Agriculture Secretary Offers Budget-Conscious Tips to Help Consumers 'Get What They Pay For'

Because consumers do not carry a scale or measuring tape when they go shopping, Agriculture Secretary Dennis Wolff said today that knowledge and remembering a few simple tips can help them ensure that they get what they pay for.

"Almost everything we buy is sold by weight, volume, length, count or measure," said Wolff. "State and local weights and measures officials work behind the scenes to help consumers, businesses and manufacturers get exactly what they pay for. By understanding what to look for when purchasing goods, Pennsylvanians can help ensure our markets are equitable."

Wolff suggested the following tips for consumers:

* Look for an up-to-date inspection approval seal near the total sale display on every measuring device, including fuel pumps and scales.
* Check that the device is set to zero before anything is measured.
* Pay only for the measured amount of product, not the packaging.
* Review your receipt to ensure the amount billed is the amount received.

Wolff said consumers looking for more tips can find a complete "Getting What You Pay For" guide at www.agriculture.state.pa.us by clicking on "Bureaus" and then "Ride and Measurement Standards."

Governor Edward G. Rendell declared March 1-7 "Weights and Measures Week" in Pennsylvania, recognizing the 210th anniversary of the first weights and measures law enacted by Congress in 1799.

Scales ranging from small-retail to large-capacity truck scales, truck-mounted fuel meters, liquid-petroleum gas meters, retail fuel pumps, and all consumer scanning systems in 46 counties are inspected by the state. Twenty-one counties inspect their own devices.

If questions arise as to the integrity of a device, first contact the business operator. If he or she cannot or will not help, call the Department of Agriculture's toll-free weights and measures consumer line at 1-877-TEST-007 (1-877-837-8007).

CONTACT: Nicole L. C. Bucher
717-787-5085