Up and Coming Weekly is a weekly publication in Fayetteville, NC and Fort Bragg, NC area offering local news, views, arts, entertainment and community event and business information.
Issue link: http://www.epageflip.net/i/1510246
8 UCW October 25 - 31, 2023 WWW.UPANDCOMINGWEEKLY.COM NEWS e Greater Fayetteville Chamber of Commerce recently announced the launch of its newest program, the Consumer Protection Division. e program's mission is to create a guide of ethical and honest busi- nesses in the greater Fayetteville area, provide scam warnings, and curate consumer reports for Fayetteville residents. "We're excited to be a chamber of commerce leading the way with consumer protection," said Nat Robertson, the organization's CEO and president. e program has been in the works for about 90 days and is one of only a handful of chamber-run consumer protection programs nationwide, according to Robertson. He cited a similar program operated by the Manatee Chamber of Com- merce in Florida as an inspiration for the Fayetteville initiative. Angela Selitto has been tasked to lead the Consumer Protection Division as its director. She has been an ambassador for the Greater Fayetteville Chamber — assisting with public relations and welcome committees — on and off for the past 15 years. When Robertson asked her to lead the new program, she knew it was the right opportu- nity for her. "I wanted to do something that could help our businesses and our community," she said. Selitto will be in charge of verify- ing businesses for the program, as well as its day-to-day operations. Businesses which want to par- ticipate in the program must be certified through the division. To become certified, businesses must adhere to a membership agreement, which outlines best practices that a business must follow. An applica- tion fee of $299 is also required for all businesses, and those with more than 20 employees will have an additional fee of $249. Businesses must also have been open for at least one year and have no active litigations. Chamber members get a $50 discount on the verification fee for their businesses. e certifica- tion is valid for one year. Businesses making the cut will be listed in the division's directory and will get an annual "blue checkmark" in the form of a window decal to display. "When a consumer sees that certi- fied sticker displayed in the busi- nesses, they know they can shop with confidence," Selitto said. e first official membership directory of certified businesses will be posted in January; the directory will be an annual publication going forward. On the scam protection side, Selitto said that CPD will send out alerts in email newsletters and post them on chamber social media ac- counts. Consumer losses to scams increased by 30% from 2021-22 for a total of $8.8 billion, according to a recent report from the Federal Trade Commission. "Senior citizens lose about $3 billion a year to scams nationwide," Cumberland County District At- torney Billy West said. "It's a very serious problem." Beyond helping everyday con- sumers, the program may have an additional impact on the local jus- tice system. CPD will offer a media- tion platform for resolving disputes between consumers and businesses, with the goal of addressing griev- ances fairly and reducing the strain on local legal resources. Chief District Court Judge Toni King said she hears about 200 cases every week dealing with breach-of- contract issues and other disputes. She hopes the new division will help lighten the load. "When we can remove these types of cases or lower the amount in our court system, it allows us to focus on the more violent or the more impor- tant, in a sense, cases," King said. To find out more details about the program, sign up for scam alerts or to get verified, visit https://faycpd. com/ New Chamber program will work to protect consumers by CHAR MORRISON, CityView Today CHAR MORRISON, CityView Today. COMMENTS? Editor@upandcomingweekly. com. 910-484-6200.