Attorney General Kelly A. Ayotte announced today that her office is accepting applications for committed volunteers to work as Consumer Affairs Specialists for the Consumer Protection Bureau's Mediation Program.

According to Ayotte, the Consumer Affairs Specialist Program was initiated by the Attorney General's Office in 1992 in an effort to help resolve the thousands of complaints received annually by the Consumer Protection Bureau concerning business practices affecting New Hampshire citizens, and consumers of New Hampshire products and services. The program trains volunteers to answer the consumer protection hotline and assist with the resolution of disputes between consumers and businesses through informal mediation.

Program volunteers handle a wide array of issues ranging from minor disputes concerning undelivered mail order merchandise to problems involving thousands of dollars of home improvement repairs.

Adults of all ages are encouraged to apply. Volunteers are asked to commit six hours per week for one year, and will receive mandatory instruction. Volunteers will learn how to provide basic information about consumer rights and responsibilities in response to telephone inquiries and letter contacts, and will actively mediate, by telephone and letter contact, complaints and disputes between businesses and customers.

Anyone interested in exploring this rewarding opportunity may write to Denise Costello, Paralegal or Cathy Lord, Paralegal, Consumer Protection and Antitrust Bureau, Office of the Attorney General, 33 Capitol Street, Concord, New Hampshire 03301-6397, call the Bureau at (603) 271-3643, or visit the Web site at www.doj.nh.gov to receive a description of the program, an outline of the volunteers' duties, and an application form.