If the company operates nationally or the product is a national brand, call or write a letter to the person responsible for consumer complaints at the company’s headquarters , e.g., the company’s public relations representative or president. Many companies have toll-free telephone numbers, often printed on the product. Before telephoning a company long distance, check to see if the firm has a toll-free number.
However, if you have exhausted your efforts to resolve the problem without success, contact the Oce of Attorney General promptly for assistance.
To preserve your rights, you must file a complaint or grievance appeal directly with your health plan or in conformance with the terms of your coverage. The Office of Attorney General does not give legal advice. If you have a problem with your insurance plan, you should “Take the Proper Steps”, as follows:
File a complaint with the Attorney General’s Health Care Section by: Calling – 1-877-888-4877, mailing in a PDF or submitting an ONLINE Complaint.
If you have a problem with your insurance plan, you should “Take the Proper Steps”, as follows: Call your plan’s member services department. Always call your plan’s member services department first. Give them a chance to solve the problem. Many problems are solved at this level in an informal manner.
If your health plan is a “managed care plan”, you may have certain rights under Act 68. Please Read Carefully. Filing a complaint with the Attorney General may not preserve your appeal rights, pursuant to ACT 68 or Medicare. To preserve your rights, you must file a complaint or grievance appeal directly with your health plan or in conformance ...
To file a complaint, visit your state's Attorney General's website, locate the online complaint form, fill it out and attach the necessary documents, and then mail it to the Attorney General's office address. Each state designates an agency to handle consumer complaints of fraud, deception, or unfair business practices. Typically, the state’s attorney general investigates those complaints. If you have been the victim of fraud or deception, you should file a complaint with the attorney general. A complaint is a formal written document filed by a party seeking legal relief by outlining the allegations, details, remedies, and parties involved. The process for filing includes gathering paperwork, contacting various involved parties, and taking legal action.
If you have been the victim of fraud or deception, you should file a complaint with the attorney general . A complaint is a formal written document filed by a party seeking legal relief by outlining the allegations, details, remedies, and parties involved. The process for filing includes gathering paperwork, contacting various involved parties, ...
Generally, a representative will contact you within two weeks via correspondence or phone to confirm your complaint. If you haven’t heard from the company after two weeks , then contact the attorney general.
Attach necessary documentation. The Attorney General will want to see any and all contracts, correspondence, receipts, cancelled checks, and advertisements. Do not send originals.
Send the business necessary information. 1 Your name, physical and email address, and phone number. 2 The product or service, including the brand name, model and serial number. 3 The problem with the product or service, in as much detail as possible.
List any action you have taken. Typically, you will be asked whether or not you have contacted the individual or company.
If you are taken to the attorney general’s main page, look for a link for “consumer protection.” Click on it.
Final Adjudications and Orders and board-approved Consent Agreements and Orders generally represent disciplinary action of some sort against a licensee or an unlicensed individual. All disciplinary actions become a permanent part of the licensee's record on file with the respective board or commission. Disciplinary actions are a matter of public record and are subject to release by the Department of State's Office of Communications and Press to various news agencies in the Commonwealth.
The Order to Show Cause sets forth allegations and directs the licensee (Respondent) to file a written Answer to those allegations within 30 days.
After the Respondent files an Answer, the matter is generally scheduled for hearing. If the matter is scheduled for hearing, the case is heard and a decision, known as an Adjudication and Order, is rendered, usually within six (6) months after the evidentiary record has been closed. If the Respondent is unhappy with the outcome, he or she may appeal the decision to Commonwealth Court.
Disciplinary actions are a matter of public record and are subject to release by the Department of State's Office of Communications and Press to various news agencies in the Commonwealth.
The Pennsylvania Department of State receives complaints concerning the licensees and registrants of the following 29 professional and occupational licensing boards & commissions regulated by the Department's Bureau of Professional and Occupational Affairs.
Some matters are amenable to settlement by means of a legal document known as a Consent Agreement and Order. Either party, the Commonwealth or the Respondent, may approach the other about a possible settlement. In reaching a settlement, the parties negotiate the facts to which they will agree for the purposes of settlement and also negotiate an agreed-upon penalty that they believe will be acceptable to the applicable licensing board or commission. All Consent Agreements and Orders must be presented to and approved by the applicable licensing board or commission in order to become final.
You may request a Statement of Complaint Form by mail, by calling the Professional Compliance Office Hotline at 1-800-822-2113 (if you are calling from within Pennsylvania) or at 1-717-783-4854 (if you are calling from outside Pennsylvania). Return the completed form to the Professional Compliance Office at: Department of State, Professional Compliance Office, PO Box 69522, 2601 North Third Street, Harrisburg, PA 17106-9522. Be sure to include any attachments and supporting documents (legible copies, no originals) that you wish to provide in support of your complaint.
A person who signs a complaint alleging a violation of the Ethics Act has probable cause for doing so if he reasonably believes in the existence of the facts upon which the claim is based and either: (1) reasonably believes that under those facts the complaint may be valid under the Ethics Act; or (2) believes to this effect in reliance upon the advice of counsel, sought in good faith and given after full disclosure of all relevant facts within his knowledge and information.
If the Commission determines that there has been no wrongful use of act, the subject may appeal such decision to the Commission at which time the subject must show cause why the complainant violated such provisions.
If the matter is not within the Commission's jurisdiction or if the complaint lacks sufficient information, it will not be processed and the complainant will be notified.
A preliminary inquiry must be completed within 60 days, after which it must either be terminated or opened as a full investigation. If after a preliminary inquiry the matter is terminated, both the complainant and subject of the inquiry will be notified. If a complaint is frivolous, the Commission must so state.
Such reports must be issued within 360 days of the initiation of the full investigation.
Consulting with a law enforcement official or agency for the purpose of initiating, participating in or responding to an investigation or prosecution by the law enforcement official or agency. Testifying under oath before a governmental body or a similar body of the United States of America.
In addition to any other civil or criminal penalty provided for in the Ethics Act, failure to timely file a Statement of Financial Interests or the filing of a deficient statement may result in a civil penalty of not more than $25 per day up to $250.
Staff of the Office of Disciplinary Counsel (ODC) and the Board are required to maintain the confidentiality of complaints and related investigations and proceedings unless and until one of the exceptions to confidentiality, as set forth in Enforcement Rule 402, applies. ODC staff may interview the respondent-attorney or other persons who may have information that is relevant to your complaint, and may disclose information when disclosure is permitted or required by Court or Board Rules.
A fair and impartial investigation perform ed by the Office of Disciplinary Counsel (ODC), wherein staff may communicate with you, the attorney, and in some cases, other parties, to obtain information;
Enforcement Rule 209 (a) provides that any person who communicates with Disciplinary Counsel or the Board relating to misconduct by a respondent-attorney or gives testimony before a hearing committee or special master in a proceeding conducted pursuant to the Enforcement Rules, shall be immune from civil suit based upon such communication or testimony.
An efficient disposition of your complaint, being mindful of the complexity of the matter, cooperation of all parties, and availability of documents, among other things, which may affect the duration of the investigation; and. To receive official notification of the disposition of your complaint.
A written and signed statement of the facts must be filed with the Disciplinary Board before your complaint can be considered. Therefore, please fully and completely set forth all of the facts and circumstances of your complaint below in the text box. Please be specific, referring to relevant dates, contacts you made with the attorney, the fee arrangement, amounts paid to the attorney and when, services to be performed, the names and addresses of other individuals involved in the legal matter, exactly what conduct you believe is unethical or illegal, etc.
Fee disputes are not normally handled within the attorney disciplinary process. Individuals should pursue fee disputes with the Bar association in the county where the attorney practices.
The hotline is only for members of the bar to request an assessment of their own options in complicated situations. Complaints of misconduct are appropriate when a lawyer is breaking the law or engaging in deceptive conduct or provides such poor-quality service that his clients suffer because of it.
Consumers can make complaints to the Pennsylvania Bar Association Disciplinary Board through the website or by printing or requesting a paper form from them. The complaint should include:
Why? Legitimate gray areas exist when it comes to practicing law that might require a lawyer to violate one rule to uphold more important responsibilities. Ethical quandaries are commonplace in the profession and the reason behind the PA Disciplinary Board Ethics Hotline. The hotline is only for members of the bar to request an assessment of their own options in complicated situations.
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Academically speaking, there are four types of widely recognized prosecutor misconduct: Offering inadmissible evidence in court. Suppressing evidence from the defense.
The Pennsylvania Bar Association Disciplinary Board can opt for public or private disciplinary measures against an offending lawyer. When consumers request information about a member of the PA Bar Association, complaints and public disciplinary measures are reported. Also, this information is not available through the PA Disciplinary Board Ethics ...
It’s important to be as thorough as possible as the Disciplinary Board will only investigate the information provided. While these filings are confidential, it’s customary to include the names and contact details of any other people involved in the incident.