Resolving Disputes Through the Attorney General’s Office

March 2, 2018

Have you hired a contractor to perform home repairs that weren’t provided as promised? Maybe you saw an ad for a “buy one, get one free” sale, but the seller doubled the price of the first item overnight. If you have a consumer problem you can’t resolve on your own, the Ohio Attorney General’s Office may be able to help.

The Ohio Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Section is here to ensure that Ohio consumers are protected in the marketplace, and it takes complaints from consumers about suspected unfair or deceptive sales practices.

The next time you don’t see eye-to-eye with a business, first contact the business directly. Consider writing the business a letter that explains your concern and how the business could satisfactorily resolve the problem. Give the business a deadline. If that fails to resolve the complaint, call the Ohio Attorney General’s Help Center at 800-282-0515, or file a complaint on the Attorney General’s website. We are here to help.

Your complaint may be placed in our informal dispute resolution process. It is through this process where Ohio consumers have the most direct contact with the Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Section. In 2017, the section received more than 22,000 complaints, and complaint specialists worked one-on-one with consumers and businesses, often arriving at positive resolutions.

After receiving a complaint, a complaint specialist will attempt to resolve the dispute by working with the consumer and the business. The specialist will send an initial supplier letter, which gives the supplier 10 days to respond to the complaint. If we don’t receive a response within that time period, a second letter will be sent to the supplier giving the supplier an additional 10 days.

Complaint specialists are trained to identify problems. If there appears to be a consistent pattern of deceptive behavior, the office may investigate further and possibly take legal action against the supplier on behalf of all Ohioans. This legal action can be taken in order to stop current bad conduct, prevent future misconduct, or obtain civil penalties.