Consumer Protection Division returns $5.2 million in 2006

The money was recovered for consumers in Missouri and in other states without the need for filing legal action. The previous record, set in 2005, was just more than $3.4 million.

Since Jay Nixon became attorney general in 1993, his office has returned more than $33 million to consumers through informal mediation.

“Our track record of helping consumers get their money back by mediating complaints is another example of how we’re continuing our work to make state government more effective and efficient,” Nixon said in a news release.

Nixon credited the addition this year of a complaint form that can be submitted online with enhancing the efficiency of attorneys, investigators, complaint analysts and other staff within the Consumer Protection Division. The complaint forms are available at www.ago.mo.gov.

The Consumer Protection Division will take legal action if necessary; Nixon this year recovered $331,559 in consumer restitution through legal action. Division attorneys obtained six criminal convictions, 19 injunctions, 18 assurances of voluntary compliance and 30 judgments in 2006.

In addition to consumer restitution, the legal actions resulted in orders for $2.2 million in civil penalties for Missouri schools, $550,000 for antitrust law enforcement efforts and $469,870 for consumer law enforcement and education.