Consumer woes? Call one number

The Consumer Affairs Agency said Friday it will launch on Sept. 14 a unified phone number for advisory services on consumer-related issues, including those pertaining to product safety, fraud and mislabeled food products.

By calling (0570) 064-370, consumers in Fukushima, Yamanashi, Shimane, Kagawa and Okinawa prefectures will be connected to counselors at their local government offices.

Currently, many local governments and municipalities offer similar phone services separately with different numbers, and they are not widely known or used by consumers, according to the agency.

The new phone number, which is not toll-free, will be available on an experimental basis, and the agency hopes to expand the service nationwide by the beginning of November.