The Local Consumer Program – Berkshire Consumer Services Office

Main # 413-443-7138 ext. 221
Fax# 413-443-8137

Normal Business Hours: Monday – Friday 8:00am-4:00pm

Walk – In Hours: Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday 9am-3pm

Goals and Objectives:

  • Providing consumer education, information, counseling, resources, workshops, and more in areas as needed.
  • Promoting early intervention and strategies that allow consumers to prevent or have disputes resolved in as timely a fashion as possible without having to resort to the court system and/or retaining attorneys.
  • Providing a cost-free, accessible resource for Berkshire County consumers experiencing issues and/or disputes with for-profit businesses located in or outside of Berkshire County.
  • Providing a cost-free, accessible resource for consumers residing outside of Massachusetts who need assistance in resolving a dispute with a Berkshire County located business.

The Berkshire Consumer Services Program (BCSP) is one of the 17 Local Consumer Programs (LCP) funded by and working in cooperation with the Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office ensuring Berkshire County residents and business can have access to local services and advocates/ counselors who are familiar with the community.

In Berkshire County, the Berkshire Consumer Services Program is administered and implemented by Berkshire County Regional Housing Authority (BCRHA). BCRHA provides a continuum of programming that promotes household, housing, and community stability. The staff, who are trained mediators, utilize these skills to advocate on behalf of consumers and also provide education to consumers, as well as, the business community.

The program provides information and advocacy regarding a wide variety of issues such as:

  • Defective products
  • Car sales, repair, and financing
  • Debt collection
  • Home improvement contract issues
  • Business closures
  • Utility bill disputes
  • Common scams

The BCSP offers a free and voluntary consumer advocacy process, performed over the telephone, which seeks to resolve disputes – once a written complaint is filed – to hopefully reach a mutually agreeable and amicable resolution. If staff is not able to resolve the particular complaint, all legal options are discussed and explained, including how to file a complaint in Small Claims Court. In appropriate cases, referrals are made to face-to-face mediation (also available at no charge in the majority of cases through BCRHA), an appropriate regulatory authority, or Community Legal Aid/private attorney.

 

Pen and paper

Click HERE to fill out a Consumer Complaint form

You can fill out the form online if you have an Adobe product on your computer.  Otherwise, it must be printed out, filled it, and then scanned and emailed, faxed, or USPS mailed back to us.

Once completed, form can be submitted using the following methods:

  • Print out the completed form (saving a copy for yourself is a good idea) and mail it to:

Berkshire Consumer Services Program
One Fenn Street-4th Floor
Pittsfield, MA 01201

  • Or fax it to our office: 413-443-8137, attention Consumer Program.

If you have any difficulties either filling out the form or getting it to us, please call 413-443-7138 ext. 221.

FOR A SPEAKER REQUEST FORM CLICK HERE