About the North Carolina Consumers Council

Educating, equipping, and advocating for North Carolina consumers

The North Carolina Consumers Council is a statewide, nonpartisan 501(c)(3) that educates, equips, and advocates for consumers so people can make informed decisions and avoid harm. Our focus is practical: safety, fairness, transparency, and value in the everyday marketplace. We put timely information in people’s hands and we work on the patterns behind individual complaints so the broader market improves.

Mission and Mindset

Our mission is consumer awareness, consumer education, and consumer protection. In plain terms, that means pulling defective or unsafe products off the road, explaining scams before they spread, and helping people navigate real choices with clear facts. We aim to reach vulnerable consumers before they become victims, not after. We work to be the best consumer resource we can be.

What We Do

  • Educate at scale: We publish articles and alerts on our website and social channels, attend public events, lead community outreach, partner with peer organizations, and provide interviews to state and national media. These services do not carry a fee.
  • Act as a resource: We do not directly represent individuals in specific disputes, but we point people to the right agencies and authorities and watch for market wide trends that need action.

How We Work

  1. Gather facts and evidence from consumers, agencies, and industry sources.
  2. Publish plain language guidance and tools that people can act on today.
  3. Direct individuals to the correct enforcement or resolution channel for their situation.
  4. Engage decision makers through comments, briefings, and testimony when rules are being set or revised.
  5. Collaborate with credible partners to amplify impact across the state.

We are governed by a five member Board of Directors elected annually by our members. The Board sets direction with an emphasis on ethics, risk, and fiscal responsibility. We are a 501(c)(3) charitable organization funded by memberships, grants, and donations. To remain unbiased and nonpartisan, we do not fund or endorse political candidates or campaigns, and we do not take money from special interest groups. Membership dues and donations are tax deductible. The IRS confirmed our 501(c)(3) status effective January 22, 2014, which allows members’ dues and donations from that date forward to be tax deductible.

Our Story

We began with a back porch conversation in Raleigh in August 1967 about unfair treatment, a faulty 1966 MG sedan, and a repossessed trailer. That conversation became an organization because North Carolinians needed consumer representation and practical help. NCCC was formally organized soon after, and by March 7, 1968, the idea had become a functioning reality that started publishing consumer information and building tools people could use. One early tool was a pre internet manufacturer contact file so consumers could reach companies directly to resolve problems.

What Sets Us Apart

  • Education with follow through: We do not just warn people about risks. We show the steps to act and the agencies to contact. We publish guidance in plain language and keep it current as scams, products, and technologies evolve.
  • Independence: We are nonpartisan by design and policy. We do not take money from special interests. Our decisions are grounded in consumer impact.
  • Trust built over decades: Our approach is consistent. Do business responsibly, earn trust through transparency and results, and keep consumers at the center.

Selected Impact Across the Years

  • Launching basic protections: Helped secure funding for the Consumer Protection Division in the North Carolina Attorney General’s Office and produced early outreach that warned people about common pitfalls and predatory practices.
  • Making prices and rates make sense: Worked with state government on the first state consumer price index. Researched telephone rates and pressed carriers to disclose actual costs so ads matched reality.
  • Improving access to justice: Analyzed small claims court and helped the Attorney General’s Office educate consumers on how to use it.
  • Energy and household costs: Encouraged fair telecom and utility pricing, supported lifeline rates for low income households, and helped reduce energy waste through practical programs used to inform local building codes.
  • Financial fairness: Backed credit unions and consumer choice when access was threatened, and investigated fundraising abuses that kept most donations from reaching charities.
  • Safer car buying: Surveyed used car dealers and pushed for practices that respect buyers, including clear pricing and independent inspections.
  • Auto and product safety: Pressed for recalls and safer design when defects emerged, promoted recall awareness, and helped owners remedy outstanding safety issues.
  • Marketplace transparency: Challenged deceptive fees and unclear pricing, encouraged clear disclosure of real costs, and educated residents on comparison shopping and return policies.
  • Medical price clarity: Explained how to use new transparency rules so patients can compare procedure prices and avoid surprise costs.
  • Disaster and fraud response: Warned about flood damaged vehicles after major storms and helped shut down look alike mail schemes that targeted homeowners.
  • Energy and waste reduction: Promoted practical ways to lower household energy use and reduce contamination in local recycling streams.

How You Can Engage

  • Use and share our resources: Our education work is open to the public. Share it with neighbors, family, and coworkers, especially those who are most at risk of scams or predatory offers.
  • Join and support: Membership strengthens a statewide voice for consumers. As a 501(c)(3), we rely on memberships, grants, and donations to fund operations and programs.
  • Invite us to your community: We attend public events, partner with peer groups, and provide interviews and presentations that turn complex topics into practical steps people can use today.

Where We Are Headed

Technology keeps changing the shape of scams and the speed of harm. Our commitment is to keep innovating outreach and education so North Carolinians see the warning signs sooner, understand their options, and act with confidence. We will continue to look for market wide patterns, press for fair rules, and publish clear guidance that helps households make better decisions.