Division of Consumer Affairs Inspects Wildwood Boardwalk

WILDWOOD – As part of the summer initiative, investigators from the Division’s Legalized Games of Chance Control Commission inspect amusement games to make certain they provide every player with a fair chance of winning. Investigators from the Division’s Office of Consumer Protection ensure retailers comply with the state’s Consumer Fraud Act, look for the sale of dangerous contraband items such as novelty lighters or novelty contact lenses, and use high-tech lead testing equipment to check the lead content of toys and other items. Inspectors from the Division’s Office of Weights and Measures test the accuracy of scales and other measuring devices. County investigators participate in the inspections, including those from the county offices of health who seek compliance with the local health code.
On July 12, at the Wildwood Boardwalk, investigators confiscated 89 dangerous, contraband novelty lighters. Investigators also noted that four stores had a total of 761 pricing violations (including 750 at one store) due to the failure to clearly display prices, and five stores had refund policy violations. Investigators further found violations at six amusement games, including a coin toss game in which glass plates had been secretly coated with furniture polish, making the surfaces unfairly slick. Investigators also discovered a toy ball with a lead content of 574 parts per million.
“While the large majority of vendors along the boardwalks operate honestly, our investigators uncovered a number of concerning safety and consumer law violations that we moved quickly to resolve,” said Thomas R. Calcagni, director of the Division of Consumer Affairs. “The summer is not over yet, and there’s still work for us to do.”
Consumers who believe they have been cheated or scammed by a business, or suspect any other form of consumer abuse, can file a complaint with the State Division of Consumer Affairs by visiting its website, www.NJConsumerAffairs.com, or by calling 1-800-242-5846 (toll free within New Jersey) or 973-504-6200.
Follow the Division of Consumer Affairs on Facebook, at http://www.facebook.com/pages/NJ-Division-of-Consumer-Affairs/112957465445651 ; and check our online calendar of upcoming Consumer Outreach events, at http://www.nj.gov/oag/ca/outreach/.