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The Office of
Consumer Affairs provides consumers with the
following services:
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● Mediates disputes that arise between consumers
and companies where consumer transaction occurred
in Summit County
● Provides information and educational programs to
help consumers make smart purchasing decisions,
prevent foreclosures, deal with credit and
personal finances, avoid scams and other deceptive
consumer sales practices
● Licenses solicitors and peddlers who make
door-to-door sales
● Investigates complaints and marketplace
practices that may violate Summit County consumer
protection ordinance and takes appropriate
enforcement action to stop such practices through
agreements, hearings, issuing summons to compel
testimony or production of records, serving cease
and desist orders, seeking remedies and penalties
or referring investigations for prosecution. |
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From 2005-2011, over
1400 complaints have been filed with the office
resulting in $252,385 saved to consumers by way of
refunds, contracts voided, repairs completed or
merchandise exchanged. An additional $399,621 was
saved to homeowners through the office’s
foreclosure intervention program. The office also
presented at or attended over 330 outreach
educational events as well as overseeing National
Consumer Protection Week, Financial Wellness Month
(April) and Foreclosure Prevention Clinics. The
office’s foreclosure prevention program and
financial education series received national
recognition by the National Association of
Consumer Agency Administrators (NACAA), which
currently represents more than 160 government
consumer agencies and 50 corporate consumer
offices. |
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Meet the Staff of
The Office of Consumer Affairs:
William Miller,
Consumer Affairs Investigator
Contact
Mr. Miller
William was hired as Consumer Affairs
Investigator in July 2007. Mr. Miller was a
loss prevention officer charged with detecting
and processing thefts for 10 years. He has
worked with police departments and
prosecutors, testified before grand jury and
small claims court regarding consumer fraud
matters. William graduated from the University
of Akron Police Academy in1999 and was a
former Tallmadge Auxiliary Police Officer. He
attended Kent State University and is a member
of the North American Consumer Protection
Investigators (NACPI). |
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Cynthia Sich,
Director of Consumer Affairs
Contact
Ms. Sich
Cynthia has over 23 years experience in the
field of consumer protection education and
enforcement. She was the Green Bay Consumer
Protection Regional Manager with the Wisconsin
Dept. of Agriculture, Trade & Consumer
Protection where she oversaw the operations of
the consumer protection and weights & measures
programs. Prior to this she was a
paralegal/investigator with the Arizona
Attorney General’s Office Consumer Protection
Section where she conducted consumer fraud
investigations, complaint mediation and public
speaking. She joined Summit County government
as the first Director of the Office of
Consumer Affairs in 2005. Ms. Sich earned her
Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and
Graduate Certificate in Gerontology from the
University of Arizona. In addition, she has an
Associate of Applied Science in Legal
Assistant Studies from Pima Community College.
Cynthia is a Board Member of the National
Association of Consumer Agency Administrators
(NACAA) and past president of the North
American Consumer Protection Investigators
(NACPI). |
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Christine
Gilley,
Consumer Affairs Outreach Specialist
Contact
Ms. Gilley
Christine was hired as Consumer Affairs
Outreach Specialist in March 2008. Ms. Gilley
was a licensed title insurance agent and
notary public with over 25 years experience in
the field of title insurance. She served as
Affiliate Director on the Board of Directors
of the Akron Area Board of Realtors, former
Secretary with the Akron Chapter of the
Women’s Council of Realtors and for 15 years
was a featured guest on WNIR’s Real Estate
Advice Line. Ms. Gilley earned her Associate
of Applied Business in Paralegal Studies from
Brown Mackie College, received certifications
in Basic Mediation, Foreclosure Mediation and
Uniform Mediation Act from the Ohio Supreme
Court Dispute Resolution Section and attended
the University of Akron. |
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