Ohio’s economy is made up of small business and at its heart are those entrepreneurs who set about to make a difference, to make their mark and to do it their way. From the auto repair shop in Cleveland to the software engineering firm in Toledo to the daycare center in Cincinnati, Ohio’s small businesses are the driving force behind Ohio’s economy.
This morning, I announced a new statewide initiative to help small businesses, and I would like to ask your help in spreading the word. Since 85 percent of Ohio businesses have less than 20 employees, chances are that you or someone you know works for a small business, and I would like to ask for your help.
Will you share this flier somewhere where it could help small businesses?
One of the Ohio Attorney General’s primary duties over the years has been protecting Ohio consumers from fraud and unfair business transactions. However, small businesses that have been scammed previously have not been able to file complaints with the Attorney General’s Office. Now, my office will begin accepting consumer complaints from businesses.
Downtown Georgetown, Ohio – Photo by jimmywayne used under CC license
In July, we opened up the complaint process to a test market of small businesses. In just six months, we received complaints from more than 500 businesses. For those businesses, we were able to recover more than $60,000.
The hundreds of scenarios that have come through our office have painted a clear picture: Ohio small businesses can use our support, and I am proud to say they have it.
Here are just a few stories from businesses who have already filed complaints:
A Trotwood trucking company made an Internet purchase for more than $8,000. After paying for the product, the supplier never delivered and refused to return phone calls. The trucking company filed a complaint with my office, and we recovered a full refund.
A Cleveland area day care paid a supplier $1,500 to secure a small business loan, but no service was ever provided. Following up on the complaint, we recovered $1,300.
A West Jefferson library was charged for a Web service that it never authorized. We recovered $244.
A Columbus auto repair company was charged $849 for a Web site advertisement listing that it never authorized. We resolved the issue and the auto repair company did not have to pay the charges.
The types of issues my office may be of assistance in resolving include:
- Invoices for unauthorized advertisements.
- Payment for a product or service that was never received.
- Overcharging for property repairs and improvements or performing work poorly.
- Disputed invoices for office supplies.
Sometimes we will be able to recover $100; other times it will be $10,000. Either way, helping our small businesses avoid being nickel-and-dimed is well worth the effort. If you or your small business has been targeted by unfair practices, file a complaint with my office, or by phone at (800) 282-0515.
Tara Brown, the Small Business Liaison for my office, is responsible for outreach to the small business community and improving support for small businesses through the office. She’ll be available to answer questions about the program left in the comment section below.
Richard Cordray is Ohio’s Attorney General
