OAG reaches out to protect consumers

The newly assigned consumer counsel for the CNMI reached out to some businesses yesterday on the vagaries of the Consumer Protection Act and how to make sure that the do not violate it.

Michael Cyganek, who was the guest speaker at the Rotary Club of Saipan meeting last Tuesday, is tasked with enforcing the Consumer Protection Act and to eradicate any problem or potential violation.

“It is like a two-fold thing, being the one to enforce the act and protecting the consumer,” said Cyganek, “but we also do community outreach programs such as the ‘Consumer Caution Corner’ that is published in the newspaper weekly. We’d like to keep the community aware of different scams that have been going on locally and through unfamiliar phone calls.”

Since being appointed as consumer counsel in the CNMI, Cyganek has been on the lookout for Internet scams.

“I would like to look into new age technology and how people are being taken advantage of. Since I have taken over the position on September last year, there have been a few cases, but we at the Attorney General’s Office are working hard to focus on buyer goods in all types of industries,” he said.

The Consumer Protection Act is said to be a way to regulate business practices and to promote an organized market environment. It aims to protect consumers as well as businesses in trying to rid the market of deceptive practices such as expired goods, counterfeit goods, and colluding with prices.

The Act, which identifies about 30 different violations, prohibits businesses from misleading or confusing consumers, providing a mechanism for solving disputes between merchants and consumers and outlining civil and criminal remedies for those in violation of the law.

Some practices that are illegal include misrepresentation of auto repairs.

“Many consumers have been fooled by not only overpriced auto parts, but also counterfeit auto parts,” said Cyganek. “It’s all about fairness in the market and giving respect to consumers that they are given a fair price and can still be able to provide for their family without giving an arm or a leg over a broken vehicle.”

Expired goods that are not marked off a certain percentage of the original price, or on aisles that let consumers know it is expired is another example and can be a violation as the merchant is not being transparent to the consumer and giving them the choice of whether they want an expired item or not.

To inquire more on the Consumer Protection Act, contact Cyganek at consumer_counsel@cnmioag.org.