Business in the Burbs » Consumer

Home improvement tops consumer complaint list

Jay Loomis — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 22:59:28 +0000

Consumers filed 357 complaints against home improvement contractors in Westchester County last year, making it the largest complaint category handled by the county’s Department of Consumer Protection.

Most of the complaints involved contractors working without a license in violation of county law, according to Gary Brown, director of consumer protection.

“Unlicensed contractors are a menace to consumers,” Brown said. “While hiring a licensed contractor is no guarantee of satisfaction, many of the most serious complaints—- involving shoddy work or failure to perform any work at all—- involved unlicensed contractors.”

The county beefed up enforcement action last year through sweeps in which authorities charged 121 contractors with being unlicensed. The department also increased penalties for repeat offenders and seized the vehicles and tools of unlicensed contractors, action that is permitted under a new seizure/impound law.

Officials credit the “zero-tolerance” stance to helping to boost the number of licensed contractors in Westchester to record levels of more than 7,600 last year.

After home improvement contractors, gasoline sales and furniture stores headed the list of more than 1,500 consumer complaints received by the county. Also on the top 10 list were specialty services (including collection agencies and home security companies), motor vehicle sales, heating oil companies, food stores, professional services, utilities and department stores.

The Department of Consumer Protection said that it collected more than $833,000 in restitution for consumers.

“In these tough economic times, we’re trying extra hard to make sure that consumers get their money’s worth,” County Executive Andrew Spano said in a written statement. “If you have a consumer problem, we can help.”

Regional mall owner seeks refinancing

Jerry Gleeson — Tue, 16 Dec 2008 21:33:14 +0000

The debt-strapped owner of more than 650 U.S. shopping malls, including the Cortlandt Towne Center and seven other plazas in the Lower Hudson Valley, appears ready to turn over control of most of the company to lenders under a tentative refinancing deal announced this week.
Centro Properties Group of Melbourne, Australia said it has obtained a one-month extension of its credit contracts that were due to expire yesterday while the refinancing deal is under review.
Centro is struggling with $3.35 billion in debt that it accumulated in the course of expanding its retail holdings around the world in recent years. Its stock sells for pennies a share.
It had planned to sell a portfolio of American malls earlier this year that might have included some regional property, but commercial real estate values have fallen. In September, Centro said the deal was canceled but talks were continuing.
This week Centro said the current refinancing deal calls for part of its debt to be changed to securities that in turn could be converted into the equivalent of 90 percent of Centro’s equity.
The company’s office in Manhattan declined to elaborate on the latest announcement.
Centro has more than 1.26 million square feet of gross leasable space in Westchester and Rockland counties. In addition to the Cortlandt Towne Center, its portfolio includes Rockland Plaza in Nanuet, Dalewood Shopping Center in Hartsdale, Highridge Plaza in Yonkers, North Ridge Plaza in New Rochelle, A & P Mamaroneck, Village Square in Mamaroneck, and a plaza on North Central Avenue in Hartsdale.

Tub contractor faces grand larceny charges

Jay Loomis — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 22:57:23 +0000

An unlicensed contractor faces grand larceny charges for never installing walk-in tubs for elderly Westchester residents, despite accepting deposits to do the work, according to the Westchester County Department of Consumer Protection.

Florida-based contractor William Becker, 46, took deposits totaling $21,600 from three county residents after he opened a booth in October 2007 at the Home Improvement Show at Pace University, county officials said.

“These consumers needed the walk-in tubs to improve their quality of life,” said Consumer Protection Director Gary Brown. “Instead, this turned into their worst consumer nightmare, paying thousands of dollars and receiving nothing in return.”

Home owners in Pennsylvania and Florida have made similar complaints against Becker, who has addresses in Florida and New Jersey, county officials said.

Becker is charged with two felony counts of grand larceny 3rd for allegedly taking deposits from residents of Yorktown and New Rochelle and never installing the tubs. County officials added that they anticipate that charges will also be filed in a third case involving a Mount Vernon resident that remains under investigation.

Brown said other Westchester residents who believe they were victimized by Becker can call his office at 914-995-2155.

Pepsi Bottling confirms ‘08 guidance

Allan Drury — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 13:27:13 +0000

The Pepsi Bottling Group Inc., the Somers company that bottles Pepsi products, today confirmed it expects to earn $2.30 to $2.38 a share this year.

The company said it expects revenues to grow in the mid-single digits. Operating profit growth will be in the low-single digits and operating free cash flow will be about $620 million, according to the company’s projections.

Pepsi Bottling also said that it will earn $1.02 to $1.06 a share in the third quarter. That would be 4 to 7 percent more than last year.

Revenues will rise 3 percent, the company said.

Westchester allocates $150K for housing hotline

David Schepp — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 17:46:00 +0000

Westchester County has signed a $150,000 contract with Westchester Residential Opportunities Inc., a nonprofit agency certified by the federal government, to reduce the number of evictions in the county caused by the nationâ€™s ongoing mortgage crisis.

The money was derived from a special fund the county set up to deal with emergencies, said County Legislator Peter Harckham, D-Katonah.

The agreement provides for the housing-support agency to use the funding to increase staffing to accommodate the growing number of requests for mortgage default and foreclosure counseling on its toll-free hotline, 877-976-4968, and the hotline’s continued operation.

The contract also calls for WRO officials to meet with top lenders and community stakeholders to discuss early intervention for potential defaulters, the county said.

WRO has offices at 470 Mamaroneck Ave. in White Plains and by appointment at the Mount Vernon Armory, 144 N. 5th Ave.

Its Web site is www.wroinc.org.

NYSEG Web site updated to permit outage reports

David Schepp — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 20:33:43 +0000

New York State Electric & Gas Corp. is advising its electricity customers, which include 85,000 in Westchester, Dutchess and Putnam counties, that they can now report outages through the companies revised Web site (www.nyseg.com), by clicking on the Outage Central tab on the companyâ€™s home page.

â€œWhile it may seem odd to think about having Web access when the power is out, more and more NYSEG customers are using wireless technology or may be reporting an outage at home from work or another location where the power is on,â€ the company said.

In addition to reporting outages, customers can also view where service interruptions have occurred by town and street.

In the event of extended outages, news releases and the locations of any emergency shelters and dry ice and water distribution sites are also posted, NYSEG said.

Gas prices rise 14 cents in two weeks

Allan Drury — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 19:40:52 +0000

Another survey, another big increase in gasoline prices.

The average price of a gallon of regular unleaded in Westchester County stands at $4.44, according to a survey by the countyâ€™s Department of Consumer Protection. The average price rose 14 cents since the previous survey, which was conducted June 2.

Prices have shot up $1.14 a gallon in the past year, said John Gaccione, a spokesman for the department.

The latest survey, which was conducted yesterday and posted on the departmentâ€™s Web site (www.westchestergov.com/consumer) today, found the lowest price was $4.199 at a Gulf station at 5 Secor Lane in Pelham. The highest was $4.759 at a Shell station at 1141 Boston Post Road in Rye.

Rockland Countyâ€™s last survey showed an average price of $4.36 in the southern and northern parts of the region. The average price in western Rockland was $4.24.

Consumer Reports warns about taking on debt to pay for medical bills

Julie Moran Alterio — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 03:48:40 +0000

Yonkers-based Consumer Reports is warning consumers stressed by medical bills not to get caught up in a new credit crisis thatâ€™s unfolding.
In a report in the magazineâ€™s July issue, Consumer Reports explains how trusted names in the credit business, including GE Money, Citigroup, and Chase, are pushing high-interest loans for people who need to pay for medical procedures.
The magazine notes that consumers are putting $45 billion in medical costs on credit cards today, an amount it said could reach $150 billion by 2015.
The credit cards and finance lines being marketed to consumers with medical costs can come with interest rates of up to 27.99 percent if the balance isnâ€™t paid off within a promotional time window, according to Consumer Reports.
The credit is being extended to people who need to pay for everything from cancer care to dental care to cosmetic procedures, according to the magazine.
Consumer Reports senior editor Andrea Rock notes that patients are in a â€œvulnerable positionâ€ when they get the sales pitch for the credit, often in a doctorâ€™s office or hospital.

Prestige Brands earnings rise 24 percent

David Schepp — Thu, 15 May 2008 17:54:06 +0000

Prestige Brands Holdings Inc. reported net income rose in the companyâ€™s fiscal fourth quarter, which ended March 31, to $10.4 million, up 24 percent from the $8.4 million it reported a year ago.

On a per-share basis, the Irvington-based maker of familiar household products reported it earned 21 cents a share, compared to 17 cents a share in the year-ago quarter.

Revenues, Prestige Brands said, rose to $80.4 million, up 3 percent from $78 million a year ago.

The revenue increase was driven by improved sales of the companyâ€™s over-the-counter health care and household products segments, said Prestige, whose products include Comet cleanser, Compound W wart remover and Prell shampoo.

General Patent licenses patent to LG

David Schepp — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 18:01:20 +0000

General Patent Corporation International said today it has licensed a cell-phone patent to LG Electronics Inc., the South Korean maker of consumer electronics, including cell phones.

The license gives LG non-exclusive rights to technology to improve communications between cell-phone transmitters and handsets, as well as devices, such as Bluetooth wireless headsets.

The patent is held by a sister company of General Patent, Digital Technology Licensing LLC, both of which are based in Montebello Park in Suffern.