumer Affairs and Business Regulation are working together to educate consumers on auto warranty services in the area.

BBB and the Office of Consumer Affairs have seen an increased pattern of third-party extended warranty scams. In the past year, BBB has received more than 500 complaints and over 94,000 inquiries regarding the auto warranty services industry. According to some complaints, consumers purchase an extended auto warranty after receiving an unsolicited offer over the phone. When contacting the business after purchasing the warranty, complainants realize that the number is out of service and have no way to get in touch with the solicitor to seek a refund.

As part of BBB's ongoing alliance with the Office of Consumer Affiars, the two organizations will continue to work together to inform consumers on how to detect and avoid scams involving auto warranties.

"BBB and the Office of Consumer Affairs are both popular services for finding and connecting with local businesses in the community," said Paula Fleming, Chief Marketing & Sales Officer for the local BBB. "This partnership brings together two strong organizations that are dedicated to helping the community make smart purchasing decisions."

"Our Office urges consumers not to purchase goods or services over the phone or online without first verifying the authenticity and credibility of the offerer, and the Better Business Bureau is a great resource to start with," Consumer Affairs Undersecretary John Chapman.

For more information you can trust, visit us at bbb.org or like us on Facebook.

ABOUT BBB: For more than 100 years, Better Business Bureau has been helping people find businesses and brands they can trust. In 2015, people turned to BBB more than 172 million times for BBB Business Reviews on more than 5.3 million businesses, all available for free at bbb.org.

The Council of Better Business Bureaus is the umbrella organization for the local, independent BBBs in the United States, Canada and Mexico, as well as home to its national and international programs on dispute resolution, advertising review, and industry self-regulation. BBB Serving Eastern Massachusetts, Maine, Rhode Island and Vermont was founded in 1920.

Paula Fleming is Chief Marketing & Sales Officer for Better Business Bureau Serving Eastern MA, ME, RI & VT. Find Paula on Google+.