This week, March 1-7, 2015, the FCC is celebrating National Consumer Protection Week (NCPW), joining with a coalition of more than 85 consumer advocacy groups and federal, state and local government agencies in a coordinated campaign to help raise awareness about consumer protection. Together we’re encouraging consumers nationwide to take full advantage of their consumer rights and make better-informed decisions.
At an NCPW kickoff event in late February, the FCC joined a number of coalition member in face-to-face meetings with members of Congress and their staff to discuss consumer issues and disseminate helpful consumer information.
Each day throughout NCPW we encourage you to check our website – https://www.fcc.gov– for tips and links to helpful information about issues such as smart device theft protection, phone bill cramming, accessibility to consumer help, emergency communications, and more.
Our coalition’s web site (http://www.ncpw.gov/) also offers consumers a wealth of tips and information on topics such as finances, health, privacy, technology and more.
You can download and print the materials and share them with friends and neighbors, or order materials from select partners if you're planning a larger event such as a conference or workshop.
The FCC’s Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau works year-round with the Commission’s other bureaus and offices to educate consumers facing issues and challenges around communications technologies and services, with the goals of consumer protection and empowerment.
With this in mind, we launched at the beginning of this year our new Consumer Help Center: https://consumercomplaints.fcc.gov. Its consumer-empowering functionality provides a better interaction between you and the FCC, creating a more user friendly experience for you and helping us better address your concerns.
The Consumer Help Center was designed to make it easier for you to file a complaint, and includes a new intake system to dynamically guide you through the filing process. Creating a unique log-in during the filing process allows you to track the status of your complaint in real time - 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Additionally, the one-stop portal integrates consumer education with complaint intake, enabling you to potentially solve your problem without filing a complaint.
The Consumer Help Center also promotes greater transparency and enhances communications between the Commission and consumers, giving you an opportunity to inform our decision-making and policy goals.
You’ll also find us “on the road.” The FCC does educational outreach through speaking engagements and exhibiting and networking at local and national events and conferences. Visit our outreach page (https://www.fcc.gov/outreach) for quarterly newsletters for consumers on outreach activities and other resources.
As we celebrate NCPW, we urge you to visit these websites and check out the resources available to you. Most importantly, know your rights and let us know how we can best serve you.