The Greater Fayetteville Chamber has announced the establishment of its new Consumer Protection Division, an initiative dedicated to promoting consumer rights, ensuring fair business practices, and fostering a trustworthy business environment within the Cumberland County community.

The Chamber made the announcement at a press conference held after their monthly Chairman’s Coffee Club event on Oct. 19.

 It was also announced that former Chair for the Chamber Ambassadors Angela Selitto will be leading the new Chamber entity as the Director of the Consumer Protection Division.

“I'm excited to lead this initiative, bringing confidence back to the consumer and highlight a network of businesses that have shown integrity in that area. We will create accountability that fosters trust and transparency in the marketplace thus promoting ethical business practices. As it says our mission statement; with the transient nature of Cumberland County the ever changing consumer can benefit from a network of trusted businesses,” said Selitto. 

Committed to advancing economic prosperity for Chamber members, CPD also prioritizes the interests of consumers. The Consumer Protection Division is set to become the cornerstone for a thriving Cumberland County marketplace in which businesses and consumers can interact with confidence. The Division will play a pivotal role in upholding ethical standards, resolving disputes, and promoting the "certified blue checkmark" for our network of screened businesses. 

Here are their key objectives:

• Advocating for Fair Practices: By publishing a network directory and working closely with local businesses, the Division will encourage ethical conduct, fair pricing, and quality products and services, ultimately fostering a business environment built on trust and integrity.
• Empowering Consumers: The Division is dedicated to educating consumers about their rights, equipping them with the knowledge to make informed decisions, and providing resources to address concerns effectively. Customers may contact the CPD for information regarding area businesses so they may shop with confidence while looking for our Certified Blue Checkmark.
• Swift Conflict Resolution: The Division will offer a mediation platform for resolving disputes between consumers and our network of businesses, ensuring that grievances are addressed promptly and fairly, reducing the strain on legal resources.

"Our aim with the Consumer Protection Division is to create an environment where both consumers and businesses thrive," said Nat Robertson, the CEO of the Greater Fayetteville Chamber in a press release. "By promoting fairness, transparency, and accountability, we believe we can foster a lasting trust between the business community and the consumers we all serve.

Selitto also shared the three primary ways the CPD will work to increase awareness of legitimate businesses by working around three basic concepts. 

1. Working as a network of members that have passed background screening and have taken a pledge to the business ethically and honorably. 
2. The CPD will publish a directory of businesses within their  network so consumers know which local establishments are trustworthy and strong for complete customer satisfaction. 
3. The CPD will publish scam warnings for both the establishment within the division's network and for consumers that are interested in a greater sense of security.

District Attorney of Cumberland County Billy West, an avid supporter of the Fayetteville CPD also spoke on how this will affect vulnerable consumer populations such as the elderly. 

“In the United States, over 70 percent of the wealth is controlled by people 50 years of age or older. So that's one of the reasons that they are a target and senior citizens lose about $3 billion a year to scams nationwide. So it's a very serious problem,” shared West. 

He also gave examples of some of the most common types of scams such as phony calls from the “government” demanding money and construction. He explained that some may fall victim to upcharging practices, incomplete work or paying for work and never seeing the suspected scammer again. 

“I applaud the Chamber for doing this and we're gonna continue to take these cases seriously when we see them come through  the system and hopefully we'll see a lot less of them thanks to this program,” concluded West. 

The impact is also expected to impact the local courts systems, with the expectation being that less civil court cases will be filed since people will be able to identify and avoid sham businesses. 

“With regard to the court system, we see approximately 200 cases a week. On Monday we process what we call our ‘people's court.’ And in there, we have people that are suing people for failing to work after being paid for breach of contract because they've not gotten the services that they have contracted for. And so therefore our court system has become overloaded,” shared Honorable Chief District Court Judge Toni King. “ It is amazing and it's great to see that this type of program is coming to Cumberland County. For those of you on social media, how many times do you see people saying ‘Anybody recommend a good contractor.?’ Sometimes you have to wonder if you're getting a good recommendation and so this is definitely going to safeguard our citizens in Cumberland County Who work really  hard for their dollars to pour back into our community, and certainly also to provide you with reputable services and companies.” 

Support was also given by Fayetteville Chief of Police Kemberle Braden. 

“A program like this is relevant for the time that we live in, and the cases that we work, to build some integrity within our community, not just for the consumer, but for the business owners out there. A way to protect themselves and know that we're doing our best to avoid fraud, scams and things of that nature,” shared Braden. 

The launch of the Consumer Protection Division marks a significant step forward in the Greater Fayetteville Chamber's ongoing commitment to economic growth, while ensuring the welfare of Cumberland County residents.

With a strong emphasis on collaboration, education, and dialogue, the new Division of the Greater Fayetteville Chamber is poised to set new standards in consumer protection within the region.

Membership is open to all businesses whether they are members of the Greater Fayetteville Chamber or not. 

Initial membership and business certification is $299.

Memberships for companies with more than 20 employees is an additional $249. 

The annual window decal and listing in the Business Directory is included with no additional. 

According to Chamber CEO and President Nat Robertson, the first CPD Directory will be published in January to give business time to get certified. 

Find out more on the official Fayetteville CPD site here.

You can also learn more about membership and join online here. 

Consumer Protection Division - Contact: Angela Selitto at CPD@faybiz.com or (910) 483-8133 ext 2.