Mayor's Office of Consumer Information (MOCI)Working in Cooperation with the Massachusetts Attorney General's Office City Hall, Room 315 The Mayor’s Office of Consumer Information (“MOCI”) is funded by and works in cooperation with the Massachusetts Office of the Attorney General to help consumers resolve complaints who otherwise have to seek legal recourse through the court system. It serves residents of the City of Springfield and its surrounding cities and towns throughout Hampden County. The MOCI cannot guarantee the outcome of a complaint but ensures that it will, with the cooperation of both parties, strive to effectively mediate the complaint in hopes of reaching an amicable resolution. Since 2000 MOCI has handled over 9000 complaints, recovered over $10 million dollars for consumers in the form of a refund or credit and held hundreds of community outreach events. Services provided throughout Hampden County: The MOCI provides education, referral and informal mediation services at no cost to consumers. Mediation provides consumers and businesses the opportunity to address and resolve disputes, although no legal advice or services are provided. Spanish-speaking staff is available. Walk-ins are welcomed from 9 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. The MOCI staff will educate consumers on their rights in many consumer-related areas and has an array of brochures readily available. Following is a list of some of the areas the MOCI can assist with: Lemon Laws To speak to a consumer advocate to learn of your consumer rights, seek advice on how to resolve your dispute or to request mediation, call (413) 787-6437. To file a formal complaint, download the complaint form. In addition, the MOCI provides consumer-related educational outreach to Hampden County area schools and colleges, senior centers and civic agencies, free of charge. Topics of interest include, but are not limited to, Identity Theft, Credit, Buying a Car and Home Improvement. To request a speaker, download the speaker request form. Forms for DownloadComplaint form – Please contact MOCI at (413) 787-6437 before submitting this form. To file your complaint electronically directly with the Massachusetts Attorney General's Office, click here: AGO Complaint Form Speaker request form – Please contact Program Director, Milagros S. Johnson about speaking to your organization. You may reach her at (413) 787-6437 or email moci@springfieldcityhall.com. Consumer LinksFacing Foreclosure? The MA Attorney General's HomeCorps may be able to help: AGO HomeCorps Initiative To learn of your consumer protection rights, fraud and corruption, civil rights, and promoting meaningful economic recovery, visit: Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office: Consumer Protection For additional consumer protection information (Lemon laws and home improvement) visit: Massachusetts Office of Consumer Affairs & Business Regulation Identity theft is the fastest growing crime in America. Learn how to deter, detect and defend against it, visit: Federal Trade Commission: Identity Theft Are you planning on buying or leasing a vehicle? Get empowered before buying or leasing your car or having it repaired: Car Smart: Consumer’s Guide to Buying, Leasing, Repairing a Car Did you know that you are entitled to a free annual copy of your three credit reports, with no strings attached? Be sure not to use a public computer or WiFi and allow at least 15 minutes for the process. Securely request your free credit reports from Annual Credit Report: Annual Credit Reports Are you feeling overwhelmed with pre-approved credit card offers in your mailbox? Did you know that they put you at risk of identity theft? To stop receiving pre-approved credit card offers, click here: Opt-Out of pre-approved credit card offers Would you like to reduce the volume of junk mail in your mailbox? You can actually stop junk mail by clicking here: Stop Junk Mail To stop telemarketing calls to your home or mobile telephone, register at: National Do Not Call Registry Are debt collectors harassing you at home or work? Learn what you can do to stop the calls and to learn of your consumer rights: Fair Debt Collection Every household should have what's often refered to as the, "Consumer Bible." Here's how you can obtain yours: 2012 Consumer Action Handbook There is now accountability for predatory lending. The CFPB will "Educate, Enforce and Study" consumer issues. Visit their website at: Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Before doing business with a merchant, you may want to first check its ratings and complaint history with the Better Business Bureau |
Director of Mayor's Office of Consumer InformationMillagros S. Johnson  Consumer Beware!Before responding to an ad in the classifieds, be sure that the contractor and the type of work you're hiring for meets the state requirements. Home Improvement Contractor Registration/License. Summer Internship PositionThe Mayor's Office of Consumer Information is looking for college students for a summer internship opportunity for school credit or volunteer work. Contact Millagros S. Johnson for further information. call 413-787-6437 or email moci@springfieldcityhall.com This is an excellent hands-on learning experience in the field of conflict resolution. A word from our recent student intern: "My time here at the Mayor's Office of Consumer Information has been a huge learning experience overall. I have only been here for 12 hours a week for three months and I feel as If I have learned a lifetime of consumer information. Not only have I gained experience in an office setting, but also knowledge on being a smart consumer. None of these things would have been possible if it was not for the tremendous expertise and supervision of Millagros S. Johnson and her assistant Barbara Peugh. I highly recommend this internship for credit or simply for volunteering for any college student. You will not regret it." RR  Happy Spring!Spring has finally arrived. If you're planning on home improvement projects in and around your home, be sure to begin doing your homework now. Home Improvement Contracting Question of the WeekQ: I have a suggestion for your website. Where do I submit it? A: If you have any suggestions regarding helpful content and information to be posted on our website, you can email us at moci@springfieldcityhall.com or mention us on Twitter @SpringfieldLCP. We are here to empower you as consumers and we are always open to suggestions. Consumer EducationWhat is a Credit Score is based on? Your credit score, often referred to as "FICO score" is a grade of how you manage your credit. Credit scores can range from 300-850 -- the higher the better. The score is based on the following five (5) categories: History of Payments (35%): The story behind whether you pay your bills on time, or not. Balance and Available Credit (30%): The ratio between your outstanding debt and available credit. Maxing out your credit cards has a negative result. Try not to use more than 30% of your credit limit to avoid an adverse rating. Length of Credit History (15%): The longer you've have the account, the higher the number. New Credit (10%): Each time you apply for credit is considered a hard inquiry, resulting in lowering your credit score. Social MediaConnect with us on Social Media...Tweets are informative, current & empowering. We will keep you up-to-date on consumer news: local and state-wide, warn of scams and fraud and much more. Follow us here: @SpringfieldLCP
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Page last updated: Wednesday, March 27, 2013 03:22 pm