General Consumer Complaints

Maryland Attorney General

Consumer Protection Division

Office of the Attorney General
200 St. Paul Place, 16th Floor
Baltimore, MD 21202
(410) 576-6550
Complaint hotline: (410) 528-8662
(toll-free): 1-888-743-0023

http://www.oag.state.md.us/Consumer/index.htm  

Comments: Complaints can be made to the Consumer Protection Division of the Attorney 

General’s Office. The Consumer Protection Division will disclose information to consumers 

concerning previous complaints against a business. Generally, the Consumer Protection Division can 

handle complaints about goods or services purchased for personal, household, family or agricultural 

uses. The Office of the Attorney General has branch offices in Western Maryland, Southern Maryland and on the Eastern Shore. Contact information for branch offices is available at http://www.oag.state.md.us/Consumer/offices.htm.  

Howard County Office of Consumer Affairs

6751 Colonial Gateway Drive

Columbia MD 21046

(410) 313-6420

Link to Web Site

Montgomery County Division of Consumer Affairs

100 Maryland Avenue, Suite 330

Rockville , MD 20850

Attn: New Complaint Department

(240) 777-3636

Link to Web Site

Comments: Both Howard and Montgomery County have Consumer Affairs Divisions which accept and try to resolve complaints from county residents or from any consumers who have complaints about businesses in their jurisdictions. They will provide information about local businesses. 

Other Options for General Consumer Complaints

1). Federal Trade Commission
CRC-240
Washington , D.C. 20580

Toll-free 1-877-FTC-HELP (382-4357)

http://www.ftc.gov  - Choose "File a Complaint" from the buttons on the top line.

Comments: Consumers can also make complaints to the Federal Trade Commission if they feel their problem could be relevant to a national problem. The FTC does not work to resolve individual consumer complaints, but uses complaints as part of their ongoing fraud investigations. 

2). Better Business Bureaus

Montgomery, Prince Georges, Charles, Calvert, Saint Mary’s counties are all served by the Washington D.C. BBB.

Better Business Bureau
1411 K Street, N.W. Suite 1000
Washington , DC 20005

Phone (202) 393-8000

Fax (202) 393-1198

http://www.dc.bbb.org/dc.html   

All other Maryland counties are in the Baltimore/Greater Maryland BBB district.

Better Business Bureau

2100 Huntingdon Avenue
Baltimore MD 21211-3215
Phone:(410) 347-3992
Fax:(410) 347-3936

http://www.baltimore.bbb.org  

Comments: The BBB will serve consumers with complaints about misleading advertising or improper selling practices, unfulfilled contracts or non-delivery of goods or services, and unsatisfactory service, credit or billing. The BBB works to mediate in disputes and will not "take-sides." 

3). Other Maryland Resources - The Weights and Measures Section of the Department of Agriculture 

Maryland Department of Agriculture

Weights and Measures Section 

50 Harry S. Truman Parkway

Annapolis, MD 21401

Attn: Marketing, Animal Industries, and Consumer Services

410-841-5700

Comments: The Weights and Measures Section of the Department of Agriculture can help if your complaint has to do with being short-changed or short-weighted. The Weights and Measures Section inspects and tests devices which are used in buying/selling commodities like food and gasoline. The Section will investigate consumer complaints.