Yale Open Courses

Yale Open Courses

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How to File a Consumer Complaint

So many different agencies handle consumer complaints, that it’s confusing to figure out which agency you should complain to. For example, should you contact the Louisiana Attorney General’s Office or the Public Service Commission? There’s so much division of jurisdiction that one might be tempted to file a complaint about it. But before you do that, try looking at some of the following charts and links as a guide.

The Baton Rouge Better Business Bureau handles complaints that involve buyers and sellers, where there is an item that has been sold or has been advertised for sale. Complaints may be filed by either a consumer or another business.

The Better Business Bureau will not handle:

• Anonymous complaints
• Allegations of discrimination or violations of constitutional rights
• Complaints involving professionals such as lawyers or doctors (unless it involves billing procedures)
• Debt collection
• Disputes that are already in litigation

BBB of South Central Louisiana

Phone: (225) 346-5222
Fax: (225) 346-1029
748 Main Street
Baton Rouge LA 70802

Most complaints against businesses located in Louisiana should be directed to the Louisiana Attorney General’s Office. However, complaints about certains types of businesses, such as utility companies, for example, will be directed to other agencies. Refer to the following chart.

If your complaint concerns:	Then contact:
Automobiles Telemarketing Landlords & tenants Credit issues Collection agencies Home improvements and construction Home appliances and furnishings Health clubs Travel Charitable solicitations Sweepstakes Work-at-home programs Multilevel marketing/business opportunities.	Office of the Louisiana Attorney General Consumer Protection Section P.O. Box 94005 Baton Rouge, LA 70804-9005 Disaster Hotline: 1-800-351-4889
Motor Carriers Telecommunications Utilities such as Electric, Gas, Water and Sewage	Louisiana Public Service Commission 602 North 5th Street 12th Floor Baton Rouge, LA 70802 (225) 342-4404 1-800-256-2397 Filing a Complaint With the Louisiana Public Service Commission
Insurance companies, agents and adjusters	Louisiana Department of Insurance Post Office Box 94214 Baton Rouge, LA 70804 General Information: 1-800-259-5300 or 1-800-259-5301 Direct Telephone numbers: (225) 342-5900 or (225) 342-0895 Insurance Fraud

Complaints against medical professionals should be filed with the appropriate licensing or regulatory agency. Refer to the following chart to find the correct agency, with a link to their website and contact information.

Type of professional	Regulatory board or agency
Physicians (MD and D0) Acupuncturists Acupuncturist Assistants Athletic Trainers Clin Exercise Physiologists Clin Laboratory Personnel Midwives (lay) Occupational Therapists Occupational Therapy Assistants Physician Assistants Podiatrists Perfusionists Polysomnograph Personnel Radiological Technologists Respiratory Therapists	Louisiana State Board of Medical Examiners 630 Camp Street New Orleans, LA 70130 (504) 568-6820
Chiropractors	Louisiana State Board of Chiropractic Examiners 8621 Summa Avenue, Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70809 (225) 765-2322
Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNA) Nurses Nurse Practitioners	Louisiana State Board of Nursing 17373 Perkins Rd Baton Rouge LA 70810 (225) 755-7500
Dentists	Louisiana State Board of Dentistry 365 Canal St, Suite 2680, New Orleans LA 70130 (504) 568-8574
Optometrists	Louisiana State Board of Optometry Examiners P.O. Box 555 Oakdale, LA 71463 (318) 335-2989
Licensed Practical Nurses	Louisiana State Board of Practical Nurse Examiners 3421 N Causeway Blvd, Ste 505 Metairie, LA 70002 (504) 838-5791
Psychologists	Louisiana State Board of Examiners of Psychologists 8280 YMCA Plaza, One Oak Square, Bldg 8B, Baton Rouge LA 70810 (225) 763-3968

Here’s some miscellaneous state agencies:

Concerning the operation of state government	Louisiana Office of Inspector General P.O. Box 94095 Baton Rouge, LA 70804-9095 (225) 342-4262 Filing a Complaint
Employee complaints against employers	Louisiana Workforce Commission 1001 North 23rd Street, Baton Rouge, LA 70802-3338 (225) 342-3111

The following federal agencies handle consumer complaints.

• FTC Bureau of Consumer Protection Complaint Form: The Federal Trade Commission, the nation’s consumer protection agency, collects complaints about companies, business practices, identity theft, and episodes of violence in the media.
• US Consumer Product Safety Commission: Consumer Product Incident Report: Report an unsafe product to the US Consumer Product Safety Commission such as an injury or death involving a consumer product. The exceptions are automobiles, trucks, motorcycles, car seats, foods, medicines, cosmetics and medical devices (see below).
• National Highway Traffic Safety Administration: Report a Vehicle, Tire, Child Restraint, or Vehicle Equipment Safety Problem: The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has jurisdiction over automobiles, tires (and all automobile parts), trucks and motorcycles, and child restraint systems.
• US Food and Drug Administration: How to Report Problems With Products Regulated by FDA: The FDA regulates food, medicines, medical devices (from bandages to artificial hearts), blood products, vaccines, cosmetics, veterinary drugs, animal feed, and electronic products that emit radiation (such as microwave ovens and video monitors).

Ask-a-Lawyer

Take advantage of free, individual, legal counseling sessions offered by the Pro Bono Project of the Baton Rouge Bar Association. Area attorneys will be available for confidential, one-on-one, 15 minute sessions for legal advice on a first come, first served basis at the Main Library on Saturday, October 25, from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.

Experts will be in the areas of Business (Collections, Consumer Transactions, Insurance Disputes, Sale/Purchase), Criminal (Felony, Traffic, Misdemeanor, Juvenile), Education (General), Employment (Unemployment Compensation, Discrimination), Family (Adoption, Custody/Visitation, Property Settlement, Divorce, Support), Malpractice (Medical), Real Estate (Litigation, Property Transfer), Torts (Negligence, Product Liability), and other specific areas of law. For more information, call (225) 231-3746.

Disaster Relief for Small Business

Louisiana Economic Development (LED), U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), Louisiana Small Business Development Center Network (LSBDC) and regional economic development partners announced the opening of five Business Counseling Centers, created to assist businesses adversely affected by Hurricane Gustav.

"The centers, located in Baton Rouge, Metairie, Thibodaux, Carencro and Alexandria will provide free, one-on-one consultations with SBA customer service representatives and LSBDC counselors. Services include assessing business economic injury, assistance with SBA Disaster Loan program, evaluating the business's strength, cash flow projections and most importantly, a review of all options to ensure each business makes the right financial decisions."

Louisiana Business Counseling Center locations are listed below:

Louisiana Technology Park, LLC
7117 Florida Boulevard
Baton Rouge, La. 70806
225.218.1100

LSBDC Greater New Orleans Region
UNO Jefferson Center
3330 N. Causeway, Suite 422
Metairie, La. 70002
504.831.3730

South Louisiana Economic Business Assistance Center
629 East First St.
Thibodaux, La. 70301
985.446.6023 (active 9.12.08)

Enterprise Center of Louisiana
3419 N.W. Evangeline Thruway
Carencro, La. 70520-9000
337.896.9115

LSBDC at Alexandria
Dunbar Plaza Suite 114
3600 Jackson Street Extension
Alexandria, La. 71303
318.484.2123

Read the entire September 11, 2008 press release here.

Business Person of the Month: John Melancon

River Road Coffees is owned and operated by John Melancon. Sometimes called "The Coffee Man," he's a veteran in the coffee industry with more than 30 years of experience. "We produce the best coffee and coffee service in the Baton Rouge area." The company uses only high-quality green coffee beans in their custom blends. They roast the beans by hand-and-eye, personally supervising the grinding and packaging, and provide customer service which always exceeds expectations. Consequently, RiverRoad's coffees and teas are quickly becoming the favorite of many folks in the Baton Rouge area.

The shortest time between roasting and brewing is the secret behind every savory cup of RiverRoad Coffee. "We roast only the right amount of beans each time to assure the freshest aroma and flavor of each cup." To further assure the freshest and finest taste, River Road Coffees offers a Coffee Service which provides and maintains all your brewing equipment and supplies. During each delivery, all equipment is inspected and cleaned to assure consistent flavor and freshness quality with each and every cup. "Our customers have become our best salespeople. For information on how to get the best tasting coffee on the planet, call us today."

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