Commissioner Putnam Unveils New Consumer Services Offerings During National Consumer Protection Week

~ Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services Launches Consumer Assistance Live Chat and Mobile Website to Help Consumers Navigate Marketplace ~

Tallahassee, FL - Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam and the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services announced today a new live chat feature and mobile website to help consumers navigate the marketplace. The department, which serves as the state’s clearinghouse for consumer information and concerns, already provides consumer assistance through their consumer hotline, 1-800-HELP-FLA, and website, www.800helpfla.com.

The announcement comes during National Consumer Protection Week, March 4-10, which encourages consumers nationwide to take full advantage of their consumer rights and make better-informed decisions.

“The live chat and mobile website features at www.800helpfla.com released this week will assist consumers in accessing information on the go,” said Commissioner Putnam. “Our hope is that by providing these services, Floridians will have access to the information they need to make smart decisions in the marketplace no matter where they are.”

The live chat feature allows consumers to connect directly to the department’s call center via the internet, while the mobile website allows consumers to access the Business Lookup, which allows consumers to research a business’ license status and complaint history, and A to Z Resource Guide, which allows consumers to search by topic for appropriate agency or resource contacts, from their smart phones.

Last year, the department received 41,961 complaints and recovered nearly $6 million on behalf of consumers.

For more information about any of the new features offered by the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, visit www.800helpfla.com.

For more information about the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, visit www.FreshFromFlorida.com or follow Commissioner Putnam on Facebook, Twitter, or Google+.