COEUR d’ALENE — If you're feeling scammed, ripped off, confused or otherwise at a loss regarding an investment in goods or services, Press Consumer Guy Bill Brooks wants to help you.

Brooks has an extensive background in consumer protection, investigation and advocacy. He's also a Vietnam-era Army veteran, a cancer survivor and a broker with Tomlinson Sotheby's International Realty.

More than anything, he's a champion for fairness and an enemy of fraud, and he's ready to take your questions.

"I’m going to answer everybody’s letter, everybody’s phone call, everybody’s email,” Brooks said. "First and foremost, let's solve the problem for the consumer."

In a world full of scams and bad business deals, Brooks said the majority of problems between providers and consumers stems from a lack of communication.

"Ninety-five percent of consumer problems are misunderstandings," he said. "That's the truth. 95 percent of the problems are not dishonest businesses out to rip off the customer."

He said solutions are accessible for problems large and small; it just requires a person to be smart about the situation.

Brooks' experience assisting people with consumer concerns began when he was a student at the University of Illinois in the 1970s. His elderly neighbor had purchased a refrigerator and freezer unit that was much heavier, larger and complex than the little old lady needed.

"I called up the guy who sold it to her and said, 'Hey, I think you misunderstood,' and he said, 'I didn't misunderstand. Stay out if it — it's none of your business,'" Brooks recalled. "I said, 'I'm going to call the Better Business Bureau,' and he said, 'You know what, son? There is no Better Business Bureau here.'"

The refrigerator salesman was right — no BBB existed in that area at that time. So even though Brooks couldn't help his neighbor with this situation, he was motivated by this experience to found the Central Illinois Consumer Service, a consumer protection nonprofit. He said at first local business owners were suspicious because he and his colleagues were young university students, but soon the businesspeople realized the organization wanted the best for all sides.

“We started helping people, but we also helped businesses,” Brooks said. "It's a two-way street."

From hearing aids to leather jackets to parakeets that choose to perch upside down, Brooks has heard his fair share of consumer crises.

He studied to be a trained mediator at Northwestern University and became good friends with former Illinois attorney general Bill Scott in his time in the Midwest. He continued to further his education in language, fundraising, psychology and real estate and is presently working to be certified to assist veterans with Veterans Affairs paperwork.

Brooks also worked for TV and radio before being a hospital administrator, a project consultant and finally a real estate broker, giving him experience in a variety of fields.

“This won’t just be people who’ve had bad shopping experiences," he said. “Your problem — whether it's Agent Orange or a bad banana — it's important to you."

Brooks is immediately taking calls and answering emails. Even though some letters will not make it to print, this "Dear Abby" of consumer advice said he plans to help every person who writes or phones with a question or concern. His columns will be published exclusively in The Press print edition and digitally on cdapress.com.

"We're thrilled that Bill is going to take on this civic responsibility and can't imagine anybody better for the job," said Press managing editor Mike Patrick. "He's not just passionate and knowledgeable about all facets of consumerism; he also understands that good communication can solve a lot of little problems before they become big ones. That's where we believe he's going to prove most helpful."